Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have milder winter nights than South Bay
Midsummer highs settle at about 92°. A year here swings 38° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 90% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from November to March, when highs sit at 75–81°.
A year in South Bay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Bay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Bay’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in South Bay 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 Belle Glade, FL, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Bay’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 34°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 53 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain falls on about 135 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Belle Glade, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in South Bay
7% 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 Belle Glade, FL.
Living with South Bay’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, November and December. 5.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Bay from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Bay and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around South Bay yet.
Climates most like South Bay’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Bay, FL | 54° | 92° | 53" | 0.0" |
| Hitchcock, TX | 47° | 90° | 53" | 0.1" |
| St. Marys, GA | 43° | 91° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Morgan City, LA | 44° | 91° | 60" | 0.0" |
| Hilton Head Island, SC | 41° | 90° | 49" | 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 South Bay averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 South Bay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Bay’s place among Florida’s.
South Bay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Bay’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Belle Glade, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 75° | 54° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| February | 78° | 56° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 74° |
| March | 81° | 59° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| April | 85° | 63° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| May | 89° | 67° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| June | 91° | 72° | 8.5" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 80° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 73° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 81° – 85° |
| August | 92° | 74° | 7.8" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 81° – 85° |
| September | 90° | 73° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 80° – 84° |
| October | 87° | 68° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 75° – 81° |
| November | 81° | 62° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| December | 77° | 57° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 74° |
| Year | 85° | 65° | 52.5" | 0.0" | 135 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 55° to 74°. August is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where South Bay’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 South Bay’s center.
- Snow: Belle Glade, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Belle Glade, 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 South Bay’s climate
What is the weather like in South Bay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 54°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Bay in winter?
January nights average 54°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.9 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 58°.
How much snow does South Bay get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Belle Glade, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in South Bay?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 73°. About 124 days a year reach 90° (Belle Glade, FL).
When is the first and last frost in South Bay?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 48% of winters at Belle Glade, FL, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is South Bay in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 34°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Bay?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is South Bay getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South Bay.
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.