Fort Hancock reaches 100° on about 33 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 28°. Temperatures cover 70° across the year, low to high. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 98% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to February, which average under 50°.
A year in Fort Hancock at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fort Hancock’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Hancock’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Fort Hancock feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 221 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Hancock 8sse, TX, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Hancock’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 9 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and March the driest. Rain falls on about 34 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Ft Hancock 8sse, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Hancock
53% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Ft Hancock 8sse, TX.
Living with Fort Hancock’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
221 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 29 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 38 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Hancock from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fort Hancock and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fort Hancock yet.
Climates most like Fort Hancock’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Hancock, TX | 28° | 97° | 9" | 0.1" |
| Page, AZ | 28° | 99° | 7" | 0.6" |
| Truth or Consequences, NM | 29° | 94° | 10" | 0.9" |
| Lancaster, CA | 34° | 97° | 7" | 0.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 Fort Hancock averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 72% 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 Fort Hancock compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Hancock’s place among Texas’.
Fort Hancock weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Hancock’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ft Hancock 8sse, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 28° | 0.4" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 40° – 48° |
| February | 67° | 33° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| March | 75° | 40° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| April | 83° | 46° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| May | 91° | 55° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| June | 98° | 64° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| July | 97° | 68° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 78° – 87° |
| August | 95° | 67° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| September | 90° | 60° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| October | 82° | 48° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| November | 70° | 36° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| December | 60° | 28° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| Year | 81° | 48° | 8.8" | 0.1" | 34 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 59°. October is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Fort Hancock’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 Fort Hancock’s center.
- Snow: Ft Hancock 8sse, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Hancock 8sse, TX, 10 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 Fort Hancock’s climate
What is the weather like in Fort Hancock?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 28°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fort Hancock in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 93 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Fort Hancock get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Ft Hancock 8sse, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Fort Hancock?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 68°. About 133 days a year reach 90° and 33 reach 100° (Ft Hancock 8sse, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Fort Hancock?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 221 frost-free days, at Ft Hancock 8sse, TX.
What growing zone is Fort Hancock in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fort Hancock?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fort Hancock getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fort Hancock.
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.