Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Port St. Joe: 57 inches a year
January nights here settle around 44°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 93% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.0° higher. For walks and days out, the stretch from October to May brings highs of 64–84°.
A year in Port St. Joe at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Port St. Joe’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Port St. Joe’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Port St. Joe feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 307 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 15 and the first by December 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Apalachicola Airport, 18 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Port St. Joe’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 57 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 87 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Apalachicola Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Port St. Joe
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 Apalachicola Airport.
Living with Port St. Joe’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
307 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 15 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. 4.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Port St. Joe from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Port St. Joe and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Port St. Joe yet.
Climates most like Port St. Joe’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port St. Joe, FL | 44° | 90° | 57" | 0.0" |
| Patterson, LA | 44° | 90° | 60" | 0.0" |
| Seabrook, TX | 46° | 90° | 55" | 0.2" |
| Bay St. Louis, MS | 43° | 89° | 64" | 0.0" |
| St. Marys, GA | 43° | 91° | 51" | 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 Port St. Joe averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 77% 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 Port St. Joe compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Port St. Joe’s place among Florida’s.
Port St. Joe weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Port St. Joe’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Apalachicola Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 44° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| February | 66° | 48° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 65° |
| March | 71° | 53° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| April | 77° | 59° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| May | 84° | 66° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| June | 88° | 73° | 6.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| July | 90° | 75° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| August | 89° | 75° | 7.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| September | 87° | 72° | 6.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| October | 80° | 63° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| November | 72° | 52° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| December | 66° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 66° |
| Year | 78° | 61° | 57.1" | 0.0" | 87 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 66°. July is the most reliable, staying within 4°.
Where Port St. Joe’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 Port St. Joe’s center.
- Snow: Apalachicola Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Apalachicola Airport, 18 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 Port St. Joe’s climate
What is the weather like in Port St. Joe?
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 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Port St. Joe in winter?
January nights average 44°. About 9 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 48°.
How much snow does Port St. Joe get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Apalachicola Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Port St. Joe?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 75°. About 56 days a year reach 90° (Apalachicola Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Port St. Joe?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 15 and the first fall frost by December 18, about 307 frost-free days, at Apalachicola Airport.
What growing zone is Port St. Joe 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 Port St. Joe?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, 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 Port St. Joe getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Port St. Joe.
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.