Rice reaches 100° on about 17 days a year, more than 94% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 37° on average. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 84% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.6° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Plan time outside from March to May and October to November, when highs sit at 67–83°.
A year in Rice at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rice’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rice’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Rice feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 246 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 14 and the first by November 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Corsicana, TX, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rice’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 41 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 84 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Corsicana, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Rice
47% 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 Corsicana, TX.
Living with Rice’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
246 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 14 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rice from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rice and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rice yet.
Climates most like Rice’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice, TX | 37° | 95° | 41" | 0.4" |
| Clearlake, CA | 35° | 93° | 40" | 0.4" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
| Evans, GA | 35° | 92° | 45" | 0.8" |
| Laurinburg, NC | 33° | 91° | 45" | 1.1" |
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 Rice averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Rice compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rice’s place among Texas’.
Rice weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rice’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Corsicana, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 37° | 3.0" | 0.4" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| February | 62° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| March | 69° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| April | 76° | 54° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| May | 83° | 63° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| June | 91° | 71° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| July | 95° | 74° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 90° |
| August | 96° | 74° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 78° – 92° |
| September | 89° | 67° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| October | 79° | 56° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| November | 67° | 46° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| December | 59° | 38° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| Year | 77° | 56° | 41.4" | 0.4" | 84 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 59°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Rice’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 Rice’s center.
- Snow: Corsicana, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Corsicana, 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 Rice’s climate
What is the weather like in Rice?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rice in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 38 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Rice get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Corsicana, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Rice?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 74°. About 100 days a year reach 90° and 17 reach 100° (Corsicana, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Rice?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 14 and the first fall frost by November 16, about 246 frost-free days, at Corsicana, TX.
What growing zone is Rice in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rice?
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 Rice getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rice.
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.