Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0Clifton reaches 100° on about 28 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 36°. May is the wettest month, July the driest. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 81% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 15, with the first autumn frost due around November 14.
A year in Clifton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Clifton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Clifton’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Clifton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 243 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 15 and the first by November 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Whitney Dam, TX, 13 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Clifton’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 36 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 66 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Hurst Springs, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Clifton
48% 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 Whitney Dam, TX.
Living with Clifton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
243 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 15 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Clifton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Clifton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Clifton yet.
Climates most like Clifton’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton, TX | 36° | 96° | 36" | 0.0" |
| Chico, CA | 38° | 96° | 31" | 0.0" |
| Lone Grove, OK | 31° | 94° | 39" | 2.7" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
| Dublin, GA | 37° | 93° | 47" | 0.0" |
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 Clifton averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Clifton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Clifton’s place among Texas’.
Clifton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Clifton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hurst Springs, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 36° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| February | 63° | 39° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 43° – 59° |
| March | 70° | 47° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| April | 77° | 54° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| May | 84° | 63° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| June | 92° | 70° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 77° – 86° |
| July | 96° | 73° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 80° – 89° |
| August | 96° | 73° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 79° – 91° |
| September | 90° | 66° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| October | 80° | 56° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| November | 68° | 45° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| December | 60° | 37° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| Year | 78° | 55° | 35.8" | 0.0" | 66 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 43° to 59°. October is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Clifton’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 Clifton’s center.
- Snow: Hurst Springs, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Whitney Dam, TX, 13 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower; 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 Clifton’s climate
What is the weather like in Clifton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Clifton in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 43 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Clifton get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Hurst Springs, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Clifton?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 73°. About 115 days a year reach 90° and 28 reach 100° (Whitney Dam, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Clifton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 15 and the first fall frost by November 14, about 243 frost-free days, at Whitney Dam, TX.
What growing zone is Clifton in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Clifton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Clifton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Clifton.
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.