Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0Cotulla reaches 100° on about 62 days a year, more than all but 124 U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 42°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 57°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 91% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around February 11; autumn frost returns near December 3.
A year in Cotulla at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cotulla’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cotulla’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Cotulla feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 300 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 11 and the first by December 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cotulla La Salle Co Airport, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cotulla’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 22 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain falls on about 42 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Los Angeles 4 Wsw, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Cotulla
20% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Cotulla La Salle Co Airport.
Living with Cotulla’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
300 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 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 Dec 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 45% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cotulla from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cotulla and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cotulla yet.
Climates most like Cotulla’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotulla, TX | 42° | 99° | 22" | 0.0" |
| Cottonwood, CA | 39° | 98° | 26" | 0.0" |
| Catalina Foothills, AZ | 39° | 100° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Sunland Park, NM | 32° | 96° | 9" | 2.0" |
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 Cotulla averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Cotulla compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cotulla’s place among Texas’.
Cotulla weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cotulla’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Los Angeles 4 Wsw, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 42° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| February | 72° | 47° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 52° – 68° |
| March | 79° | 54° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| April | 86° | 59° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 66° – 79° |
| May | 92° | 68° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| June | 97° | 73° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 81° – 89° |
| July | 99° | 74° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 81° – 90° |
| August | 99° | 74° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 83° – 90° |
| September | 93° | 70° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| October | 86° | 61° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| November | 76° | 51° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| December | 68° | 43° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| Year | 84° | 60° | 21.6" | 0.0" | 42 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 68°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Cotulla’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 Cotulla’s center.
- Snow: Los Angeles 4 Wsw, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cotulla La Salle Co Airport, 1.8 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 Cotulla’s climate
What is the weather like in Cotulla?
A typical July afternoon reaches 99°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 160 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cotulla in winter?
January nights average 42°. About 10 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Cotulla get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Los Angeles 4 Wsw, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Cotulla?
July, with a typical high of 99° and a low of 74°. About 166 days a year reach 90° and 62 reach 100° (Cotulla La Salle Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Cotulla?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 11 and the first fall frost by December 3, about 300 frost-free days, at Cotulla La Salle Co Airport.
What growing zone is Cotulla in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cotulla?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cotulla getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cotulla.
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.