Photo: United States Air Force · Public domainLaughlin AFB reaches 100° on about 41 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 40°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 58°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 89% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about February 19; in half of years the first frost comes by December 4.
A year in Laughlin AFB at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Laughlin AFB’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Laughlin AFB’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Laughlin AFB feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 290 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 19 and the first by December 4. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Del Rio International Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Del Rio 4nw, TX, 10 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Laughlin AFB’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 20 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 59 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Del Rio 4nw, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Laughlin AFB
29% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55°: December and January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Del Rio 4nw, TX.
Living with Laughlin AFB’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
290 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 19 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. 15 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Laughlin AFB from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Laughlin AFB and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Laughlin AFB in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Laughlin AFB’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laughlin AFB, TX | 40° | 97° | 20" | 0.2" |
| Olivehurst, CA | 39° | 97° | 20" | 0.0" |
| Vail, AZ | 36° | 97° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Sunland Park, NM | 32° | 96° | 9" | 2.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
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 Laughlin AFB averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 Laughlin AFB compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Laughlin AFB’s place among Texas’.
Laughlin AFB weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Laughlin AFB’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Del Rio 4nw, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 40° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| February | 69° | 44° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| March | 77° | 52° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| April | 84° | 58° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| May | 90° | 67° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| June | 95° | 73° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 88° |
| July | 97° | 75° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 81° – 91° |
| August | 98° | 75° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 83° – 90° |
| September | 92° | 69° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| October | 83° | 60° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 75° |
| November | 72° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| December | 64° | 41° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| Year | 82° | 59° | 20.4" | 0.2" | 59 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. April swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 64° to 77°. October is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Laughlin AFB’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 Laughlin AFB’s center.
- Snow: Del Rio 4nw, TX.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Del Rio 4nw, TX, 10 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Del Rio International Airport, 9 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 Laughlin AFB’s climate
What is the weather like in Laughlin AFB?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Laughlin AFB in winter?
January nights average 40°. About 12 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How much snow does Laughlin AFB get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Del Rio 4nw, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Laughlin AFB?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 75°. About 141 days a year reach 90° and 41 reach 100° (Del Rio 4nw, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Laughlin AFB?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 19 and the first fall frost by December 4, about 290 frost-free days, at Del Rio 4nw, TX.
What growing zone is Laughlin AFB in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Laughlin AFB?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Laughlin AFB getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Laughlin AFB.
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.