Pawnee reaches 100° on about 33 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 43°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 92% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.2° above 1901–2000. The outdoor season runs from November to April, with highs of 66–83°.
A year in Pawnee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pawnee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pawnee’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Pawnee feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 302 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 8 and the first by December 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Choke Canyon Dam, TX, 19 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pawnee’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 29 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 57 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.3" in a normal year at Three Rivers 8 Ne, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Pawnee
28% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from 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 Choke Canyon Dam, TX.
Living with Pawnee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
302 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 8 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, November and December.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pawnee from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pawnee and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pawnee yet.
Climates most like Pawnee’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pawnee, TX | 43° | 96° | 29" | 0.3" |
| Chico, CA | 38° | 96° | 31" | 0.0" |
| Grants Pass, OR | 34° | 90° | 33" | 0.9" |
| Corona de Tucson, AZ | 36° | 96° | 14" | 0.1" |
| Lawton, OK | 29° | 96° | 32" | 1.8" |
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 Pawnee averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 66% 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 Pawnee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pawnee’s place among Texas’.
Pawnee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pawnee’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Three Rivers 8 Ne, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 43° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| February | 70° | 48° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 67° |
| March | 76° | 54° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 72° |
| April | 83° | 59° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| May | 88° | 67° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| June | 94° | 72° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 88° |
| July | 96° | 74° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 81° – 89° |
| August | 97° | 74° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 82° – 89° |
| September | 91° | 69° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| October | 84° | 61° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| November | 75° | 52° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| December | 67° | 45° | 1.8" | 0.3" | 5 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| Year | 82° | 60° | 29.2" | 0.3" | 57 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 51° to 67°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Pawnee’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 Pawnee’s center.
- Snow: Three Rivers 8 Ne, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Choke Canyon Dam, TX, 19 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower; 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 Pawnee’s climate
What is the weather like in Pawnee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pawnee in winter?
January nights average 43°. About 9 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 50°.
How much snow does Pawnee get?
About 0.3 inches in a normal winter at Three Rivers 8 Ne, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Pawnee?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 74°. About 138 days a year reach 90° and 33 reach 100° (Choke Canyon Dam, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Pawnee?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 8 and the first fall frost by December 6, about 302 frost-free days, at Choke Canyon Dam, TX.
What growing zone is Pawnee 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 Pawnee?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Pawnee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pawnee.
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.