Photo: Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Scotland reaches 100° on about 29 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 31°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 85% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.7° higher. Tender plants can go out after about March 25; in half of years the first frost comes by November 10.
A year in Scotland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Scotland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Scotland’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Scotland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 231 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 25 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Archer City 2w, TX, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Scotland’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Archer City 2w, TX, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 60 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Scotland
51% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Archer City 2w, TX.
Living with Scotland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
231 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 25 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Scotland from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (31%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Scotland and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Scotland yet.
Climates most like Scotland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland, TX | 31° | 97° | 31" | 3.0" |
| Oakhurst, CA | 34° | 95° | 29" | 2.5" |
| Kingfisher, OK | 26° | 95° | 34" | 5.4" |
| Central Point, OR | 32° | 93° | 22" | 3.4" |
| Sedona, AZ | 30° | 97° | 17" | 1.0" |
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 Scotland averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Scotland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Scotland’s place among Texas’.
Scotland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Scotland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Archer City 2w, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 31° | 1.5" | 1.3" | 4 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| February | 60° | 35° | 1.8" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 40° – 56° |
| March | 69° | 43° | 2.4" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| April | 77° | 50° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| May | 84° | 61° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| June | 92° | 69° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 89° |
| July | 97° | 73° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 80° – 93° |
| August | 97° | 72° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 78° – 93° |
| September | 89° | 64° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| October | 78° | 52° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| November | 66° | 41° | 2.0" | 0.4" | 4 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| December | 57° | 33° | 1.7" | 0.7" | 4 | 0 | 38° – 49° |
| Year | 77° | 52° | 30.9" | 3.0" | 60 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 40° to 56°. May is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Scotland’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 Scotland’s center.
- Snow: Archer City 2w, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Archer City 2w, TX, 11 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 Scotland’s climate
What is the weather like in Scotland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 97°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Scotland in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 57 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Scotland get?
About 3.0 inches in a normal winter at Archer City 2w, TX, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Scotland?
July, with a typical high of 97° and a low of 73°. About 107 days a year reach 90° and 29 reach 100° (Archer City 2w, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Scotland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 25 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 231 frost-free days, at Archer City 2w, TX.
What growing zone is Scotland in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Scotland?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Scotland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Scotland.
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.