Dawson reaches 100° on about 21 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 37°. Only 59° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Its January nights stay gentler than in 84% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around March 13; autumn frost returns near November 14.
A year in Dawson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dawson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dawson’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Dawson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 250 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 13 and the first by November 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Navarro Mills Dam, TX, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dawson’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 40 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 81 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Navarro Mills Dam, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Dawson
47% 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 Navarro Mills Dam, TX.
Living with Dawson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
250 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 13 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: February, March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dawson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dawson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dawson yet.
Climates most like Dawson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson, TX | 37° | 95° | 40" | 0.0" |
| Clearlake, CA | 35° | 93° | 40" | 0.4" |
| Dublin, GA | 37° | 93° | 47" | 0.0" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
| Ardmore, OK | 31° | 94° | 39" | 2.7" |
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 Dawson averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 Dawson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dawson’s place among Texas’.
Dawson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dawson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Navarro Mills Dam, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 37° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| February | 62° | 41° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 60° |
| March | 69° | 48° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| April | 77° | 54° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| May | 84° | 63° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| June | 91° | 71° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| July | 95° | 74° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 89° |
| August | 96° | 73° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 79° – 92° |
| September | 89° | 67° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| October | 80° | 56° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| November | 68° | 46° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| December | 60° | 38° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| Year | 77° | 56° | 40.1" | 0.0" | 81 | 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 60°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Dawson’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 Dawson’s center.
- Snow: Navarro Mills Dam, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Navarro Mills Dam, TX, 5 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 Dawson’s climate
What is the weather like in Dawson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dawson in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 44 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Dawson get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Navarro Mills Dam, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Dawson?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 74°. About 109 days a year reach 90° and 21 reach 100° (Navarro Mills Dam, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Dawson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 13 and the first fall frost by November 14, about 250 frost-free days, at Navarro Mills Dam, TX.
What growing zone is Dawson 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 Dawson?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Dawson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dawson.
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.