Photo: Johnyy0398 · CC BY-SA 4.0Zapata reaches 100° on about 59 days a year, more than all but 129 U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 47°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 95% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.4° more than in 1901–2000, led by February. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from November to March, with highs of 70–82°.
A year in Zapata at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Zapata’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Zapata’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Zapata feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 59 days a year reach 100°
And 172 days reach 90°. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Zapata 1 S, TX, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Zapata’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 29°. 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 20 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 56 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Zapata 1 S, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Zapata
16% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Zapata 1 S, TX.
Living with Zapata’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9b. Frost comes about 8 winters in 10, so the growing year is set by heat, not cold: 59 days at 100° make midsummer the hard season for gardens.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, November and December. 5.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 72% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Zapata from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Zapata and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Zapata in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Zapata’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zapata, TX | 47° | 100° | 20" | 0.1" |
| Highland, CA | 41° | 97° | 14" | 0.0" |
| Scottsdale, AZ | 44° | 103° | 12" | 0.0" |
| Ivins, UT | 32° | 100° | 11" | 1.2" |
| Summerlin South, NV | 35° | 102° | 5" | 0.2" |
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 Zapata averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Zapata compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Zapata’s place among Texas’.
Zapata weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Zapata’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Zapata 1 S, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 70° | 47° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| February | 75° | 51° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 72° |
| March | 82° | 58° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| April | 89° | 64° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 69° – 82° |
| May | 94° | 71° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 77° – 86° |
| June | 99° | 75° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 84° – 91° |
| July | 100° | 76° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 83° – 91° |
| August | 100° | 76° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 85° – 92° |
| September | 94° | 72° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 79° – 86° |
| October | 88° | 65° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| November | 78° | 55° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| December | 70° | 48° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| Year | 86° | 63° | 19.7" | 0.1" | 56 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 56° to 72°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Zapata’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 Zapata’s center.
- Snow: Zapata 1 S, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Zapata 1 S, TX, 2.2 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 Zapata’s climate
What is the weather like in Zapata?
A typical July afternoon reaches 100°, a January night drops to 47°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than all but 136 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Zapata in winter?
January nights average 47°. About 4 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 53°.
How much snow does Zapata get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Zapata 1 S, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Zapata?
July, with a typical high of 100° and a low of 76°. About 172 days a year reach 90° and 59 reach 100° (Zapata 1 S, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Zapata?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 77% of winters at Zapata 1 S, TX, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Zapata in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Zapata?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Zapata getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Zapata.
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.