Sanctuary reaches 100° on about 32 days a year, more than 98% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 34° on average. Seasons differ by 62°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 78% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from December to February, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Sanctuary at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sanctuary’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sanctuary’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Sanctuary feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 253 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 13 and the first by November 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Worth Nature Ctr, TX, 8 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sanctuary’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 35 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 80 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Benbrook Dam, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sanctuary
46% 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 Ft Worth Nature Ctr, TX.
Living with Sanctuary’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
253 frost-free days in zone 8b. 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sanctuary from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sanctuary and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sanctuary yet.
Climates most like Sanctuary’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanctuary, TX | 34° | 96° | 35" | 0.0" |
| Chico, CA | 38° | 96° | 31" | 0.0" |
| Anadarko, OK | 27° | 95° | 33" | 2.3" |
| Lugoff, SC | 33° | 92° | 43" | 0.4" |
| Grants Pass, OR | 34° | 90° | 33" | 0.9" |
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 Sanctuary averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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 Sanctuary compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sanctuary’s place among Texas’.
Sanctuary weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sanctuary’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Benbrook Dam, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 34° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 40° – 53° |
| February | 61° | 38° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 41° – 58° |
| March | 68° | 46° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| April | 76° | 53° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| May | 84° | 62° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| June | 91° | 70° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 77° – 86° |
| July | 96° | 73° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 90° |
| August | 96° | 73° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 78° – 92° |
| September | 88° | 66° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| October | 78° | 54° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| November | 66° | 44° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| December | 58° | 35° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| Year | 77° | 54° | 34.9" | 0.0" | 80 | 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 9°.
Where Sanctuary’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 Sanctuary’s center.
- Snow: Benbrook Dam, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Worth Nature Ctr, TX, 8 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower; 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 Sanctuary’s climate
What is the weather like in Sanctuary?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sanctuary in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 40 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Sanctuary get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Benbrook Dam, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Sanctuary?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 73°. About 109 days a year reach 90° and 32 reach 100° (Ft Worth Nature Ctr, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Sanctuary?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 13 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 253 frost-free days, at Ft Worth Nature Ctr, TX.
What growing zone is Sanctuary in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sanctuary?
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 Sanctuary getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sanctuary.
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.