Sentinel, OK climate
Sentinel has chilly winters and hot summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Sentinel feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Sentinel weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 27° | 0.8" | 1.7" | 3 | 2 | 34° – 47° |
| February | 55° | 30° | 1.0" | 1.2" | 4 | 2 | 36° – 50° |
| March | 64° | 39° | 1.9" | 0.5" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| April | 73° | 46° | 2.8" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| May | 82° | 57° | 4.1" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| June | 91° | 67° | 3.4" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 74° – 87° |
| July | 96° | 71° | 2.5" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 79° – 92° |
| August | 95° | 69° | 3.2" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 75° – 90° |
| September | 86° | 61° | 2.7" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 69° – 81° |
| October | 75° | 49° | 2.7" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| November | 62° | 37° | 1.6" | 0.1" | 3 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| December | 52° | 29° | 1.2" | 1.5" | 4 | 1 | 32° – 43° |
| Year | 73° | 48° | 28.0" | 5.0" | 57 | 5 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Sentinel
Sentinel gets 28 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 57 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 5 days of the year.
About 210 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first one by November 4. That leaves about 210 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 78% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Sentinel
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Sentinel, 65% of that work is heating and 35% is cooling.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How Sentinel compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Sentinel averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°). The shift is smaller than in 73% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Sentinel’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. August swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 75° to 90°. December is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Common questions about Sentinel’s climate
What is the coldest month in Sentinel?
January, with a typical high of 51° and a low of 27°.
What is the hottest month in Sentinel?
July, with a typical high of 96° and a low of 71°. About 90 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Sentinel get?
About 5 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Sentinel?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 4, and the last spring frost by April 5.
What is the rainiest month in Sentinel?
May, with 4.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 28 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Sentinel itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Retrop, OK (11 mi, snow) and Clinton Sherman Airport, OK (5 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.