Plaza Ferdinand VII · Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Pensacola’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Pensacola at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pensacola’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pensacola’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Pensacola feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 301 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 14 and the first by December 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pensacola Rgnl Airport, 2.5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pensacola’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 106 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Pensacola
31% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from 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 Pensacola Rgnl Airport.
Living with Pensacola’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
301 frost-free days in zone 9a. 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October, November and December. 9.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pensacola from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pensacola and its neighbors
Brent has the coldest January nights next door (42°, 2° 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 Pensacola’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pensacola, FL | 44° | 90° | 63" | 0.0" |
| Meraux, LA | 44° | 90° | 63" | 0.0" |
| Port Arthur, TX | 44° | 91° | 61" | 0.0" |
| McComb, MS | 38° | 92° | 62" | 0.2" |
| 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 Pensacola averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 Pensacola compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pensacola’s place among Florida’s.
Pensacola weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pensacola’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 44° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 46° – 60° |
| February | 65° | 47° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 46° – 65° |
| March | 70° | 53° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 56° – 69° |
| April | 76° | 59° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 63° – 72° |
| May | 83° | 67° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 72° – 78° |
| June | 88° | 74° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 78° – 84° |
| July | 90° | 75° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 80° – 86° |
| August | 90° | 75° | 7.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 80° – 85° |
| September | 87° | 72° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 77° – 83° |
| October | 80° | 62° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 67° – 75° |
| November | 71° | 51° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 54° – 66° |
| December | 64° | 46° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 48° – 64° |
| Year | 77° | 60° | 63.0" | 0.0" | 106 |
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°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Pensacola’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 Pensacola’s center.
- Snow: Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pensacola Rgnl Airport, 2.5 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Pensacola’s climate
What is the weather like in Pensacola?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pensacola in winter?
January nights average 44°. About 11 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 46°.
How much snow does Pensacola get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Pensacola?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 75°. About 68 days a year reach 90° (Pensacola Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Pensacola?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 14 and the first fall frost by December 9, about 301 frost-free days, at Pensacola Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Pensacola in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pensacola?
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 Pensacola getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pensacola.
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.