Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0Slaton reaches 100° on about 11 days a year, more than 91% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 29° on average. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 90% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.5°, most of all in March. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from December to February, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Slaton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Slaton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Slaton’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Slaton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 233 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 24 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lubbock Wfo, TX, 14 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Slaton’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Slaton, TX, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 54 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Slaton
61% 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 Lubbock Wfo, TX.
Living with Slaton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
233 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 24 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Slaton from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (25%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Slaton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Slaton yet.
Climates most like Slaton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slaton, TX | 29° | 93° | 20" | 5.0" |
| Talent, OR | 31° | 92° | 19" | 3.6" |
| Yreka, CA | 29° | 91° | 20" | 12" |
| College Place, WA | 30° | 91° | 15" | 7.2" |
| Nogales, AZ | 30° | 93° | 16" | 0.3" |
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 Slaton averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 61% 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 Slaton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Slaton’s place among Texas’.
Slaton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Slaton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Slaton, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 29° | 0.7" | 1.2" | 3 | 1 | 37° – 49° |
| February | 60° | 32° | 0.8" | 1.2" | 4 | 1 | 39° – 52° |
| March | 68° | 39° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| April | 76° | 46° | 1.5" | 0.1" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 68° |
| May | 84° | 57° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| June | 91° | 66° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 74° – 86° |
| July | 93° | 68° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 77° – 86° |
| August | 92° | 67° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 75° – 86° |
| September | 85° | 60° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 76° | 49° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 38° | 0.9" | 1.0" | 3 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 56° | 30° | 0.8" | 1.4" | 4 | 1 | 37° – 46° |
| Year | 75° | 48° | 19.6" | 5.0" | 54 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. April swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 68°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Slaton’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 Slaton’s center.
- Snow: Slaton, TX (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lubbock Wfo, TX, 14 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Slaton’s climate
What is the weather like in Slaton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Slaton in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 61 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Slaton get?
About 5.0 inches in a normal winter at Slaton, TX, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Slaton?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 68°. About 91 days a year reach 90° and 11 reach 100° (Lubbock Wfo, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Slaton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 24 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 233 frost-free days, at Lubbock Wfo, TX.
What growing zone is Slaton in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Slaton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Slaton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Slaton.
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.