Seth Ward’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Seth Ward at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Seth Ward’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Seth Ward’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Seth Ward feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 209 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Plainview, TX, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Seth Ward’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Plainview, TX, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Seth Ward
68% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Plainview, TX.
Living with Seth Ward’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
209 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 6 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Seth Ward from natural hazards, hail is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Seth Ward and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Seth Ward yet.
Climates most like Seth Ward’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seth Ward, TX | 26° | 92° | 20" | 8.2" |
| Yreka, CA | 29° | 91° | 20" | 12" |
| Prescott Valley, AZ | 26° | 91° | 14" | 10" |
| Liberal, KS | 21° | 94° | 20" | 14" |
| Emmett, ID | 23° | 93° | 13" | 7.4" |
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 Seth Ward averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Seth Ward compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Seth Ward’s place among Texas’.
Seth Ward weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Seth Ward’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Plainview, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 26° | 0.7" | 2.1" | 3 | 2 | 33° – 45° |
| February | 58° | 29° | 0.6" | 1.5" | 4 | 1 | 36° – 50° |
| March | 66° | 36° | 1.3" | 0.8" | 5 | 1 | 46° – 56° |
| April | 74° | 43° | 1.4" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| May | 82° | 53° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| June | 90° | 63° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 66° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 65° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| September | 84° | 57° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 74° | 46° | 1.7" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| November | 62° | 34° | 0.8" | 1.2" | 4 | 1 | 42° – 54° |
| December | 53° | 27° | 0.7" | 2.4" | 4 | 1 | 34° – 44° |
| Year | 73° | 45° | 19.5" | 8.2" | 62 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 50°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Seth Ward’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 Seth Ward’s center.
- Snow: Plainview, TX (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Plainview, TX, 1.9 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 Seth Ward’s climate
What is the weather like in Seth Ward?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Seth Ward in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 92 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Seth Ward get?
About 8.2 inches in a normal winter at Plainview, TX, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Seth Ward?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 66°. About 77 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Plainview, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Seth Ward?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 209 frost-free days, at Plainview, TX.
What growing zone is Seth Ward in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Seth Ward?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Seth Ward getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Seth Ward.
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.