Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Ponce Inlet has some of the mildest winter nights among U.S. towns
July afternoons average 91°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 90% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.5° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. The outdoor season runs from October to April, with highs of 69–83°.
A year in Ponce Inlet at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ponce Inlet’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ponce Inlet’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Ponce Inlet 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 New Smyrna Bch - Marine Discov, FL, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ponce Inlet’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 32°. 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 52 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain falls on about 130 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Deland 1 Sse, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Ponce Inlet
16% 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 New Smyrna Bch - Marine Discov, FL.
Living with Ponce Inlet’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10a. Frost comes about 1 winter in 2, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. 3.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ponce Inlet from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ponce Inlet and its neighbors
Port Orange has the coldest January nights next door (50°, 1° 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 Ponce Inlet’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 Inlet, FL | 51° | 91° | 52" | 0.0" |
| Hitchcock, TX | 47° | 90° | 53" | 0.1" |
| Morgan City, LA | 44° | 91° | 60" | 0.0" |
| Hilton Head Island, SC | 41° | 90° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Dock Junction, GA | 41° | 92° | 49" | 0.0" |
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 Ponce Inlet averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
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 Ponce Inlet compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ponce Inlet’s place among Florida’s.
Ponce Inlet weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ponce Inlet’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Deland 1 Sse, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 69° | 51° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| February | 71° | 53° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 70° |
| March | 75° | 57° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 72° |
| April | 80° | 63° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| May | 85° | 69° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| June | 89° | 73° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 79° – 85° |
| July | 91° | 75° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 81° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 75° | 7.1" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 81° – 85° |
| September | 88° | 74° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| October | 83° | 69° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| November | 76° | 60° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| December | 71° | 54° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 72° |
| Year | 81° | 64° | 52.4" | 0.0" | 130 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 51° to 72°. July is the most reliable, staying within 4°.
Where Ponce Inlet’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 Inlet’s center.
- Snow: Deland 1 Sse, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New Smyrna Bch - Marine Discov, FL, 4 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 Ponce Inlet’s climate
What is the weather like in Ponce Inlet?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 51°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ponce Inlet in winter?
January nights average 51°. About 2 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 53°.
How much snow does Ponce Inlet get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Deland 1 Sse, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Ponce Inlet?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 75°. About 48 days a year reach 90° (New Smyrna Bch - Marine Discov, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Ponce Inlet?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 48% of winters at New Smyrna Bch - Marine Discov, FL, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Ponce Inlet in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 32°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ponce Inlet?
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 Ponce Inlet 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 Ponce Inlet.
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.