Photo: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 4.0Carrabelle’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Carrabelle at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Carrabelle’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Carrabelle’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Carrabelle feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 262 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 8 and the first by November 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Panacea 1 S, FL, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Carrabelle’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 56 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 87 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Apalachicola Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Carrabelle
37% 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 Panacea 1 S, FL.
Living with Carrabelle’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
262 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 8 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. 3.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Carrabelle from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Carrabelle and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Carrabelle yet.
Climates most like Carrabelle’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrabelle, FL | 43° | 91° | 56" | 0.0" |
| Baytown, TX | 44° | 91° | 57" | 0.0" |
| Morgan City, LA | 44° | 91° | 60" | 0.0" |
| St. Marys, GA | 43° | 91° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Orange Beach, AL | 43° | 90° | 62" | 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 Carrabelle averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 Carrabelle compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Carrabelle’s place among Florida’s.
Carrabelle weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Carrabelle’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Apalachicola Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 63° | 43° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| February | 66° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 65° |
| March | 72° | 51° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| April | 78° | 58° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| May | 86° | 65° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| June | 90° | 72° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| July | 91° | 74° | 6.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 74° | 7.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| September | 88° | 71° | 6.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| October | 81° | 62° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| November | 73° | 51° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| December | 66° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 46° – 65° |
| Year | 79° | 59° | 56.2" | 0.0" | 87 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 65°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Carrabelle’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 Carrabelle’s center.
- Snow: Apalachicola Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Panacea 1 S, FL, 15 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 Carrabelle’s climate
What is the weather like in Carrabelle?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Carrabelle in winter?
January nights average 43°. About 34 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How much snow does Carrabelle get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Apalachicola Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Carrabelle?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 74°. About 89 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Panacea 1 S, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Carrabelle?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 8 and the first fall frost by November 22, about 262 frost-free days, at Panacea 1 S, FL.
What growing zone is Carrabelle in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Carrabelle?
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 Carrabelle getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Carrabelle.
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.