Few U.S. towns have milder winter nights than Matlacha
Sunny July days climb to about 92°. Temperatures cover 38° across the year, low to high. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 90% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from November to March, with highs of 74–81°.
A year in Matlacha at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Matlacha’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Matlacha’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Matlacha 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 Myers Page Fld Airport, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Matlacha’s center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 38°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 53 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 101 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Punta Gorda 4 Ese, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Matlacha
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 Ft Myers Page Fld Airport.
Living with Matlacha’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost comes about 1 winter in 7, 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. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Matlacha from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Matlacha and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Matlacha yet.
Climates most like Matlacha’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matlacha, FL | 54° | 92° | 53" | 0.0" |
| Hitchcock, TX | 47° | 90° | 53" | 0.1" |
| St. Marys, GA | 43° | 91° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Morgan City, LA | 44° | 91° | 60" | 0.0" |
| Gulf Shores, AL | 44° | 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 Matlacha averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.2°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 Matlacha compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Matlacha’s place among Florida’s.
Matlacha weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Matlacha’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Punta Gorda 4 Ese, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 74° | 54° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| February | 77° | 57° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 74° |
| March | 80° | 60° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| April | 84° | 65° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| May | 89° | 70° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| June | 91° | 75° | 8.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 81° – 86° |
| July | 92° | 76° | 8.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 82° – 86° |
| August | 92° | 76° | 8.6" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 83° – 85° |
| September | 90° | 75° | 8.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 80° – 84° |
| October | 87° | 70° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| November | 81° | 63° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| December | 77° | 58° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 74° |
| Year | 84° | 67° | 52.5" | 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 56° to 74°. August is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where Matlacha’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 Matlacha’s center.
- Snow: Punta Gorda 4 Ese, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Myers Page Fld Airport, 14 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 Matlacha’s climate
What is the weather like in Matlacha?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 54°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Matlacha in winter?
January nights average 54°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.1 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 58°.
How much snow does Matlacha get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Punta Gorda 4 Ese, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Matlacha?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 76°. About 120 days a year reach 90° (Ft Myers Page Fld Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Matlacha?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 14% of winters at Ft Myers Page Fld Airport, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Matlacha in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 38°.
What is the best time of year to visit Matlacha?
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 Matlacha getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Matlacha.
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.