Louisville and Nashville Depot · Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Milton’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Milton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Milton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Milton’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Milton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 276 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 28 and the first by November 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Whiting Field Nas South, FL, 5 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Milton’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 22°. 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 63 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 108 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Milton Exp Stn, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Milton
32% 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 Whiting Field Nas South, FL.
Living with Milton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
276 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 28 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Milton from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Milton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Milton yet.
Climates most like Milton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milton, FL | 41° | 91° | 63" | 0.1" |
| Addis, LA | 41° | 92° | 63" | 0.2" |
| Orange, TX | 42° | 91° | 62" | 0.0" |
| Picayune, MS | 40° | 91° | 65" | 0.0" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
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 Milton averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.1°).
A smaller shift than in all but 165 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 Milton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Milton’s place among Florida’s.
Milton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Milton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Milton Exp Stn, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 41° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| February | 66° | 44° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 64° |
| March | 72° | 50° | 5.0" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 69° |
| April | 78° | 55° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| May | 85° | 63° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 77° |
| June | 89° | 70° | 6.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| July | 91° | 72° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| August | 90° | 72° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| September | 87° | 68° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| October | 80° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| November | 71° | 48° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| December | 65° | 43° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 62° |
| Year | 78° | 57° | 62.5" | 0.1" | 108 | 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 64°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Milton’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 Milton’s center.
- Snow: Milton Exp Stn, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Whiting Field Nas South, FL, 5 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher; 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 Milton’s climate
What is the weather like in Milton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Milton in winter?
January nights average 41°. About 21 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Milton get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Milton Exp Stn, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Milton?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 72°. About 100 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Whiting Field Nas South, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Milton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 28 and the first fall frost by November 27, about 276 frost-free days, at Whiting Field Nas South, FL.
What growing zone is Milton in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Milton?
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 Milton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 165 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Milton.
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.