Photo: Bubba73 · CC BY-SA 3.0Summer arrives in force in Bartow, hotter than in 89% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 36°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 82% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.9° above 1901–2000. Homes need heating from December to January, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Bartow at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bartow’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bartow’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Bartow feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 227 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 25 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Louisville 1 E, GA, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bartow’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 47 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 92 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Midville Exp Stn, GA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bartow
56% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Louisville 1 E, GA.
Living with Bartow’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
227 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 25 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bartow from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (31%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bartow and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bartow yet.
Climates most like Bartow’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bartow, GA | 36° | 92° | 47" | 0.0" |
| Darlington, SC | 34° | 92° | 47" | 0.0" |
| Rusk, TX | 38° | 93° | 49" | 0.1" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Rockingham, NC | 32° | 91° | 47" | 0.5" |
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 Bartow averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Bartow compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bartow’s place among Georgia’s.
Bartow weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bartow’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Midville Exp Stn, GA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 36° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| February | 63° | 38° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 43° – 60° |
| March | 70° | 44° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 66° |
| April | 77° | 51° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| May | 84° | 60° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| June | 90° | 67° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 79° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| September | 86° | 64° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| October | 77° | 53° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| November | 68° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| December | 61° | 38° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 40° – 59° |
| Year | 76° | 53° | 47.0" | 0.0" | 92 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 40° to 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Bartow’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 Bartow’s center.
- Snow: Midville Exp Stn, GA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Louisville 1 E, GA, 10 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 Bartow’s climate
What is the weather like in Bartow?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bartow in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 47 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Bartow get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Midville Exp Stn, GA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Bartow?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 79 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Louisville 1 E, GA).
When is the first and last frost in Bartow?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 25 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 227 frost-free days, at Louisville 1 E, GA.
What growing zone is Bartow in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bartow?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bartow getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bartow.
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.