Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Wet weather: 49 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Carlton, more than in 80% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 90°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 59°. Its July heat outdoes that of 79% of U.S. towns. From March to May and September to October, highs of 66–84° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Carlton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Carlton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Carlton’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Carlton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 221 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lexington, GA, 12 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Carlton’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 49 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 99 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Lexington, GA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Carlton
62% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lexington, GA.
Living with Carlton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
221 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September and October. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Carlton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Carlton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Carlton yet.
Climates most like Carlton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton, GA | 32° | 90° | 49" | 0.5" |
| Selma, NC | 31° | 90° | 49" | 0.8" |
| Hartsville, SC | 33° | 92° | 48" | 0.5" |
| Walnut Ridge, AR | 28° | 90° | 49" | 0.9" |
| Emporia, VA | 29° | 90° | 48" | 1.4" |
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 Carlton averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 91% 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 Carlton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Carlton’s place among Georgia’s.
Carlton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Carlton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lexington, GA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 32° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 36° – 49° |
| February | 58° | 35° | 4.4" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| March | 66° | 41° | 4.7" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 62° |
| April | 74° | 48° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| May | 81° | 57° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| September | 84° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| October | 74° | 50° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| November | 64° | 39° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 56° | 34° | 4.7" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 36° – 55° |
| Year | 73° | 50° | 48.8" | 0.5" | 99 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Carlton’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 Carlton’s center.
- Snow: Lexington, GA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lexington, GA, 12 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher; 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 Carlton’s climate
What is the weather like in Carlton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 32°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Carlton in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 58 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Carlton get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Lexington, GA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Carlton?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 64 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Lexington, GA).
When is the first and last frost in Carlton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 221 frost-free days, at Lexington, GA.
What growing zone is Carlton in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Carlton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Carlton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 91% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Carlton.
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.