Stafford’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Stafford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Stafford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Stafford’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Stafford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 305 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 9 and the first by December 13. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Houston Sugarland Mem, TX, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Sugar Land, TX, 5 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Stafford’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 27°. 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 53 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 107 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Houston-westbury, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Stafford
27% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from 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 Sugar Land, TX.
Living with Stafford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
305 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 9 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Stafford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Stafford and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Stafford in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Stafford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford, TX | 44° | 93° | 53" | 0.0" |
| Middleburg, FL | 43° | 92° | 52" | 0.0" |
| Kingsland, GA | 41° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Paradise, CA | 40° | 93° | 57" | 0.1" |
| Shreveport, LA | 37° | 94° | 52" | 0.1" |
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 Stafford averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Stafford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Stafford’s place among Texas’.
Stafford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Stafford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Houston-westbury, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 44° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| February | 68° | 48° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 67° |
| March | 74° | 54° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| April | 80° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| May | 86° | 67° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| June | 91° | 73° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| July | 93° | 75° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 82° – 87° |
| August | 94° | 75° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 80° – 89° |
| September | 90° | 70° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| October | 83° | 61° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| November | 73° | 52° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| December | 66° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| Year | 80° | 60° | 52.7" | 0.0" | 107 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 67°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Stafford’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 Stafford’s center.
- Snow: Houston-westbury, TX.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Sugar Land, TX, 5 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Houston Sugarland Mem, TX, 5 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 Stafford’s climate
What is the weather like in Stafford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Stafford in winter?
January nights average 44°. About 10 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Stafford get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Houston-westbury, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Stafford?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 75°. About 112 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Sugar Land, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Stafford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 9 and the first fall frost by December 13, about 305 frost-free days, at Sugar Land, TX.
What growing zone is Stafford in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Stafford?
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 Stafford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Stafford.
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.