Amarillo, TX Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Explore NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 climate normals → and a clearly labeled PlainClimate comfort calculation
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Amarillo's primary NOAA station, AMARILLO - 2 stations mapped to the area.
The climate verdict for Amarillo
Dryness leads the climate profile for Amarillo, Texas, with 19.7 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 59°F. Its climate comfort score of 68/100 (good) lands mid-pack nationally, exceeding 56% of station-mapped location scores.
- 59°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 68/100
- comfort score, above 56% of station-mapped location scores
- 19.7"
- annual precipitation · 17" snow
- 197 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Amarillo: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00023047 · Amarillo, TX 59°F mean · 19.7" precip
TEMP-MILD · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-MID · LOAD-HEAT · STN-MULTI · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-MILD 59°F
- RANK-UPPER #4,871
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Annapolis Polic…
- PRCP-DRY 19.7"
- SWING-MID 41°F
- COMF-MID 68/100
- LOAD-HEAT 3,872 HDD
- STN-MULTI USW00023047
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Annapolis Police Brks, MD (+ 0.1 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every TX station list.
- Amarillo (this station) 59°F
- Cold Silverton, TX 59°F
- Hot Murray, KY 59°F
- Near Annapolis Polic…, MD 59°F
- Near Dresden, TN 59°F
Amarillo sits in Texas, the #4 hottest U.S. state at 66.2°F statewide annual average - see all 50 hottest states ranked by NOAA normals
Climate Living Index · Amarillo
Amarillo: 55/100 · grade C
Amarillo publishes all six Living Index dimensions from NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals.
PlainClimate-derived for Amarillo, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 68/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Summer moisture balance | 57.2°F mean dew point | 81/100 · B |
| Annual temperature balance | 58.7°F · 8.8° from 67.5°F | 72/100 · B |
| Frost-free season | 197 days/year | 62/100 · C |
| Snowfall burden | 17.2 inches/year | 53/100 · D |
| Precipitation balance | 19.7 in · 15.3 from 35 in | 46/100 · D |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 177 calendar days | 27/100 · F |
Amarillo · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Amarillo's normals sit in a dry climate class: BSk
Precipitation is low relative to temperature but above true desert thresholds: cold semi-arid steppe (BSk). Class BSk is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: dry (arid or semi-arid), specifically cold semi-arid steppe.
- Köppen code
- BSk
- Group
- Dry (arid or semi-arid)
- Warmest month
- 79.6°F
- Coldest month
- 38.6°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Amarillo sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Amarillo's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Top 29% warmest
- Among 6,861 stations, Amarillo sits in the warmer third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 73%
- Amarillo's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 40th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Amarillo compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Amarillo's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
68 Top 44% score exceeds 56% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Below this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). This entry sits in this band.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Amarillo's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 130 complete annual observations from 1892 to 2025, AMARILLO warmed at a fitted rate of 0.12°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Amarillo primary station fitted change +0.12 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52°F (11°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 0.7" | 4.0" | 26.7 | 0.0 |
| February | 56°F (13°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 0.5" | 3.5" | 21.2 | 0.0 |
| March | 65°F (18°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 1.3" | 1.9" | 12.6 | 0.1 |
| April | 72°F (22°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 1.4" | 0.5" | 3.8 | 0.9 |
| May | 81°F (27°C) | 53°F (11°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 2.3" | 0.2" | 0.2 | 6.4 |
| June | 90°F (32°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 76°F (24°C) | 2.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 15.1 |
| July | 93°F (34°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 80°F (26°C) | 2.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 22.3 |
| August | 91°F (33°C) | 65°F (19°C) | 78°F (26°C) | 2.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 18.8 |
| September | 84°F (29°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 1.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 7.6 |
| October | 73°F (23°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 1.8" | 0.7" | 2.5 | 1.2 |
| November | 61°F (16°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 47°F (9°C) | 0.8" | 2.6" | 14.7 | 0.0 |
| December | 52°F (11°C) | 26°F (-4°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 0.7" | 3.8" | 26.3 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Amarillo works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 93°F by July 18 and hold at or above 90°F on 69 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 108 dates, bottoming at 25°F around January 1.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from June 16 through August 23, covering 69 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs April 3 to October 24.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into March 6, then returns to freezing around November 20, covering 108 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is August 6, when 27% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is November 24 at 12%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 69 wet dates a year.
The widest day
March 29 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 31°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Amarillo.
Where Amarillo Stands Nationally
Heat is a defining feature of the normals calendar — the normal daily high reaches 90°F on roughly 69 days a year, more than four out of five ranked stations record.
Amarillo earns one nationally notable standing (outer quintile) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations, middle-of-the-pack metrics stay silent here.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 4.0"
3.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 3.5"
4.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.9"
5.5 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.5"
5.5 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.2"
7.3 days with precipitation
7.9 days with precipitation
7.4 days with precipitation
8.2 days with precipitation
5.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.7"
5.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.6"
3.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 3.8"
4.1 days with precipitation
Amarillo runs a summer-peaked wet season
43% of Amarillo's yearly precipitation falls in June, July and August alone, against the 25% an evenly spread year would give those three months. The wettest month is August at 2.9", on a 41°F seasonal spread. Warm-season convection and, across the Southwest, the North American monsoon produce this shape: rain arrives in short heavy bursts during the hottest part of the year rather than as long cool-season soaking.
- Wettest three months: August, June, July, taking 43% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: February at 0.5".
- Winter share: 10% falls in December, January and February.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. A summer-peaked label means the June-August share reaches 35%; it describes timing across an average year, not any single season, and says nothing about how heavy an individual storm can be.
How Amarillo's precipitation splits across the calendar
About 69 days a year record measurable precipitation here, carrying 19.7" between them, or roughly 0.29 inches on a typical wet day. That sits in the middle band: neither the many-light-days pattern of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes, nor the few-heavy-events pattern of the Gulf and the desert Southwest.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year and say nothing about the heaviest single storm on record.
Winter brings real snow to Amarillo
Amarillo averages 17.2 inches of snowfall a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 10 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 17.2 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 10 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 9% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 27
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 13
50% probability date
Growing Season
197 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
3,872
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,609
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54% | 12.0 | 63% | 20% |
| February | 47% | 13.4 | 58% | 19% |
| March | 46% | 14.6 | 61% | 17% |
| April | 47% | 14.5 | 59% | 17% |
| May | 53% | 13.3 | 57% | 14% |
| June | 51% | 13.5 | 58% | 8% |
| July | 52% | 11.6 | 55% | 8% |
| August | 55% | 11.4 | 59% | 10% |
| September | 55% | 12.4 | 66% | 12% |
| October | 54% | 12.6 | 65% | 16% |
| November | 53% | 12.4 | 69% | 15% |
| December | 58% | 12.0 | 64% | 19% |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside TX closest to Amarillo on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (59°F here).
- Chesnee, SC 59°F · 0.0°F off
- Dobbins, CA 59°F · 0.0°F off
- Dyersburg, TN 59°F · 0.0°F off
- Forest City, NC 59°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (19.7" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Benkelman, NE 19.7" · 0.0" off
- Minnewaukan, ND 19.7" · 0.0" off
- Ashton, ID 19.7" · 0.0" off
- Pierre, SD 19.6" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Amarillo
heating led · dry · mid swing
Amarillo's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 3,872 annual heating degree days against 1,609 for cooling. Its 41.0°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Amarillo's frost-free season lasts about 197 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
-
1. Amarillo coldest normal
January
The coldest month still averages 39°F (4°C), above freezing, so this calendar has no hard winter.
-
2. Amarillo typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Amarillo snow peak
January
Amarillo averages 17.2 inches of snow a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Amarillo's climate
How much snow does Amarillo get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Amarillo get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Amarillo? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Amarillo's primary station: AMARILLO (USW00023047). 2 NOAA stations are mapped to the Amarillo area; the primary station's record is used for consistency. For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 4803000). Match rule for Amarillo: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Amarillo comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.