Balm sits near the top of U.S. towns for mild winters
High summer brings afternoon highs near 91°. The wettest month is August; the driest is November. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 93% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from November to April, the months with highs of 72–83°.
A year in Balm at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Balm’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Balm’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Balm feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze most winters
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tampa Bay Area Wfo, FL, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Balm’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 30°. 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 54 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 122 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Valrico 2.2 Se, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Balm
13% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. No month averages under 55°.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Tampa Bay Area Wfo, FL.
Living with Balm’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 5 winters in 10, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, November and December. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Balm from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Balm and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Balm in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Balm’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balm, FL | 50° | 91° | 54" | 0.0" |
| Texas City, TX | 47° | 90° | 54" | 0.1" |
| St. Marys, GA | 43° | 91° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Morgan City, LA | 44° | 91° | 60" | 0.0" |
| Gulf Shores, AL | 44° | 90° | 62" | 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 Balm averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Balm compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Balm’s place among Florida’s.
Balm weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Balm’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Valrico 2.2 Se, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 72° | 50° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 55° – 67° |
| February | 74° | 53° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 55° – 72° |
| March | 78° | 57° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 60° – 73° |
| April | 83° | 61° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 67° – 77° |
| May | 88° | 67° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 73° – 80° |
| June | 90° | 72° | 8.6" | 0.0" | 16 | 80° – 84° |
| July | 91° | 74° | 8.4" | 0.0" | 18 | 81° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 74° | 9.1" | 0.0" | 20 | 81° – 84° |
| September | 90° | 73° | 6.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 79° – 84° |
| October | 85° | 67° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 72° – 80° |
| November | 78° | 59° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 64° – 75° |
| December | 74° | 53° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 52° – 72° |
| Year | 83° | 63° | 54.0" | 0.0" | 122 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 72°. August is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where Balm’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 Balm’s center.
- Snow: Valrico 2.2 Se, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tampa Bay Area Wfo, FL, 8 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 Balm’s climate
What is the weather like in Balm?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 50°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Balm in winter?
January nights average 50°. About 2 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 55°.
How much snow does Balm get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Valrico 2.2 Se, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Balm?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 74°. About 97 days a year reach 90° (Tampa Bay Area Wfo, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Balm?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 54% of winters at Tampa Bay Area Wfo, FL, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Balm in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Balm?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Balm getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Balm.
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.