Gun Barrel City has warmer summer afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 36°. The wettest month is October; the driest is July. Its January nights stay gentler than in 82% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from March to May and October to November, the months with highs of 67–83°.
A year in Gun Barrel City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gun Barrel City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gun Barrel City’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Gun Barrel City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 242 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 18 and the first by November 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Athens, TX, 21 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gun Barrel City’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 42 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Gun Barrel City
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 Athens, TX.
Living with Gun Barrel City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
242 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 18 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 39% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gun Barrel City from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gun Barrel City and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Gun Barrel City in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Gun Barrel City averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Gun Barrel City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gun Barrel City’s place among Texas’.
Gun Barrel City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gun Barrel City’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 36° | 3.1" | 42° – 54° |
| February | 62° | 40° | 3.3" | 42° – 59° |
| March | 69° | 47° | 3.9" | 52° – 64° |
| April | 76° | 54° | 3.7" | 60° – 71° |
| May | 83° | 63° | 4.6" | 69° – 78° |
| June | 91° | 70° | 4.0" | 78° – 85° |
| July | 95° | 74° | 2.2" | 80° – 89° |
| August | 96° | 73° | 2.5" | 78° – 92° |
| September | 89° | 66° | 3.0" | 74° – 84° |
| October | 79° | 55° | 4.9" | 63° – 72° |
| November | 67° | 45° | 3.4" | 50° – 62° |
| December | 59° | 38° | 3.9" | 40° – 53° |
| Year | 77° | 55° | 42.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Gun Barrel City’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 Gun Barrel City’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Athens, TX, 21 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 Gun Barrel City’s climate
What is the weather like in Gun Barrel City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 36°. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gun Barrel City in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 41 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How hot does it get in Gun Barrel City?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 74°. About 92 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Athens, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Gun Barrel City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 18 and the first fall frost by November 12, about 242 frost-free days, at Athens, TX.
What growing zone is Gun Barrel City 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 Gun Barrel City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Gun Barrel City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gun Barrel City.
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.