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Warren and Myrta Bacon HouseWarren and Myrta Bacon House · Photo: Robert Lawton · CC BY-SA 2.5
Climate in Lubbock · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Lubbock reaches 100° on about 13 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns

A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns#530Hottest summers  of 632 in TX
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns#42 driest of 632 in TX
All TX rankings →

A year in Lubbock at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan55°27°
Feb60°31°
Mar68°38°
Apr76°45° Last frost ~Apr 42 days 90°+
May84°55° 11 days 90°+Wettest
Jun92°65° 20 days 90°+
Jul93°68° 25 days 90°+
Aug92°66° 22 days 90°+
Sep85°59° 10 days 90°+
Oct76°48° 2 days 90°+
Nov now64°36° First frost ~Nov 2
Dec56°29°

What stands out about Lubbock’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lubbock’s place in Texas beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Lubbock feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
57° / 29°
2 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
76° / 46°
Last frost around Apr 4
Summer
92° / 66°
13 days reach 100°
Fall
75° / 48°
First frost around Nov 2
Best months to be outsideAprOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 210 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lubbock, TX, 8 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.

84
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
603rd fewest of 630 in Texas
Fewer freezing nights than 68% of U.S. towns
0
nights at or below 0°
None in a normal year
92
days that reach 90°
521st most of 630 in Texas
More 90° days than 90% of U.S. towns
13
days that reach 100°
397th most of 630 in Texas
More 100° days than 93% of U.S. towns
7bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7b

The 2023 USDA map puts Lubbock’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

24
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

25
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 7 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Lubbock, TX, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 63 days a year.

19"
Rain + melted snow a year
42nd driest of 632 in Texas
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns
7.0"
Snow in a normal winter
594th least snowy of 614 in Texas
Less snow than 68% of U.S. towns
4 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
591st fewest of 609 in Texas
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 65% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

2.8"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

2"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Lubbock

62% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.

3,243 heating degree daysLess heating than 76% of U.S. towns
1,950 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 83% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lubbock, TX.

Living here

Living with Lubbock’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

210 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 4 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 2.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 172 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lubbock from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Lubbock and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lubbock yet.

Climates most like Lubbock’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Lubbock, TX27°93°19"7.0"
Yreka, CA29°91°20"12"
Talent, OR31°92°19"3.6"
Prescott Valley, AZ26°91°14"10"
Walla Walla, WA30°91°16"9.0"

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Lubbock averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.1°).

+1.8°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 79% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.3°now 43°, was 41°
Spring+2.1°now 61°, was 59°
Summer+1.4°now 79°, was 78°
Fall+1.3°now 61°, was 60°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods. In a city of 273,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).

Compared with other towns

How Lubbock compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lubbock’s place among Texas’.

Summer heat93° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns530th hottest of 632 in Texas
Winter cold27° January low
Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns609th mildest of 632 in Texas
Precipitation19" a year
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns42nd driest of 632 in Texas
Snow7.0" a winter
Less snow than 68% of U.S. towns594th least snowy of 614 in Texas
Hot days92 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 90% of U.S. towns521st most of 630 in Texas
Freezing nights84 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 68% of U.S. towns603rd fewest of 630 in Texas
Growing season210 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 74% of U.S. towns528th longest of 552 in Texas
Month by month

Lubbock weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lubbock’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lubbock, TX. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January55°27°0.7"1.6"4136° – 48°
February60°31°0.7"1.4"4139° – 52°
March68°38°1.1"0.4"5048° – 59°
April76°45°1.3"0.1"4054° – 67°
May84°55°2.8"0.0"7066° – 76°
June92°65°2.6"0.0"8074° – 85°
July93°68°2.1"0.0"6077° – 85°
August92°66°1.9"0.0"6075° – 85°
September85°59°2.6"0.0"6067° – 77°
October76°48°1.5"0.1"6057° – 67°
November64°36°0.8"1.0"4044° – 55°
December56°29°0.8"2.4"4136° – 46°
Year75°47°18.8"7.0"634
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. April swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 67°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Lubbock’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 Lubbock’s center.
  • Snow: Lubbock, TX (the official station).
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lubbock, TX, 8 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Lubbock’s climate

What is the weather like in Lubbock?

A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Lubbock in winter?

January nights average 27°. About 84 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.

How much snow does Lubbock get?

About 7.0 inches in a normal winter at Lubbock, TX, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.

How hot does it get in Lubbock?

July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 68°. About 92 days a year reach 90° and 13 reach 100° (Lubbock, TX).

When is the first and last frost in Lubbock?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 4 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 210 frost-free days, at Lubbock, TX.

What growing zone is Lubbock in?

Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.

What is the best time of year to visit Lubbock?

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 Lubbock getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 79% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lubbock.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.