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Climate in Oak Leaf · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Oak Leaf reaches 100° on about 15 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns

A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of.

Hotter July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns#275Hottest summers  of 633 in TX
Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns#334Mildest winters  of 633 in TX
All TX rankings →

A year in Oak Leaf at a glance

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

Jan57°37°
Feb61°40°
Mar68°48° Last frost ~Mar 16
Apr76°54° 1 day 90°+
May83°64° 5 days 90°+Wettest
Jun91°71° 20 days 90°+
Jul95°75° 28 days 90°+
Aug96°74° 27 days 90°+
Sep89°67° 14 days 90°+
Oct78°56° 2 days 90°+
Nov now67°46° First frost ~Nov 16
Dec59°38°

What stands out about Oak Leaf’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Oak Leaf feels like

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

Winter
59° / 38°
Snow is rare
Spring
76° / 55°
Last frost around Mar 16
Summer
94° / 73°
15 days reach 100°
Fall
78° / 57°
First frost around Nov 16
Best months to be outsideMarAprMayOctNovHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 245 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 16 and the first by November 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Waxahachie, TX, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

33
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
332nd fewest of 631 in Texas
Fewer freezing nights than 84% of U.S. towns
0
nights at or below 0°
None in a normal year
96
days that reach 90°
450th most of 631 in Texas
More 90° days than 91% of U.S. towns
15
days that reach 100°
367th most of 631 in Texas
More 100° days than 93% of U.S. towns
8bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 8b

The 2023 USDA map puts Oak Leaf’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°

12
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

28
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 40 inches of rain a year

May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 100 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Midlothian, TX, so most winters see none.

40"
Rain + melted snow a year
388th driest of 633 in Texas
Drier than 62% of U.S. towns
0.0"
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 93% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.7"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Oak Leaf

49% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.

2,431 heating degree daysLess heating than 84% of U.S. towns
2,543 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 89% 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 Waxahachie, TX.

Living here

Living with Oak Leaf’s climate

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

The garden window

245 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 16 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 16.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oak Leaf from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Oak Leaf and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Oak Leaf in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

DeSoto: January low 37°, July high 95°Cedar Hill: January low 37°, July high 95°Waxahachie: January low 36°, July high 95°Pecan Hill: January low 36°, July high 95°Lancaster: January low 37°, July high 95°Ferris: January low 36°, July high 96°Glenn Heights: January low 37°, July high 95°Ovilla: January low 37°, July high 95°Red Oak: January low 36°, July high 95°Oak Leaf: January low 37°, July high 95°Oak LeafGlenn HeightsOvillaRed Oak
ColderMilder36° to 37°
Red Oak36.4° about the same
Oak Leaf36.6°
Ovilla36.6° about the same
Glenn Heights36.8° about the same

Climates most like Oak Leaf’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
Oak Leaf, TX37°95°40"0.0"
Clearlake, CA35°93°40"0.4"
Dublin, GA37°93°47"0.0"
Cayce, SC35°93°46"1.2"
Tecumseh, OK28°93°40"1.4"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Oak Leaf averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.7°).

+0.6°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 97% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.3°now 49°, was 47°
Spring+0.6°now 66°, was 65°
Summer+0.1°now 84°, was 83°
Fall+0.3°now 67°, was 67°

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.

Compared with other towns

How Oak Leaf compares

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

Summer heat95° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns275th hottest of 633 in Texas
Winter cold37° January low
Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns334th mildest of 633 in Texas
Precipitation40" a year
Drier than 62% of U.S. towns388th driest of 633 in Texas
Snow0.0" a winter
Less snow than 93% of U.S. townsNot ranked: under an inch a year
Hot days96 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 91% of U.S. towns450th most of 631 in Texas
Freezing nights33 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 84% of U.S. towns332nd fewest of 631 in Texas
Growing season245 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 89% of U.S. towns376th longest of 553 in Texas
Month by month

Oak Leaf weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January57°37°2.6"0.0"7043° – 55°
February61°40°2.8"0.0"9042° – 59°
March68°48°3.7"0.0"10052° – 65°
April76°54°3.6"0.0"9060° – 71°
May83°64°4.7"0.0"10070° – 79°
June91°71°4.0"0.0"10078° – 86°
July95°75°2.1"0.0"6081° – 90°
August96°74°2.4"0.0"7078° – 93°
September89°67°3.2"0.0"7074° – 85°
October78°56°4.7"0.0"9063° – 72°
November67°46°2.9"0.0"8050° – 62°
December59°38°3.1"0.0"8040° – 53°
Year77°56°39.7"0.0"1000
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Oak Leaf’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 Oak Leaf’s center.
  • Snow: Midlothian, TX.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Waxahachie, TX, 6 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 Oak Leaf’s climate

What is the weather like in Oak Leaf?

A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, 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 95% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Oak Leaf in winter?

January nights average 37°. About 33 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.

How much snow does Oak Leaf get?

About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Midlothian, TX, so most winters see none.

How hot does it get in Oak Leaf?

July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 75°. About 96 days a year reach 90° and 15 reach 100° (Waxahachie, TX).

When is the first and last frost in Oak Leaf?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 16 and the first fall frost by November 16, about 245 frost-free days, at Waxahachie, TX.

What growing zone is Oak Leaf 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 Oak Leaf?

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 Oak Leaf getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oak Leaf.

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.