Photo: Mathieu Lebreton from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0Less rain and snow falls on Marfa than on 93% of U.S. towns: 15 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 90° on average. Rain follows the seasons: July brings about 6.3 times as much as February. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 79% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 79–80°, runs through April and October.
A year in Marfa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Marfa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Marfa’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Marfa feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 196 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Marfa 3w, TX, 2.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Marfa’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Alpine, TX, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 65 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Marfa
73% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Marfa 3w, TX.
Living with Marfa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
196 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 14 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Marfa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Marfa and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Marfa yet.
Climates most like Marfa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marfa, TX | 28° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| College Place, WA | 30° | 91° | 15" | 7.2" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Hermiston, OR | 29° | 91° | 9" | 3.7" |
| Lovington, NM | 26° | 93° | 15" | 1.4" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Marfa averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 85% 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 Marfa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Marfa’s place among Texas’.
Marfa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Marfa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alpine, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 28° | 0.6" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| February | 65° | 32° | 0.4" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| March | 72° | 37° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| April | 80° | 44° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 87° | 53° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| June | 92° | 61° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| July | 90° | 63° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| August | 89° | 62° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| September | 84° | 56° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| October | 79° | 46° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| November | 69° | 35° | 0.6" | 0.5" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 61° | 29° | 0.6" | 0.8" | 3 | 0 | 40° – 48° |
| Year | 77° | 45° | 14.5" | 2.2" | 65 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 65° to 76°. October is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Marfa’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 Marfa’s center.
- Snow: Alpine, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Marfa 3w, TX, 2.8 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 Marfa’s climate
What is the weather like in Marfa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Marfa in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 107 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Marfa get?
About 2.2 inches in a normal winter at Alpine, TX, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Marfa?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 63°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Marfa 3w, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Marfa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 196 frost-free days, at Marfa 3w, TX.
What growing zone is Marfa in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Marfa?
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 Marfa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Marfa.
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.