Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0Selma reaches 100° on about 24 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Selma at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Selma’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Selma’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Selma feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 289 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 21 and the first by December 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Randolph Afb, TX, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Selma’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. 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
May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 81 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at San Antonio International Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Selma
32% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55°: December and January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Randolph Afb, TX.
Living with Selma’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
289 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 21 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. 7.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Selma from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Selma and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Selma in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Selma’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selma, TX | 40° | 95° | 33" | 0.2" |
| Chico, CA | 38° | 96° | 31" | 0.0" |
| Grants Pass, OR | 34° | 90° | 33" | 0.9" |
| Lone Grove, OK | 31° | 94° | 39" | 2.7" |
| Cayce, SC | 35° | 93° | 46" | 1.2" |
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 Selma averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Selma compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Selma’s place among Texas’.
Selma weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Selma’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from San Antonio International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 40° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| February | 67° | 45° | 1.8" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 63° |
| March | 74° | 51° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| April | 80° | 57° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| May | 87° | 66° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| June | 92° | 72° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| July | 95° | 74° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 88° |
| August | 96° | 73° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 80° – 89° |
| September | 90° | 68° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| October | 83° | 59° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| November | 72° | 49° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| December | 64° | 42° | 2.1" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| Year | 80° | 58° | 33.0" | 0.2" | 81 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 63°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Selma’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 Selma’s center.
- Snow: San Antonio International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Randolph Afb, TX, 4 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 Selma’s climate
What is the weather like in Selma?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Selma in winter?
January nights average 40°. About 12 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How much snow does Selma get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at San Antonio International Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Selma?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 74°. About 133 days a year reach 90° and 24 reach 100° (Randolph Afb, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Selma?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 21 and the first fall frost by December 5, about 289 frost-free days, at Randolph Afb, TX.
What growing zone is Selma in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Selma?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Selma getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Selma.
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.