Photo: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 3.0Bluffton gets more rain and snow than 90% of U.S. towns: 53 inches of precipitation a year
Nights in January average 38°. Precipitation peaks in July and eases off in October. Its January nights stay gentler than in 85% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs January: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Bluffton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bluffton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bluffton’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Bluffton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 256 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 13 and the first by November 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Gaines 2, GA, 12 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bluffton’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 53 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 94 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.3" in a normal year at Cuthbert, GA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bluffton
47% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. 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 Ft Gaines 2, GA.
Living with Bluffton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
256 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 13 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October, November and December.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bluffton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bluffton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bluffton yet.
Climates most like Bluffton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluffton, GA | 38° | 91° | 53" | 0.3" |
| Hanahan, SC | 38° | 92° | 50" | 0.3" |
| Demopolis, AL | 35° | 92° | 54" | 0.2" |
| Yazoo City, MS | 37° | 92° | 56" | 0.1" |
| Lake City, FL | 41° | 92° | 53" | 0.0" |
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 Bluffton averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Bluffton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bluffton’s place among Georgia’s.
Bluffton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bluffton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cuthbert, GA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 38° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 56° |
| February | 65° | 41° | 4.7" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 62° |
| March | 72° | 47° | 4.7" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 68° |
| April | 78° | 53° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| May | 85° | 61° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| June | 90° | 69° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 91° | 71° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 90° | 70° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| September | 87° | 66° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| October | 79° | 56° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| November | 69° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| December | 62° | 40° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 61° |
| Year | 77° | 55° | 52.6" | 0.3" | 94 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 61°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Bluffton’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 Bluffton’s center.
- Snow: Cuthbert, GA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Gaines 2, GA, 12 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower; 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 Bluffton’s climate
What is the weather like in Bluffton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bluffton in winter?
January nights average 38°. About 32 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Bluffton get?
About 0.3 inches in a normal winter at Cuthbert, GA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Bluffton?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 71°. About 65 days a year reach 90° (Ft Gaines 2, GA).
When is the first and last frost in Bluffton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 13 and the first fall frost by November 21, about 256 frost-free days, at Ft Gaines 2, GA.
What growing zone is Bluffton in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bluffton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bluffton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bluffton.
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.