More precipitation falls on Cataula than on 87% of U.S. towns: 51 inches a year
January nights here settle around 35°. The wettest month is December; the driest is October. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 80% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from March to May and October to November, with highs of 67–83°.
A year in Cataula at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cataula’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cataula’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Cataula feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 265 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 5 and the first by November 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Columbus Metro Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cataula’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 51 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 109 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Columbus Metro Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Cataula
43% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Columbus Metro Airport.
Living with Cataula’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
265 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 5 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cataula from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cataula and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cataula yet.
Climates most like Cataula’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cataula, GA | 35° | 91° | 51" | 0.5" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
| Marion, SC | 35° | 92° | 49" | 0.8" |
| Kinston, NC | 33° | 90° | 53" | 0.7" |
| Demopolis, AL | 35° | 92° | 54" | 0.2" |
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 Cataula averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
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 Cataula compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cataula’s place among Georgia’s.
Cataula weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cataula’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Columbus Metro Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 35° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 38° – 53° |
| February | 62° | 38° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| March | 69° | 44° | 4.9" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| April | 76° | 50° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| May | 83° | 59° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| June | 88° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 89° | 69° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| September | 85° | 64° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 53° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| November | 67° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 59° | 38° | 5.2" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 57° |
| Year | 75° | 52° | 51.2" | 0.5" | 109 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Cataula’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 Cataula’s center.
- Snow: Columbus Metro Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Columbus Metro Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 270 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 Cataula’s climate
What is the weather like in Cataula?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cataula in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 28 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Cataula get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Columbus Metro Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Cataula?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 81 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Columbus Metro Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Cataula?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 5 and the first fall frost by November 23, about 265 frost-free days, at Columbus Metro Airport.
What growing zone is Cataula in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cataula?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cataula 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 Cataula.
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.