Sanderson, Texas climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Sanderson's normal year runs from 32°F January nights to 95°F August afternoons, with 14.3 inches of precipitation and less than an inch of snow (0.4 in) a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 18.8°C, January lows of 0°C, August highs of 35°C, 363 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationSanderson
- Station IDUSC00418022
- Location30.14°N 102.39°W
- Elevation2,788 ft (850 m)
- Population (census place)678
On October 23, the normal high in Sanderson is 78°F and the normal low 49°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 14%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Sanderson.
- Jan 62° 32°
- Feb 66° 37°
- Mar 74° 44°
- Apr 82° 52°
- May 89° 62°
- Jun 94° 69°
- Jul 94° 70°
- Aug 95° 70°
- Sep 88° 64°
- Oct 80° 52°
- Nov 70° 41°
- Dec 62° 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 Sanderson each month?
August is the warmest month, with normal highs of 95°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 32°F. The most precipitation falls in June (2.30 in), the least in February (0.52 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62°F | 32°F | 47.0°F | 0.56 | 3 | <1 | 16 | 10 h 20 min |
| February | 66°F | 37°F | 51.6°F | 0.52 | 4 | <1 | 9 | 11 h 10 min |
| March | 74°F | 44°F | 59.1°F | 0.78 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 h |
| April | 82°F | 52°F | 66.7°F | 0.62 | 3 | 6 | <1 | 12 h 50 min |
| May | 89°F | 62°F | 75.3°F | 1.68 | 5 | 15 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| June | 94°F | 69°F | 81.5°F | 2.30 | 5 | 23 | <1 | 14 h |
| July | 94°F | 70°F | 82.0°F | 2.02 | 4 | 23 | <1 | 14 h |
| August | 95°F | 70°F | 82.1°F | 1.61 | 5 | 25 | <1 | 13 h 20 min |
| September | 88°F | 64°F | 75.6°F | 1.84 | 5 | 12 | <1 | 12 h 20 min |
| October | 80°F | 52°F | 66.2°F | 1.15 | 5 | 2 | <1 | 11 h 30 min |
| November | 70°F | 41°F | 55.2°F | 0.52 | 3 | <1 | 5 | 10 h 40 min |
| December | 62°F | 33°F | 47.6°F | 0.68 | 3 | <1 | 15 | 10 h 10 min |
| Year (annual) | 80°F | 52°F | 65.8°F | 14.28 | 47 | 107 | 49 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17°C | 0°C | 8.3°C | 14 mm |
| February | 19°C | 3°C | 10.9°C | 13 mm |
| March | 23°C | 7°C | 15.1°C | 20 mm |
| April | 28°C | 11°C | 19.3°C | 16 mm |
| May | 32°C | 16°C | 24.1°C | 43 mm |
| June | 35°C | 20°C | 27.5°C | 58 mm |
| July | 34°C | 21°C | 27.8°C | 51 mm |
| August | 35°C | 21°C | 27.8°C | 41 mm |
| September | 31°C | 18°C | 24.2°C | 47 mm |
| October | 27°C | 11°C | 19.0°C | 29 mm |
| November | 21°C | 5°C | 12.9°C | 13 mm |
| December | 17°C | 1°C | 8.7°C | 17 mm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00418022; 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 Sanderson?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in February, March, April, October and November. Of those, April has the fewest days with rain (3).
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 USC00418022.
When is the last frost in Sanderson?
In Sanderson, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after March 11 in half of years and after April 6 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before November 11 in half of years and before October 28 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 111 year in 10 after April 6; 9 in 10 after February 20
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- November 111 year in 10 before October 28; 9 in 10 before November 27
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 243 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 267 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after February 28 in half of springs and before November 23 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Sanderson in zone 8b in ZIP code 79848, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Texas · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00418022; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. 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 Sanderson?
In a normal year in Sanderson, 107 days a year reach 90°F (11 of them 100°F or more), 49 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 47 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 107a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 11a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 49a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 1high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 47a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1897) is 110°F, on June 24, 1969; the lowest is 3°F, on December 22, 1989.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1978, with 24.51 in; the snowiest season is 1985–86, with 12.0 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00418022; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00418022. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is Sanderson?
Over a year 86% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Sanderson, 5.5 kWh per square metre a day. June is the sunniest month (90%) and February the cloudiest (83%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 83% | 3.6 |
| February | 83% | 4.5 |
| March | 85% | 5.7 |
| April | 87% | 6.8 |
| May | 87% | 7.2 |
| June | 90% | 7.5 |
| July | 89% | 7.2 |
| August | 89% | 6.7 |
| September | 85% | 5.6 |
| October | 86% | 4.8 |
| November | 85% | 3.8 |
| December | 83% | 3.3 |
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 Sanderson need?
A normal year in Sanderson brings 2,151 heating degree days, 60% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 2,476 cooling degree days, 2.7 times the median (908). Four months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 6,230 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 558 | 0 |
| February | 378 | 3 |
| March | 213 | 30 |
| April | 68 | 119 |
| May | 9 | 327 |
| June | 0 | 494 |
| July | 0 | 527 |
| August | 0 | 530 |
| September | 6 | 326 |
| October | 74 | 111 |
| November | 306 | 11 |
| December | 539 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 2,151 | 2,476 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00418022. 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.
How does Sanderson's climate compare?
Sanderson is warmer than 164 of the other 320 places with their own NOAA record in Texas, and wetter than 18. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 65.8°F is warmer than 90%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Sanderson is BSh: hot semi-arid steppe. 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.
Questions about Sanderson's climate
What is the coldest month in Sanderson?
January, with a normal high of 62°F and a normal low of 32°F. The warmest is August (95°F by day, 70°F at night).
Does it snow in Sanderson?
Rarely: NOAA's normal is 0.4 inch a year.
What is the rainiest month in Sanderson?
June, with 2.30 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 0.52 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Sanderson in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Sanderson in zone 8b in ZIP code 79848, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Sanderson?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after March 11; in one year in ten it comes after April 6. Waiting until April 6 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Texas climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Dryden Terrell County Airport, TX12 miles from this station, 68.2°F a year
- Pandale (1 mi N), TX50 miles from this station, 67.0°F a year
- Sheffield, TX50 miles from this station, 66.0°F a year
- Bakersfield, TX52 miles from this station, 65.3°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made