Photo: Dswisener · CC BY-SA 4.0Alachua has milder winter nights than 91% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 92°. Only 50° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 90% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from October to April, with highs of 67–83°.
A year in Alachua at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alachua’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alachua’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Alachua feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 274 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 4 and the first by December 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gainesville 11 Wnw, FL, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alachua’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 22°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 53 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 112 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at High Springs, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Alachua
29% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Gainesville 11 Wnw, FL.
Living with Alachua’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
274 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. 21 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alachua from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alachua and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Alachua in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Alachua’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua, FL | 42° | 92° | 53" | 0.0" |
| Alvin, TX | 45° | 92° | 53" | 0.0" |
| Blakely, GA | 38° | 92° | 53" | 0.1" |
| Headland, AL | 39° | 91° | 56" | 0.1" |
| Port Royal, SC | 41° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Alachua averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 83% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Alachua compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alachua’s place among Florida’s.
Alachua weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alachua’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from High Springs, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 42° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| February | 71° | 45° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 66° |
| March | 76° | 50° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| April | 82° | 55° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| May | 88° | 63° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| June | 91° | 69° | 7.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 72° | 7.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 80° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 72° | 7.5" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 79° – 83° |
| September | 89° | 69° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| October | 83° | 60° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| November | 75° | 50° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| December | 69° | 45° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 67° |
| Year | 81° | 58° | 52.5" | 0.0" | 112 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 67°. July is the most reliable, staying within 4°.
Where Alachua’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Alachua’s center.
- Snow: High Springs, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gainesville 11 Wnw, FL, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Alachua’s climate
What is the weather like in Alachua?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alachua in winter?
January nights average 42°. About 20 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Alachua get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at High Springs, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Alachua?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 72°. About 101 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Gainesville 11 Wnw, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Alachua?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 4 and the first fall frost by December 4, about 274 frost-free days, at Gainesville 11 Wnw, FL.
What growing zone is Alachua in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alachua?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Alachua getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alachua.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.