Sylvester reaches 100° on about 27 days a year, more than 97% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 32°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 88% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in March. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 17 to November 15.
A year in Sylvester at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sylvester’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sylvester’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Sylvester feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 243 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 17 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rotan, TX, 15 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sylvester’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Rotan, TX, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 45 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sylvester
48% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from November through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Rotan, TX.
Living with Sylvester’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
243 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 17 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sylvester from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sylvester and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sylvester yet.
Climates most like Sylvester’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvester, TX | 32° | 96° | 23" | 3.5" |
| Oakhurst, CA | 34° | 95° | 29" | 2.5" |
| Sedona, AZ | 30° | 97° | 17" | 1.0" |
| Central Point, OR | 32° | 93° | 22" | 3.4" |
| Clinton, OK | 25° | 96° | 29" | 5.7" |
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 Sylvester averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.4°).
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 Sylvester compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sylvester’s place among Texas’.
Sylvester weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sylvester’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rotan, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 32° | 1.0" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| February | 62° | 35° | 1.2" | 1.2" | 3 | 1 | 42° – 56° |
| March | 70° | 43° | 1.5" | 0.2" | 4 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| April | 79° | 50° | 1.7" | 0.4" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| May | 86° | 60° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 68° – 80° |
| June | 93° | 69° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 76° – 89° |
| July | 96° | 72° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 79° – 90° |
| August | 95° | 71° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 77° – 91° |
| September | 88° | 63° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| October | 78° | 52° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| November | 67° | 41° | 1.4" | 0.5" | 3 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| December | 58° | 33° | 1.1" | 0.8" | 3 | 1 | 39° – 49° |
| Year | 77° | 52° | 23.3" | 3.5" | 45 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 56°. October is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Sylvester’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 Sylvester’s center.
- Snow: Rotan, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rotan, TX, 15 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 Sylvester’s climate
What is the weather like in Sylvester?
A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sylvester in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 55 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Sylvester get?
About 3.5 inches in a normal winter at Rotan, TX, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sylvester?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 72°. About 111 days a year reach 90° and 27 reach 100° (Rotan, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Sylvester?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 17 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 243 frost-free days, at Rotan, TX.
What growing zone is Sylvester in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sylvester?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Sylvester 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 Sylvester.
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.