Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0Murchison’s winters are milder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 94°
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 36°.
A year in Murchison at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Murchison’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Murchison’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Murchison feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 242 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 18 and the first by November 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Athens, TX, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Murchison’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 45 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Murchison
48% 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 Athens, TX.
Living with Murchison’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
242 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 18 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 38% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Murchison from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Murchison and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Murchison yet.
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 Murchison averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Murchison compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Murchison’s place among Texas’.
Murchison weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Murchison’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 36° | 3.7" | 42° – 53° |
| February | 61° | 40° | 3.7" | 41° – 59° |
| March | 68° | 47° | 4.1" | 52° – 64° |
| April | 76° | 53° | 3.8" | 60° – 70° |
| May | 83° | 62° | 4.2" | 69° – 77° |
| June | 90° | 70° | 4.0" | 77° – 85° |
| July | 94° | 73° | 2.6" | 79° – 88° |
| August | 95° | 72° | 2.6" | 78° – 91° |
| September | 89° | 66° | 3.4" | 73° – 83° |
| October | 78° | 54° | 5.1" | 63° – 72° |
| November | 67° | 45° | 3.7" | 50° – 62° |
| December | 59° | 38° | 4.3" | 40° – 53° |
| Year | 76° | 55° | 45.0" |
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 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Murchison’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 Murchison’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Athens, TX, 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 Murchison’s climate
What is the weather like in Murchison?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 36°. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Murchison in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 41 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How hot does it get in Murchison?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 73°. About 92 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Athens, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Murchison?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 18 and the first fall frost by November 12, about 242 frost-free days, at Athens, TX.
What growing zone is Murchison 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 Murchison?
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 Murchison getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Murchison.
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.