Photo: KeanoManu · CC BY-SA 4.0Few U.S. towns have milder winter nights than Fort Lauderdale
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 90° on average. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 98% of U.S. towns. February has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.9° rise. Long walks are most pleasant from November to April, when afternoons reach 76–83°.
A year in Fort Lauderdale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fort Lauderdale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Lauderdale’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Fort Lauderdale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Lauderdale, FL, 4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Lauderdale’s center in zone 11a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 41°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 61 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain falls on about 124 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Ft Lauderdale Beach, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Lauderdale
4% 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 Ft Lauderdale, FL.
Living with Fort Lauderdale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 11a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 20, 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. 22 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Lauderdale from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fort Lauderdale and its neighbors
Tamarac has the coldest January nights next door (57°, 3° colder) and Tamarac the hottest July afternoons (91°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fort Lauderdale’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | 60° | 90° | 61" | 0.0" |
| Galliano, LA | 46° | 90° | 63" | 0.0" |
| Texas City, TX | 47° | 90° | 54" | 0.1" |
| Gulf Shores, AL | 44° | 90° | 62" | 0.0" |
| Heeia, HI | 66° | 84° | 51" | 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 Fort Lauderdale averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 85% 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. In a city of 189,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Fort Lauderdale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Lauderdale’s place among Florida’s.
Fort Lauderdale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Lauderdale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ft Lauderdale Beach, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 76° | 60° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| February | 77° | 62° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| March | 79° | 65° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 78° |
| April | 83° | 69° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| May | 85° | 73° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 81° |
| June | 89° | 76° | 8.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| July | 90° | 77° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 82° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 77° | 7.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 82° – 85° |
| September | 89° | 77° | 8.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| October | 86° | 74° | 6.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| November | 81° | 68° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| December | 77° | 63° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 77° |
| Year | 83° | 70° | 61.4" | 0.0" | 124 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 60° to 77°. July is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where Fort Lauderdale’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 Fort Lauderdale’s center.
- Snow: Ft Lauderdale Beach, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Lauderdale, FL, 4 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Fort Lauderdale’s climate
What is the weather like in Fort Lauderdale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 60°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 101 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fort Lauderdale in winter?
January nights average 60°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 62°.
How much snow does Fort Lauderdale get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Ft Lauderdale Beach, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Fort Lauderdale?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 77°. About 75 days a year reach 90° (Ft Lauderdale, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Fort Lauderdale?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 5% of winters at Ft Lauderdale, FL, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Fort Lauderdale in?
Zone 11a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 41°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fort Lauderdale?
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 Fort Lauderdale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fort Lauderdale.
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.