Photo: Skye Marthaler · CC BY-SA 4.0Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Fort Walton Beach: 64 inches a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 43° on average. Its January nights stay gentler than in 92% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.6° higher. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 12, with the first autumn frost due around November 19.
A year in Fort Walton Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fort Walton Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Walton Beach’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Fort Walton Beach feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 253 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 12 and the first by November 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Niceville, FL, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Walton Beach’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. 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 64 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 119 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Niceville, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Walton Beach
45% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55°: December and 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 Niceville, FL.
Living with Fort Walton Beach’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
253 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 12 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October, November and December. 5.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Walton Beach from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fort Walton Beach and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Fort Walton Beach in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fort Walton Beach’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 Walton Beach, FL | 43° | 90° | 64" | 0.0" |
| Bay St. Louis, MS | 43° | 89° | 64" | 0.0" |
| Meraux, LA | 44° | 90° | 63" | 0.0" |
| Port Arthur, TX | 44° | 91° | 61" | 0.0" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
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 Walton Beach averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Fort Walton Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Walton Beach’s place among Florida’s.
Fort Walton Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Walton Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Niceville, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 43° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| February | 65° | 46° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 65° |
| March | 70° | 52° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 69° |
| April | 75° | 58° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| May | 83° | 66° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 77° |
| June | 87° | 73° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| July | 90° | 75° | 7.5" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 79° – 85° |
| August | 89° | 75° | 7.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 79° – 85° |
| September | 87° | 72° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| October | 80° | 61° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| November | 70° | 50° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| December | 64° | 46° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 64° |
| Year | 77° | 60° | 63.8" | 0.0" | 119 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 65°. May is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Fort Walton Beach’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 Walton Beach’s center.
- Snow: Niceville, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Niceville, FL, 11 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 Fort Walton Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in Fort Walton Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, 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 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fort Walton Beach in winter?
January nights average 43°. About 36 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Fort Walton Beach get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Niceville, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Fort Walton Beach?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 75°. About 52 days a year reach 90° (Niceville, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Fort Walton Beach?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 12 and the first fall frost by November 19, about 253 frost-free days, at Niceville, FL.
What growing zone is Fort Walton Beach in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fort Walton Beach?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, May, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fort Walton Beach getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fort Walton Beach.
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.