Chester’s winters are milder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 93°
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 39°.
A year in Chester at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chester’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chester’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Chester feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 247 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 11 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lufkin Angelina Co Airport, 24 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chester’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 54 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Chester
44% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lufkin Angelina Co Airport.
Living with Chester’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
247 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 11 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October, November and December. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chester from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chester and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Chester yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Chester averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 88% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Chester compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chester’s place among Texas’.
Chester weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chester’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 39° | 4.8" | 44° – 56° |
| February | 65° | 43° | 3.9" | 45° – 62° |
| March | 72° | 49° | 4.3" | 54° – 68° |
| April | 78° | 55° | 4.0" | 62° – 72° |
| May | 85° | 63° | 4.9" | 70° – 78° |
| June | 91° | 70° | 4.8" | 78° – 85° |
| July | 93° | 72° | 4.1" | 80° – 87° |
| August | 94° | 72° | 4.1" | 78° – 89° |
| September | 89° | 67° | 4.0" | 75° – 82° |
| October | 80° | 56° | 5.3" | 64° – 75° |
| November | 70° | 47° | 4.6" | 53° – 63° |
| December | 62° | 40° | 5.1" | 44° – 57° |
| Year | 78° | 56° | 53.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 62°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Chester’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Chester’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lufkin Angelina Co Airport, 24 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Chester’s climate
What is the weather like in Chester?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 39°. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chester in winter?
January nights average 39°. About 28 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How hot does it get in Chester?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 72°. About 104 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Lufkin Angelina Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Chester?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 11 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 247 frost-free days, at Lufkin Angelina Co Airport.
What growing zone is Chester in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chester?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Chester getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chester.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.