Plains reaches 100° on about 13 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Plains at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Plains’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Plains’ place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Plains feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 200 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Plains, TX, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Plains’ center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Plains, TX, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 44 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Plains
69% 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 Plains, TX.
Living with Plains’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
200 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Plains from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Plains and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Plains yet.
Climates most like Plains’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plains, TX | 27° | 93° | 16" | 2.7" |
| Alamogordo, NM | 27° | 93° | 11" | 2.4" |
| Guymon, OK | 22° | 94° | 18" | 2.7" |
| Nogales, AZ | 30° | 93° | 16" | 0.3" |
| Talent, OR | 31° | 92° | 19" | 3.6" |
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 Plains averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Plains compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Plains’ place among Texas’.
Plains weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Plains’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Plains, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 27° | 0.6" | 0.5" | 2 | 0 | 36° – 46° |
| February | 60° | 30° | 0.5" | 0.9" | 3 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| March | 68° | 37° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| April | 76° | 44° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| May | 85° | 54° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| June | 93° | 63° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| July | 93° | 66° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| August | 92° | 65° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| September | 84° | 58° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 75° | 46° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| November | 64° | 34° | 0.7" | 0.2" | 2 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| December | 55° | 28° | 0.6" | 1.1" | 3 | 1 | 36° – 45° |
| Year | 75° | 46° | 16.0" | 2.7" | 44 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. April swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 66°. October is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Plains’ 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 Plains’ center.
- Snow: Plains, TX (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Plains, TX, 0.4 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 Plains’ climate
What is the weather like in Plains?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Plains in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 99 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Plains get?
About 2.7 inches in a normal winter at Plains, TX, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Plains?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 66°. About 89 days a year reach 90° and 13 reach 100° (Plains, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Plains?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 200 frost-free days, at Plains, TX.
What growing zone is Plains in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Plains?
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 Plains getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Plains.
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.