Fish Cabin at White Rock Shoals · Photo: Florida Department of State - Division of Historical Resources - Bureau of Historic Preservation · Public domainHardly any U.S. towns see softer January nights than St. James City
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 92°. Only 37° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 90% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from November to March, the months with highs of 75–81°.
A year in St. James City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about St. James City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with St. James City’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in St. James City 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 Myers Page Fld Airport, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts St. James City’s center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 39°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 52 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in St. James City
6% 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 Myers Page Fld Airport.
Living with St. James City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 10b. Frost comes about 1 winter in 7, 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. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in St. James City from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →St. James City and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of St. James City in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 St. James City averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+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 St. James City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with St. James City’s place among Florida’s.
St. James City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at St. James City’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 75° | 55° | 2.5" | 58° – 70° |
| February | 77° | 57° | 1.9" | 59° – 74° |
| March | 80° | 60° | 2.2" | 63° – 75° |
| April | 84° | 65° | 2.3" | 71° – 79° |
| May | 88° | 70° | 3.6" | 76° – 82° |
| June | 91° | 75° | 7.8" | 81° – 86° |
| July | 92° | 76° | 8.1" | 82° – 86° |
| August | 92° | 76° | 8.6" | 83° – 85° |
| September | 90° | 75° | 8.1" | 80° – 84° |
| October | 87° | 70° | 3.5" | 75° – 83° |
| November | 81° | 63° | 1.9" | 67° – 78° |
| December | 77° | 58° | 2.0" | 57° – 74° |
| Year | 84° | 67° | 52.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 74°. August is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where St. James City’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 St. James City’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Myers Page Fld Airport, 15 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 St. James City’s climate
What is the weather like in St. James City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 55°. Milder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in St. James City in winter?
January nights average 55°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.1 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 58°.
How hot does it get in St. James City?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 76°. About 120 days a year reach 90° (Ft Myers Page Fld Airport).
When is the first and last frost in St. James City?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 14% of winters at Ft Myers Page Fld Airport, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is St. James City in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 39°.
What is the best time of year to visit St. James City?
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 St. James City 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 St. James City.
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.