Photo: Jackdude101 · CC BY-SA 4.0Few U.S. towns have milder winter nights than St. Petersburg
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 91° on average. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 88% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Garden chairs stay out from November to April, the months with highs of 70–81°.
A year in St. Petersburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about St. Petersburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with St. Petersburg’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in St. Petersburg feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
Frost is rare
Day counts come from NOAA’s station at St Petersburg Airport, 1.2 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from St Petersburg, FL, 1.2 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts St. Petersburg’s center in zone 10b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 36°. 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 November the driest. Rain falls on about 101 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at St Petersburg, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in St. Petersburg
9% 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 St Petersburg, FL.
Living with St. Petersburg’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 9, 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, November and December. 44 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in St. Petersburg from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →St. Petersburg and its neighbors
Lealman has the coldest January nights next door (51°, 2° 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 St. Petersburg’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Petersburg, FL | 53° | 91° | 52" | 0.0" |
| Galveston, TX | 48° | 89° | 52" | 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 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. Petersburg averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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. In a city of 264,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How St. Petersburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with St. Petersburg’s place among Florida’s.
St. Petersburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at St. Petersburg’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from St Petersburg, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 70° | 53° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| February | 73° | 56° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 55° – 72° |
| March | 76° | 60° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| April | 81° | 65° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| May | 86° | 71° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| June | 90° | 75° | 7.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 81° – 85° |
| July | 91° | 76° | 8.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 82° – 86° |
| August | 90° | 77° | 9.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 82° – 85° |
| September | 89° | 75° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 80° – 84° |
| October | 84° | 70° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| November | 78° | 61° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| December | 73° | 56° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 73° |
| Year | 82° | 66° | 51.6" | 0.0" | 101 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 73°. August is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where St. Petersburg’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. Petersburg’s center.
- Snow: St Petersburg, FL (NOAA station in town).
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: St Petersburg, FL, 1.2 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: St Petersburg Airport, 1.2 miles from the city’s center point, 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. Petersburg’s climate
What is the weather like in St. Petersburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 53°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in St. Petersburg in winter?
January nights average 53°. 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 55°.
How much snow does St. Petersburg get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at St Petersburg, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in St. Petersburg?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 76°. About 71 days a year reach 90° (St Petersburg, FL).
When is the first and last frost in St. Petersburg?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 11% of winters at St Petersburg, FL, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is St. Petersburg in?
Zone 10b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 36°.
What is the best time of year to visit St. Petersburg?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is St. Petersburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in St. Petersburg.
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.