Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0Ponder reaches 100° on about 22 days a year, more than 96% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 34°. In January, nights here are milder than in 79% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.8° above 1901–2000. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from December to February, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Ponder at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ponder’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ponder’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Ponder feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 251 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 13 and the first by November 20. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Denton Muni Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Denton 2 Se, TX, 11 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ponder’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 37 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain falls on about 70 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Roanoke, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Ponder
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 Denton 2 Se, TX.
Living with Ponder’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
251 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 13 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ponder from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ponder and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ponder yet.
Climates most like Ponder’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponder, TX | 34° | 96° | 37" | 0.1" |
| Clearlake, CA | 35° | 93° | 40" | 0.4" |
| The Village, OK | 28° | 94° | 36" | 2.5" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
| Milledgeville, GA | 34° | 93° | 47" | 0.6" |
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 Ponder averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 Ponder compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ponder’s place among Texas’.
Ponder weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ponder’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Roanoke, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 34° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 40° – 53° |
| February | 60° | 38° | 2.6" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 41° – 58° |
| March | 68° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| April | 76° | 53° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| May | 83° | 62° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| June | 91° | 70° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 77° – 86° |
| July | 96° | 74° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 81° – 91° |
| August | 96° | 74° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 78° – 92° |
| September | 88° | 66° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| October | 78° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| November | 66° | 44° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| December | 57° | 36° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| Year | 76° | 54° | 37.4" | 0.1" | 70 | 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 58°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ponder’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 Ponder’s center.
- Snow: Roanoke, TX.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Denton 2 Se, TX, 11 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Denton Muni Airport, 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 Ponder’s climate
What is the weather like in Ponder?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ponder in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Ponder get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Roanoke, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Ponder?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 74°. About 104 days a year reach 90° and 22 reach 100° (Denton 2 Se, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Ponder?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 13 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 251 frost-free days, at Denton 2 Se, TX.
What growing zone is Ponder in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ponder?
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 Ponder getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ponder.
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.