Heartland reaches 100° on about 19 days a year, more than 95% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Heartland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Heartland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Heartland’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Heartland 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 11 and the first by November 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Terrell Muni Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Heartland’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 41 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 64 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Terrell, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Heartland
45% 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 Terrell Muni Airport.
Living with Heartland’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 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 Nov 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Heartland from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Heartland and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Heartland in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Heartland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heartland, TX | 36° | 95° | 41" | 0.1" |
| Clearlake, CA | 35° | 93° | 40" | 0.4" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
| Dublin, GA | 37° | 93° | 47" | 0.0" |
| Laurinburg, NC | 33° | 91° | 45" | 1.1" |
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 Heartland averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.7°).
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 Heartland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Heartland’s place among Texas’.
Heartland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Heartland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Terrell, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 36° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| February | 61° | 40° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 41° – 58° |
| March | 68° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| April | 75° | 54° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| May | 83° | 63° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| June | 90° | 71° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| July | 95° | 74° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 80° – 90° |
| August | 95° | 73° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 78° – 92° |
| September | 89° | 66° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| October | 78° | 55° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 67° | 45° | 3.1" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| December | 58° | 38° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| Year | 76° | 55° | 40.5" | 0.1" | 64 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Heartland’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 Heartland’s center.
- Snow: Terrell, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Terrell Muni Airport, 11 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 Heartland’s climate
What is the weather like in Heartland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Heartland in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 35 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Heartland get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Terrell, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Heartland?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 74°. About 103 days a year reach 90° and 19 reach 100° (Terrell Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Heartland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 11 and the first fall frost by November 18, about 250 frost-free days, at Terrell Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Heartland in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Heartland?
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 Heartland 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 Heartland.
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.