Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Ponce de Leon: 61 inches a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 39° on average. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 53° apart. In January, nights here are milder than in 87% of U.S. towns. From February to April and October to December, highs of 64–80° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Ponce de Leon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ponce de Leon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ponce de Leon’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Ponce de Leon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 275 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 28 and the first by November 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL, 9 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ponce de Leon’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. 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 61 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 113 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Ponce de Leon
39% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL.
Living with Ponce de Leon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
275 frost-free days in zone 8b. 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October, November and December. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ponce de Leon from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ponce de Leon and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ponce de Leon yet.
Climates most like Ponce de Leon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponce de Leon, FL | 39° | 92° | 61" | 0.0" |
| DeRidder, LA | 39° | 92° | 60" | 0.0" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
| Silsbee, TX | 40° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
| Columbia, MS | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.2" |
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 Ponce de Leon averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Ponce de Leon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ponce de Leon’s place among Florida’s.
Ponce de Leon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ponce de Leon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 39° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 57° |
| February | 66° | 43° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 64° |
| March | 73° | 48° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 69° |
| April | 79° | 54° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| May | 86° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 77° |
| June | 91° | 70° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 72° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 72° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 79° – 85° |
| September | 88° | 67° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| October | 80° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| November | 71° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| December | 64° | 42° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 62° |
| Year | 79° | 56° | 61.4" | 0.0" | 113 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 64°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Ponce de Leon’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 Ponce de Leon’s center.
- Snow: De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL, 9 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Ponce de Leon’s climate
What is the weather like in Ponce de Leon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ponce de Leon in winter?
January nights average 39°. About 26 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Ponce de Leon get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Ponce de Leon?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 72°. About 85 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Ponce de Leon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 28 and the first fall frost by November 28, about 275 frost-free days, at De Funiak Springs 1 E, FL.
What growing zone is Ponce de Leon in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ponce de Leon?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ponce de Leon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ponce de Leon.
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.