Larimer Memorial Library · Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Palatka’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Palatka at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Palatka’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Palatka’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Palatka feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 308 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 14 and the first by December 30. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Federal Pt, FL, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Hastings 4ne, FL, 15 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Palatka’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 26°. 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 53 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 120 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Hastings 4ne, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Palatka
27% 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 Hastings 4ne, FL.
Living with Palatka’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
308 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 14 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. 8.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Palatka from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Palatka and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Palatka yet.
Climates most like Palatka’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palatka, FL | 45° | 92° | 53" | 0.0" |
| Alvin, TX | 45° | 92° | 53" | 0.0" |
| Thomasville, GA | 39° | 91° | 53" | 0.0" |
| Hilton Head Island, SC | 41° | 90° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Morgan City, LA | 44° | 91° | 60" | 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 Palatka averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Palatka compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Palatka’s place among Florida’s.
Palatka weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Palatka’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hastings 4ne, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68° | 45° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| February | 71° | 48° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 68° |
| March | 76° | 52° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 72° |
| April | 82° | 58° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| May | 87° | 64° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| June | 90° | 71° | 7.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| July | 92° | 72° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 80° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 73° | 7.4" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| September | 88° | 71° | 6.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| October | 82° | 63° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| November | 75° | 54° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| December | 70° | 48° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 69° |
| Year | 81° | 60° | 52.9" | 0.0" | 120 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 49° to 69°. July is the most reliable, staying within 4°.
Where Palatka’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 Palatka’s center.
- Snow: Hastings 4ne, FL.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Hastings 4ne, FL, 15 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Federal Pt, 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 Palatka’s climate
What is the weather like in Palatka?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Palatka in winter?
January nights average 45°. About 3 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 51°.
How much snow does Palatka get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Hastings 4ne, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Palatka?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 72°. About 76 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Hastings 4ne, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Palatka?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 14 and the first fall frost by December 30, about 308 frost-free days, at Hastings 4ne, FL.
What growing zone is Palatka in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Palatka?
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 Palatka getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Palatka.
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.