Photo: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 4.0Cleveland is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 66 inches of precipitation a year
Nights in January average 30°. In January, nights here are milder than in 73% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.6° rise. Central heating does most of its work from November to February, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Cleveland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cleveland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cleveland’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Cleveland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 197 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 28. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cleveland, GA, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Helen, GA, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cleveland’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Helen, GA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 66 inches a year; December is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cleveland
78% 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 Helen, GA.
Living with Cleveland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
197 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 11 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 34% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cleveland from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cleveland and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cleveland yet.
Climates most like Cleveland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, GA | 30° | 87° | 66" | 1.5" |
| Lynchburg, TN | 29° | 88° | 60" | 1.5" |
| Arab, AL | 32° | 88° | 59" | 0.7" |
| Morehead City, NC | 36° | 88° | 59" | 0.5" |
| Booneville, MS | 31° | 90° | 59" | 1.1" |
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 Cleveland averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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 Cleveland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cleveland’s place among Georgia’s.
Cleveland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cleveland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Helen, GA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 30° | 6.2" | 0.5" | 10 | 0 | 32° – 46° |
| February | 55° | 33° | 5.6" | 0.7" | 11 | 0 | 35° – 51° |
| March | 62° | 39° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| April | 71° | 45° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| May | 78° | 54° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| June | 84° | 62° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 65° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 73° – 79° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| September | 80° | 59° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| October | 71° | 48° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| November | 61° | 38° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| December | 53° | 33° | 6.4" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 34° – 53° |
| Year | 70° | 47° | 65.7" | 1.5" | 120 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cleveland’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 Cleveland’s center.
- Snow: Helen, GA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Helen, GA, 7 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Cleveland, GA, 0.8 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 Cleveland’s climate
What is the weather like in Cleveland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cleveland in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 97 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Cleveland get?
About 1.5 inches in a normal winter at Helen, GA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cleveland?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 65°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Helen, GA).
When is the first and last frost in Cleveland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 197 frost-free days, at Helen, GA.
What growing zone is Cleveland in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cleveland?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cleveland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cleveland.
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.