Photo: StarkeDCD · CC BY-SA 4.0Starke’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Starke at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Starke’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Starke’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Starke feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 313 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 8 and the first by December 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Starke, FL, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Starke’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 52 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 114 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Gainesville Rgnl Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Starke
23% 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 Starke, FL.
Living with Starke’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
313 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 8 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Starke from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Starke and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Starke yet.
Climates most like Starke’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starke, FL | 43° | 92° | 52" | 0.0" |
| Alvin, TX | 45° | 92° | 53" | 0.0" |
| Bainbridge, GA | 39° | 92° | 52" | 0.0" |
| Port Royal, SC | 41° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Headland, AL | 39° | 91° | 56" | 0.1" |
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 Starke averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Starke compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Starke’s place among Florida’s.
Starke weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Starke’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gainesville Rgnl Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 43° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| February | 71° | 46° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 66° |
| March | 76° | 50° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 70° |
| April | 82° | 55° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| May | 88° | 63° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| June | 91° | 69° | 7.7" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 6.9" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 80° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 72° | 7.1" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 79° – 83° |
| September | 88° | 69° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| October | 82° | 60° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| November | 74° | 51° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| December | 69° | 46° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 67° |
| Year | 81° | 58° | 52.2" | 0.0" | 114 | 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 67°. July is the most reliable, staying within 4°.
Where Starke’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 Starke’s center.
- Snow: Gainesville Rgnl Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Starke, FL, 0.7 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 Starke’s climate
What is the weather like in Starke?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Starke in winter?
January nights average 43°. About 15 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 49°.
How much snow does Starke get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Gainesville Rgnl Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Starke?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 92 days a year reach 90° (Starke, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Starke?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 8 and the first fall frost by December 24, about 313 frost-free days, at Starke, FL.
What growing zone is Starke in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Starke?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Starke getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Starke.
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.