Highland Beach’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 59°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Highland Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Highland Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Highland Beach’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Highland Beach 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 Loxahatchee Nwr, FL, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Highland Beach’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 62 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 149 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Loxahatchee Nwr, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Highland Beach
6% 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 Loxahatchee Nwr, FL.
Living with Highland Beach’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 9, 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Highland Beach from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Highland Beach and its neighbors
Delray Beach has the coldest January nights next door (58°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Highland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Beach, FL | 59° | 90° | 62" | 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" |
| Pascagoula, MS | 43° | 89° | 66" | 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 Highland Beach averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.4°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Highland Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Highland Beach’s place among Florida’s.
Highland Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Highland Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Loxahatchee Nwr, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 75° | 59° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| February | 77° | 61° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| March | 79° | 64° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| April | 82° | 69° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| May | 85° | 73° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 76° – 81° |
| June | 88° | 76° | 8.5" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| July | 90° | 77° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 82° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 77° | 7.9" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 82° – 85° |
| September | 89° | 77° | 8.1" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| October | 86° | 73° | 6.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 77° – 82° |
| November | 81° | 68° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| December | 77° | 63° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 77° |
| Year | 83° | 70° | 61.6" | 0.0" | 149 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 59° to 77°. July is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where Highland 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 Highland Beach’s center.
- Snow: Loxahatchee Nwr, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Loxahatchee Nwr, 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 Highland Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in Highland Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 59°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 110 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Highland Beach in winter?
January nights average 59°. 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 61°.
How much snow does Highland Beach get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Loxahatchee Nwr, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Highland Beach?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 77°. About 66 days a year reach 90° (Loxahatchee Nwr, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Highland Beach?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 11% of winters at Loxahatchee Nwr, FL, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Highland Beach 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 Highland Beach?
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 Highland Beach getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Highland 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.