Penitas reaches 100° on about 46 days a year, more than all but 160 U.S. towns
Nights in January average 49°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 96% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in February. Garden chairs stay out from November to March, the months with highs of 71–82°.
A year in Penitas at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Penitas’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Penitas’ place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Penitas feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 46 days a year reach 100°
And 183 days reach 90°. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at La Joya, TX, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Mcallen, TX, 13 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Penitas’ center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 31°. 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 23 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 43 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Mcallen, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Penitas
12% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Mcallen, TX.
Living with Penitas’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 2, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 46 days at 100° make midsummer the hard season for gardens.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December. 8.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Penitas from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Penitas and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Penitas in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Penitas’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penitas, TX | 49° | 98° | 23" | 0.1" |
| Cottonwood, CA | 39° | 98° | 26" | 0.0" |
| Catalina Foothills, AZ | 39° | 100° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Sunland Park, NM | 32° | 96° | 9" | 2.0" |
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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Penitas averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 59% 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 Penitas compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Penitas’ place among Texas’.
Penitas weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Penitas’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mcallen, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 71° | 49° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| February | 76° | 54° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 57° – 72° |
| March | 82° | 60° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| April | 88° | 65° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 70° – 81° |
| May | 92° | 72° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| June | 97° | 75° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 83° – 90° |
| July | 98° | 76° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 84° – 91° |
| August | 99° | 76° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 85° – 91° |
| September | 94° | 73° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 80° – 86° |
| October | 88° | 66° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| November | 79° | 57° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| December | 72° | 51° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| Year | 86° | 64° | 22.5" | 0.1" | 43 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 72°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Penitas’ 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 Penitas’ center.
- Snow: Mcallen, TX.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Mcallen, TX, 13 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: La Joya, TX, 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 Penitas’ climate
What is the weather like in Penitas?
A typical July afternoon reaches 98°, a January night drops to 49°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Penitas in winter?
January nights average 49°. About 2 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 53°.
How much snow does Penitas get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Mcallen, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Penitas?
July, with a typical high of 98° and a low of 76°. About 183 days a year reach 90° and 46 reach 100° (Mcallen, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Penitas?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 48% of winters at Mcallen, TX, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Penitas in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Penitas?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Penitas getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Penitas.
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.