McAlester, Oklahoma climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
McAlester's normal year runs from 30°F January nights to 93°F July afternoons, with 42.6 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 16.8°C, January lows of −1°C, July highs of 34°C, 1,082 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationMcAlester Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00093950
- Location34.88°N 95.78°W
- Elevation770 ft (235 m)
- Population18,108
On October 14, the normal high in McAlester is 76°F and the normal low 52°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 24%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for McAlester.
- Jan 52° 30°
- Feb 57° 34°
- Mar 65° 42°
- Apr 73° 50°
- May 80° 60°
- Jun 88° 68°
- Jul 93° 72°
- Aug 93° 71°
- Sep 86° 63°
- Oct 75° 52°
- Nov 63° 41°
- Dec 54° 33°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in McAlester each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 93°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 30°F. The most precipitation falls in May (5.30 in), the least in January (2.23 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52°F | 30°F | 41.1°F | 2.23 | 6 | <1 | 20 | 10 h |
| February | 57°F | 34°F | 45.5°F | 2.39 | 6 | <1 | 13 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 65°F | 42°F | 53.9°F | 3.41 | 9 | <1 | 6 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 73°F | 50°F | 61.7°F | 4.63 | 9 | <1 | 1 | 13 h |
| May | 80°F | 60°F | 69.9°F | 5.30 | 11 | 2 | <1 | 14 h |
| June | 88°F | 68°F | 78.2°F | 4.46 | 8 | 13 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| July | 93°F | 72°F | 82.6°F | 3.37 | 6 | 24 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 93°F | 71°F | 81.9°F | 2.96 | 7 | 23 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 86°F | 63°F | 74.3°F | 3.66 | 7 | 10 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 75°F | 52°F | 63.3°F | 4.17 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 63°F | 41°F | 52.1°F | 3.01 | 7 | <1 | 8 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 54°F | 33°F | 43.3°F | 3.02 | 7 | <1 | 17 | 9 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 73°F | 51°F | 62.3°F | 42.61 | 91 | 73 | 66 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11°C | −1°C | 5.1°C | 57 mm |
| February | 14°C | 1°C | 7.5°C | 61 mm |
| March | 19°C | 6°C | 12.2°C | 87 mm |
| April | 23°C | 10°C | 16.5°C | 118 mm |
| May | 27°C | 15°C | 21.1°C | 135 mm |
| June | 31°C | 20°C | 25.7°C | 113 mm |
| July | 34°C | 22°C | 28.1°C | 86 mm |
| August | 34°C | 22°C | 27.7°C | 75 mm |
| September | 30°C | 17°C | 23.5°C | 93 mm |
| October | 24°C | 11°C | 17.4°C | 106 mm |
| November | 17°C | 5°C | 11.2°C | 76 mm |
| December | 12°C | 0°C | 6.3°C | 77 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station, and no record within 25 miles keeps one, so snow is left out here rather than estimated.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00093950; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit McAlester?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in March, April, May and October. Of those, October has the fewest days with rain (8).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00093950.
When is the last frost in McAlester?
In McAlester, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after March 31 in half of years and after April 18 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before November 3 in half of years and before October 20 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- March 311 year in 10 after April 18; 9 in 10 after March 11
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- November 31 year in 10 before October 20; 9 in 10 before November 19
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 216 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 242 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 15 in half of springs and before November 13 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts McAlester in zone 7b in ZIP code 74554, the nearest ZIP area. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, McAlester's NOAA station is in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches 8°F (26 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Oklahoma · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00093950; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in McAlester?
In a normal year in McAlester, 73 days a year reach 90°F (12 of them 100°F or more), 66 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 91 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 73a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 12a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 66a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 4high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 91a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1953) is 113°F, on August 3, 2011; the lowest is −14°F, on January 10, 1977.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2015, with 78.65 in; the snowiest season is 1977–78, with 21.3 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00093950; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USW00093950. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is McAlester, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 68°F. The muggiest month is June, with an average dew point of 69°F, above the 65°F at which most people call the air sticky; the driest air comes in December (30°F). March is the windiest month (9.3 mph on average), and July has the most clear or nearly clear hours (82%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30°F | 63% | 45% | 7.8 mph | 59% | 31% |
| February | 34°F | 60% | 41% | 8.7 mph | 60% | 28% |
| March | 44°F | 61% | 44% | 9.3 mph | 59% | 26% |
| April | 54°F | 68% | 50% | 7.9 mph | 58% | 25% |
| May | 65°F | 73% | 56% | 6.4 mph | 66% | 15% |
| June | 69°F | 70% | 52% | 6.3 mph | 78% | 7% |
| July | 68°F | 65% | 45% | 5.4 mph | 82% | 6% |
| August | 66°F | 65% | 44% | 5.2 mph | 78% | 8% |
| September | 56°F | 67% | 44% | 6.0 mph | 76% | 11% |
| October | 45°F | 67% | 47% | 7.3 mph | 64% | 24% |
| November | 35°F | 64% | 45% | 7.9 mph | 63% | 25% |
| December | 30°F | 66% | 47% | 7.7 mph | 62% | 28% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00093950. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is McAlester?
Over a year 77% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around McAlester, 4.5 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (84%) and February the cloudiest (67%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 72% | 2.6 |
| February | 67% | 3.1 |
| March | 70% | 4.2 |
| April | 72% | 5.2 |
| May | 73% | 5.7 |
| June | 82% | 6.6 |
| July | 84% | 6.5 |
| August | 84% | 6.0 |
| September | 81% | 5.0 |
| October | 77% | 3.9 |
| November | 74% | 2.9 |
| December | 70% | 2.3 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does McAlester need?
A normal year in McAlester brings 3,079 heating degree days, 43% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 2,133 cooling degree days, 2.4 times the median (908). Five months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 5,478 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 742 | 1 |
| February | 551 | 3 |
| March | 365 | 19 |
| April | 158 | 59 |
| May | 34 | 186 |
| June | 1 | 396 |
| July | 0 | 546 |
| August | 0 | 525 |
| September | 14 | 295 |
| October | 140 | 89 |
| November | 399 | 12 |
| December | 676 | 2 |
| Year (annual) | 3,079 | 2,133 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00093950. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has McAlester been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 63.6°F, 1.3°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 62.3°F. 5 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 62.6°F | +0.3°F | 41.67 |
| 2022 | 62.9°F | +0.6°F | 34.38 |
| 2023 | 63.6°F | +1.3°F | 42.13 |
| 2024 | 64.9°F | +2.6°F | 51.82 |
| 2025 | 63.6°F | +1.3°F | 48.24 |
Over 55 complete years from 1965 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 2.3°F per century (+0.13°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00093950; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does McAlester's climate compare?
McAlester is warmer than 119 of the other 133 places with their own NOAA record in Oklahoma, and wetter than 70. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 62.3°F is warmer than 81%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, McAlester is Cfa: temperate, no dry season, hot summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near McAlester share this climate record?
23 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Krebs, OK2,068 people · 5 mi NE
- Hartshorne, OK1,886 people · 13 mi E
- Haileyville, OK698 people · 12 mi E
- Savanna, OK615 people · 4 mi SW
- Kiowa, OK607 people · 13 mi SW
- Arpelar, OK330 people · 10 mi W
- Crowder, OK297 people · 17 mi N
- Canadian Shores, OK268 people · 20 mi N
- Bug Tussle, OK267 people · 12 mi NE
- Alderson, OK217 people · 5 mi E
- Stuart, OK192 people · 18 mi W
- Pittsburg, OK178 people · 12 mi S
- Haywood, OK173 people · 10 mi W
- Indianola, OK144 people · 19 mi N
- Canadian, OK143 people · 22 mi N
- Carlton Landing, OK126 people · 26 mi NE
- Hanna, OK105 people · 23 mi N
- Gowen, OK95 people · 18 mi E
- Blanco, OK80 people · 9 mi S
- Bache, OK79 people · 8 mi E
- Scipio, OK59 people · 15 mi NW
- Ashland, OK31 people · 18 mi SW
- Adamson, OK8 people · 14 mi E
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about McAlester's climate
What is the coldest month in McAlester?
January, with a normal high of 52°F and a normal low of 30°F. The warmest is July (93°F by day, 72°F at night).
What is the rainiest month in McAlester?
May, with 5.30 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is January with 2.23 in.
What plant hardiness zone is McAlester in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts McAlester in zone 7b in ZIP code 74554, the nearest ZIP area. By the same method at McAlester's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches 8°F (26 years, 1991-2020): zone 7b.
How late can frost come in McAlester?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after March 31; in one year in ten it comes after April 18. Waiting until April 18 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- McAlester in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Oklahoma climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Tuskahoma, OK34 miles from this station, 61.1°F a year
- Wilburton, OK35 miles from this station, 61.8°F a year
- Holdenville, OK36 miles from this station, 61.1°F a year
- Centrahoma, OK37 miles from this station, 61.5°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made