Plains, TX climate
Plains has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Plains feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Plains 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 | 55° | 27° | 0.6" | 0.5" | 2 | 0 | 36° – 46° |
| February | 60° | 30° | 0.5" | 0.9" | 3 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| March | 68° | 37° | 1.0" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| April | 76° | 44° | 0.9" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| May | 85° | 54° | 1.7" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| June | 93° | 63° | 2.0" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| July | 93° | 66° | 2.1" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| August | 92° | 65° | 2.1" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| September | 84° | 58° | 2.4" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 75° | 46° | 1.4" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| November | 64° | 34° | 0.7" | 0.2" | 2 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| December | 55° | 28° | 0.6" | 1.1" | 3 | 1 | 36° – 45° |
| Year | 75° | 46° | 16.0" | 2.7" | 44 | 2 |
“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 Plains
Plains gets 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 44 days a year.
About 200 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first one by November 1. That leaves about 200 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 72% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Plains
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Plains, 69% of that work is heating and 31% 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 Plains 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 Plains averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.6°). The shift is larger than in 71% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Plains’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. April swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 54° to 66°. October is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Plains’s climate
What is the coldest month in Plains?
January, with a typical high of 55° and a low of 27°.
What is the hottest month in Plains?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 66°. About 89 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Plains get?
About 3 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Plains?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 1, and the last spring frost by April 11.
What is the rainiest month in Plains?
September, with 2.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 16 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Plains itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Plains, TX (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.