Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0Horseshoe Bay reaches 100° on about 12 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 37°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 85% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. Plan time outside from February to April and October to November, when highs sit at 66–81°.
A year in Horseshoe Bay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Horseshoe Bay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Horseshoe Bay’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Horseshoe Bay feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 262 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 6 and the first by November 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Burnet Muni Airport, 16 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Horseshoe Bay’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 31 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain falls on about 80 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Johnson City 2n, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Horseshoe Bay
40% 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 Burnet Muni Airport.
Living with Horseshoe Bay’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
262 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 6 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November. 5.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Horseshoe Bay from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (75%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Horseshoe Bay and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Horseshoe Bay in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Horseshoe Bay’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horseshoe Bay, TX | 37° | 96° | 31" | 0.2" |
| Chico, CA | 38° | 96° | 31" | 0.0" |
| Lawton, OK | 29° | 96° | 32" | 1.8" |
| Grants Pass, OR | 34° | 90° | 33" | 0.9" |
| Lugoff, SC | 33° | 92° | 43" | 0.4" |
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 Horseshoe Bay averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 79% 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 Horseshoe Bay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Horseshoe Bay’s place among Texas’.
Horseshoe Bay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Horseshoe Bay’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Johnson City 2n, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 37° | 1.8" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| February | 66° | 41° | 1.9" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 61° |
| March | 73° | 48° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| April | 80° | 55° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| May | 86° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| June | 93° | 70° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| July | 96° | 73° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 88° |
| August | 97° | 72° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 90° |
| September | 90° | 66° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| October | 81° | 56° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| November | 70° | 46° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| December | 63° | 38° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| Year | 80° | 55° | 31.4" | 0.2" | 80 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 61°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Horseshoe Bay’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 Horseshoe Bay’s center.
- Snow: Johnson City 2n, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Burnet Muni Airport, 16 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft higher; 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 Horseshoe Bay’s climate
What is the weather like in Horseshoe Bay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, 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 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Horseshoe Bay in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 26 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Horseshoe Bay get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Johnson City 2n, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Horseshoe Bay?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 73°. About 103 days a year reach 90° and 12 reach 100° (Burnet Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Horseshoe Bay?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 6 and the first fall frost by November 23, about 262 frost-free days, at Burnet Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Horseshoe Bay in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Horseshoe Bay?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Horseshoe Bay getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Horseshoe Bay.
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.