Photo: Clément Bardot · CC BY-SA 4.0Few U.S. towns have milder winter nights than Tampa
Expect July afternoons of about 91°. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 91% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Garden chairs stay out from November to April, the months with highs of 71–82°.
A year in Tampa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tampa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tampa’s place in Florida beside it.
What a year in Tampa 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 Tampa International Airport, Tampa’s official weather station (the one in National Weather Service reports), 4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tampa’s center in zone 10a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 32°. 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
August is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 108 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Tampa International Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Tampa
10% 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 Tampa International Airport.
Living with Tampa’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 3, 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. 46 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tampa from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tampa and its neighbors
Lutz has the coldest January nights next door (49°, 3° 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 Tampa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa, FL | 51° | 91° | 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" |
| Gulf Shores, AL | 44° | 90° | 62" | 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 Tampa averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 414,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Tampa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tampa’s place among Florida’s.
Tampa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tampa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tampa International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 71° | 51° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| February | 73° | 54° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 72° |
| March | 77° | 57° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| April | 82° | 62° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| May | 87° | 68° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| June | 90° | 73° | 7.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| July | 91° | 75° | 8.6" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 75° | 9.3" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 81° – 84° |
| September | 89° | 73° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| October | 85° | 67° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| November | 78° | 59° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| December | 73° | 54° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 72° |
| Year | 82° | 64° | 53.1" | 0.0" | 108 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 72°. July is the most reliable, staying within 3°.
Where Tampa’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 Tampa’s center.
- Snow: Tampa International Airport (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tampa International Airport, 4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; the city’s official station.
- 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 Tampa’s climate
What is the weather like in Tampa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 51°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tampa in winter?
January nights average 51°. A night at 32° or below comes in only some winters (0.8 a year on average). In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 54°.
How much snow does Tampa get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Tampa International Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Tampa?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 75°. About 94 days a year reach 90° (Tampa International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Tampa?
Most years have no frost at all: a 32° night comes in about 35% of winters at Tampa International Airport, usually in December or January.
What growing zone is Tampa in?
Zone 10a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 32°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tampa?
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 Tampa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tampa.
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.