Best Time to Visit Hochatown & Broken Bow
For most trips, the best time to visit Broken Bow and Hochatown is late October to mid-November. TravelOK says Oklahoma's fall color usually peaks in the last week of October and first two weeks of November; afternoons are mild, with average highs of 77°F in October and 65°F in November at NOAA's Broken Bow station; and the free Beavers Bend Folk Festival runs Nov 13–15, 2026. Come June to August for the lake and river, when highs average 89°F to 93°F, or December to February for Christmas lights and bald eagle season.
Month by month
Average highs and lows, average rainfall, and what's on. Linked months have their own guide with the events on the calendar right now.
| Month | High / low | Rain (in.) | What's on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53° / 28° | 3.8 | Bald eagle peak · Coldest month |
| Feb | 58° / 32° | 4.2 | Bald eagle peak |
| Mar | 66° / 41° | 4.6 | — |
| Apr | 74° / 48° | 5.3 | — |
| May | 81° / 58° | 6.3 | Wettest month · Memorial Day weekend |
| Jun | 89° / 65° | 4.6 | — |
| Jul | 93° / 69° | 3.9 | Hottest (with Aug) · Fourth of July weekend |
| Aug | 93° / 68° | 3.2 | Hottest, driest month |
| Sep | 87° / 62° | 4.1 | Labor Day weekend |
| Oct | 77° / 49° | 5.2 | Peak color window opens (last week) · 13 shows on the calendar |
| Nov | 65° / 39° | 4.5 | Folk Festival (Nov 13–15) · Peak color window (first two weeks) · Eagle sightings begin · Thanksgiving weekend · 10 shows on the calendar |
| Dec | 56° / 32° | 5.3 | Winter Wonderland lights (Dec 5–27) · New Year’s Eve · Bald eagles |
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station Broken Bow 1 N (USC00341162), about 8 miles south of Hochatown. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast.
Fall color: TravelOK (Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department). Eagles: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Festival dates: TravelOK. Busy weekends: Hocha.town's road-conditions model. Show counts are live from local venue calendars.
Season by season
Fall (September to November): the peak
September is still summer-warm (average high 87°F), but October cools to 77°F afternoons and 49°F nights, and November to 65°F and 39°F. TravelOK (Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department) says Oklahoma's fall color usually peaks in the last week of October and first two weeks of November. The Beavers Bend Folk Festival & Craft Show is Nov 13–15, 2026, and Labor Day and Thanksgiving are the busy weekends. October guide · November guide
Winter (December to February): lights and eagles
The coldest stretch of the year: average highs of 53°F to 58°F and lows around freezing, with about 21 freezing nights in January. Snow is light, averaging 1.0 in. in January. Broken Bow City Park's free Winter Wonderland Christmas lights run Dec 5–27, 2026, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation says bald eagle sightings increase as early as November and peak in January and February. Trout fishing on the Lower Mountain Fork is open year-round. December guide · Winter guide
Spring (March to May): green and wet
Highs climb from 66°F in March to 81°F in May. It's the wettest part of the year: May averages 6.3 in. of rain, the most of any month, so pack a rain shell and have an indoor backup. Memorial Day weekend is one of the busy weekends. See things to do for rainy-day ideas.
Summer (June to August): lake and river season
Hot: July and August average 93°F, with about 23 days a month at 90°F or more, so plan on Broken Bow Lake and the Mountain Fork River rather than long midday hikes. The Fourth of July weekend is busy, and our road model treats every summer weekend as busier than usual.
Month guides
Weather, what's on the calendar, annual events and what to pack.
Best time to visit: common questions
When is the best time to visit Broken Bow?
For most trips, the best time to visit Broken Bow and Hochatown is late October to mid-November. TravelOK says Oklahoma's fall color usually peaks in the last week of October and first two weeks of November; afternoons are mild, with average highs of 77°F in October and 65°F in November at NOAA's Broken Bow station; and the free Beavers Bend Folk Festival runs Nov 13–15, 2026. Come June to August for the lake and river, when highs average 89°F to 93°F, or December to February for Christmas lights and bald eagle season.
When do fall colors peak in Broken Bow?
TravelOK, Oklahoma's official tourism site, says the state's fall foliage season usually peaks within the last week of October and first two weeks of November. That is statewide guidance, so the best week around Beavers Bend and Broken Bow Lake shifts from year to year with the weather. Late October through mid-November covers the window.
Does Broken Bow have fall foliage?
Yes. Hochatown and Broken Bow sit in the forested Ouachita Mountains, and TravelOK describes the mid-November Beavers Bend Folk Festival as taking place "amidst spectacular fall foliage."
Is Broken Bow worth visiting in winter?
If you don't mind cold mornings, yes. January averages a high of 53°F and a low of 28°F, with about 21 nights at or below freezing. In exchange you get bald eagle season (the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation says sightings peak in January and February), Broken Bow City Park's free Winter Wonderland Christmas lights (Dec 5–27, 2026), and trout fishing on the Lower Mountain Fork River, which is open year-round.
What is the hottest month in Broken Bow?
July and August. Both average a high of 93°F at NOAA's Broken Bow station, with about 23 days a month reaching 90°F or more. January is the coldest month, with an average low of 28°F.
What is the rainiest month in Broken Bow?
May, with 6.3 in. of rain on average over about 7 days of 0.1 in. or more. August is the driest month, at 3.2 in.
When is Broken Bow busiest?
Holiday weekends and summer. Hocha.town's US-259 road-conditions score builds in extra traffic for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Thanksgiving weekends and for summer weekends from June through August, and treats Friday afternoons and evenings as the heaviest regular inbound window. Check live road conditions on the day you drive.
Plan your trip
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