Photo: Rey Valls · CC BY 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see softer January nights than Southwest Ranches
Sunny July days climb to about 91°. June is the wettest month, January the driest. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 98% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from November to March, when highs sit at 77–82°.
A year in Southwest Ranches at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Southwest Ranches’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Southwest Ranches’ place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Southwest Ranches 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 Ft Lauderdale, FL, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Southwest Ranches’ center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 40°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 61 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain falls on about 149 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Ft Lauderdale, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Southwest Ranches
4% 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 Ft Lauderdale, FL.
Living with Southwest Ranches’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost comes about 1 winter in 20, 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. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Southwest Ranches from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Southwest Ranches and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Southwest Ranches in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Southwest Ranches’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Ranches, FL | 57° | 91° | 61" | 0.0" |
| Galliano, LA | 46° | 90° | 63" | 0.0" |
| Seabrook, TX | 46° | 90° | 55" | 0.2" |
| Gulf Shores, AL | 44° | 90° | 62" | 0.0" |
| Pascagoula, MS | 43° | 89° | 66" | 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 Southwest Ranches averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 86% 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 Southwest Ranches compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Southwest Ranches’ place among Florida’s.
Southwest Ranches weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Southwest Ranches’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ft Lauderdale, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 77° | 57° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| February | 79° | 59° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| March | 81° | 62° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| April | 85° | 65° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| May | 88° | 69° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 76° – 81° |
| June | 90° | 73° | 9.2" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| July | 91° | 75° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| August | 92° | 75° | 8.3" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 82° – 85° |
| September | 90° | 74° | 8.3" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 80° – 84° |
| October | 87° | 71° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 77° – 82° |
| November | 82° | 65° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| December | 78° | 60° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 76° |
| Year | 85° | 67° | 61.4" | 0.0" | 149 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 59° to 76°. July is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where Southwest Ranches’ 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 Southwest Ranches’ center.
- Snow: Ft Lauderdale, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Lauderdale, FL, 11 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 Southwest Ranches’ climate
What is the weather like in Southwest Ranches?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 57°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than all but 167 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Southwest Ranches in winter?
January nights average 57°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.0 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 61°.
How much snow does Southwest Ranches get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Ft Lauderdale, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Southwest Ranches?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 75°. About 75 days a year reach 90° (Ft Lauderdale, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Southwest Ranches?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 5% of winters at Ft Lauderdale, FL, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Southwest Ranches in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 40°.
What is the best time of year to visit Southwest Ranches?
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 Southwest Ranches getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Southwest Ranches.
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.