Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 2.5Bartow sits near the top of U.S. towns for mild winters
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 92° on average. Only 43° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 90% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from November to March, when highs sit at 73–79°.
A year in Bartow at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bartow’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bartow’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Bartow 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 Bartow 1se, FL, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bartow’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 31°. 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
June is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 101 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Bartow 1se, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bartow
12% 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 Bartow 1se, FL.
Living with Bartow’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 7 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, November and December. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bartow from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bartow and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bartow yet.
Climates most like Bartow’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bartow, FL | 49° | 92° | 53" | 0.0" |
| Alvin, TX | 45° | 92° | 53" | 0.0" |
| St. Marys, GA | 43° | 91° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Morgan City, LA | 44° | 91° | 60" | 0.0" |
| Port Royal, SC | 41° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bartow averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Bartow compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bartow’s place among Florida’s.
Bartow weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bartow’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bartow 1se, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 73° | 49° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| February | 75° | 52° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 71° |
| March | 79° | 56° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| April | 84° | 60° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| May | 89° | 66° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| June | 91° | 71° | 8.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| July | 92° | 73° | 8.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| August | 92° | 74° | 8.2" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| September | 90° | 72° | 6.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 79° – 83° |
| October | 85° | 66° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| November | 79° | 57° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| December | 74° | 53° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 73° |
| Year | 84° | 62° | 52.7" | 0.0" | 101 | 0 |
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 73°. July is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where Bartow’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 Bartow’s center.
- Snow: Bartow 1se, FL (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bartow 1se, FL, 0.7 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 Bartow’s climate
What is the weather like in Bartow?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 49°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bartow in winter?
January nights average 49°. 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 Bartow get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Bartow 1se, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Bartow?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 73°. About 121 days a year reach 90° (Bartow 1se, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Bartow?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 65% of winters at Bartow 1se, FL, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Bartow in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bartow?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bartow getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bartow.
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.