Photo: Patrick Feller from Humble, Texas, USA · CC BY 2.0July in Rusk runs hotter than in 90% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 38°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 85% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from December to January, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Rusk at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rusk’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rusk’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Rusk feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 263 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 7 and the first by November 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rusk, TX, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rusk’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 49 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 93 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Rusk, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Rusk
50% 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 Rusk, TX.
Living with Rusk’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
263 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 7 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 1.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rusk from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rusk and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rusk yet.
Climates most like Rusk’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rusk, TX | 38° | 93° | 49" | 0.1" |
| McRae-Helena, GA | 38° | 93° | 47" | 0.1" |
| Hardeeville, SC | 38° | 92° | 48" | 0.0" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Macclenny, FL | 41° | 92° | 52" | 0.0" |
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 Rusk averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Rusk compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rusk’s place among Texas’.
Rusk weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rusk’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rusk, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 38° | 4.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| February | 62° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 60° |
| March | 69° | 48° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| April | 76° | 55° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| May | 83° | 63° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| June | 89° | 70° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| July | 93° | 73° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 79° – 88° |
| August | 94° | 72° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 78° – 91° |
| September | 88° | 66° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| October | 78° | 56° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| November | 67° | 47° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| December | 60° | 40° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 56° |
| Year | 76° | 56° | 48.5" | 0.1" | 93 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 43° to 60°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Rusk’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 Rusk’s center.
- Snow: Rusk, TX (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rusk, TX, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; 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 Rusk’s climate
What is the weather like in Rusk?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rusk in winter?
January nights average 38°. About 27 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Rusk get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Rusk, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Rusk?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 73°. About 69 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Rusk, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Rusk?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 7 and the first fall frost by November 25, about 263 frost-free days, at Rusk, TX.
What growing zone is Rusk in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rusk?
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 Rusk getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rusk.
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.