Panther Junction Mission 66 Historic District · Photo: John Cummings · CC BY-SA 3.0Study Butte reaches 100° on about 73 days a year, more than all but 103 U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 34°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 97% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.6° more than in 1901–2000, led by February. Garden planting can start around February 21; autumn frost returns near November 30.
A year in Study Butte at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Study Butte’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Study Butte’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Study Butte feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 282 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 21 and the first by November 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Study Butte, TX, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Study Butte’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 10 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 38 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Lajitas, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Study Butte
27% 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 Study Butte, TX.
Living with Study Butte’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
282 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 Nov 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March and November. 3.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Study Butte from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Study Butte and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Study Butte yet.
Climates most like Study Butte’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Butte, TX | 34° | 100° | 10" | 0.5" |
| Tanque Verde, AZ | 36° | 100° | 12" | 0.1" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
| California City, CA | 35° | 100° | 7" | 2.2" |
| Summerlin South, NV | 35° | 102° | 5" | 0.2" |
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 Study Butte averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
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 Study Butte compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Study Butte’s place among Texas’.
Study Butte weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Study Butte’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lajitas, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 34° | 0.4" | 0.1" | 2 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| February | 74° | 39° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| March | 81° | 45° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| April | 90° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| May | 97° | 64° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 74° – 86° |
| June | 102° | 72° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 84° – 91° |
| July | 100° | 73° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 82° – 90° |
| August | 99° | 72° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 82° – 90° |
| September | 93° | 66° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| October | 87° | 55° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| November | 76° | 42° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| December | 67° | 34° | 0.4" | 0.4" | 2 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| Year | 86° | 54° | 10.1" | 0.5" | 38 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. April swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 65° to 77°. October is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Study Butte’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 Study Butte’s center.
- Snow: Lajitas, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Study Butte, TX, 0.8 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 Study Butte’s climate
What is the weather like in Study Butte?
A typical July afternoon reaches 100°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 131 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Study Butte in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 21 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Study Butte get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Lajitas, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Study Butte?
July, with a typical high of 100° and a low of 73°. About 177 days a year reach 90° and 73 reach 100° (Study Butte, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Study Butte?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 21 and the first fall frost by November 30, about 282 frost-free days, at Study Butte, TX.
What growing zone is Study Butte in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Study Butte?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Study Butte 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 Study Butte.
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.