Marfa, TX climate
Marfa has mild winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Marfa feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Marfa 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 | 61° | 28° | 0.6" | 0.7" | 3 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| February | 65° | 32° | 0.4" | 0.2" | 3 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| March | 72° | 37° | 0.4" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| April | 80° | 44° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 87° | 53° | 1.0" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| June | 92° | 61° | 2.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| July | 90° | 63° | 2.6" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| August | 89° | 62° | 2.4" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| September | 84° | 56° | 2.2" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| October | 79° | 46° | 1.2" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| November | 69° | 35° | 0.6" | 0.5" | 4 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 61° | 29° | 0.6" | 0.8" | 3 | 0 | 40° – 48° |
| Year | 77° | 45° | 14.5" | 2.2" | 65 | 1 |
“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 Marfa
Marfa gets 14 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 65 days a year.
About 196 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first one by October 27. That leaves about 196 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 70% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Marfa
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Marfa, 73% of that work is heating and 27% 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 Marfa 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 Marfa averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.5°). The shift is larger than in 91% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Marfa’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. May swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 65° to 76°. October is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Marfa’s climate
What is the coldest month in Marfa?
January, with a typical high of 61° and a low of 28°.
What is the hottest month in Marfa?
June, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 61°. About 58 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Marfa get?
About 2 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Marfa?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 27, and the last spring frost by April 14.
What is the rainiest month in Marfa?
July, with 2.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 14 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Marfa itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Alpine, TX (22 mi, snow) and Marfa 3w, TX (3 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.