Rancho Chico has milder winter nights than 95% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 94°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 93% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. Garden chairs stay out from November to April, the months with highs of 67–82°.
A year in Rancho Chico at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rancho Chico’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rancho Chico’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Rancho Chico feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 324 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 1 and the first by December 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sinton, TX, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rancho Chico’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 27°. 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 33 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 0.4" in a normal year at Sinton, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Rancho Chico
23% 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 Sinton, TX.
Living with Rancho Chico’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
324 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 1 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 17.
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 Rancho Chico from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rancho Chico and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rancho Chico in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rancho Chico’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho Chico, TX | 46° | 94° | 33" | 0.4" |
| Jackson, CA | 38° | 94° | 30" | 0.0" |
| Grants Pass, OR | 34° | 90° | 33" | 0.9" |
| Vidalia, GA | 38° | 93° | 47" | 0.1" |
| Tavares, FL | 47° | 92° | 50" | 0.0" |
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 Rancho Chico averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Rancho Chico compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rancho Chico’s place among Texas’.
Rancho Chico weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rancho Chico’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sinton, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 46° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| February | 71° | 51° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 69° |
| March | 76° | 57° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| April | 82° | 62° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| May | 87° | 70° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 75° – 81° |
| June | 92° | 74° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 81° – 86° |
| July | 94° | 75° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 82° – 87° |
| August | 95° | 76° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 83° – 88° |
| September | 91° | 72° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 79° – 85° |
| October | 85° | 64° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| November | 76° | 55° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| December | 69° | 48° | 1.8" | 0.4" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| Year | 82° | 62° | 32.5" | 0.4" | 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 53° to 69°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Rancho Chico’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 Rancho Chico’s center.
- Snow: Sinton, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sinton, TX, 3 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 Rancho Chico’s climate
What is the weather like in Rancho Chico?
A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 46°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rancho Chico in winter?
January nights average 46°. About 7 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 52°.
How much snow does Rancho Chico get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Sinton, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Rancho Chico?
July, with a typical high of 94° and a low of 75°. About 113 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Sinton, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Rancho Chico?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 1 and the first fall frost by December 17, about 324 frost-free days, at Sinton, TX.
What growing zone is Rancho Chico in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rancho Chico?
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 Rancho Chico getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rancho Chico.
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.