Photo: Hans J E from Lawrenceville, US · CC BY-SA 2.0Duluth’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 32°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Duluth at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Duluth’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Duluth’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Duluth feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 228 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 25 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Atlanta Peachtree Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Duluth’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 53 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 120 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.6" in a normal year at Cumming 2n, GA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Duluth
63% 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 Atlanta Peachtree Airport.
Living with Duluth’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
228 frost-free days in zone 8a. 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September and October. 2.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Duluth from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Duluth and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Duluth in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Duluth’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth, GA | 32° | 89° | 53" | 0.6" |
| Williamston, NC | 32° | 89° | 51" | 0.5" |
| Hartselle, AL | 31° | 90° | 55" | 1.1" |
| Little River, SC | 36° | 89° | 53" | 0.5" |
| Brentwood, TN | 29° | 89° | 53" | 1.7" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Duluth averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 85% 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 Duluth compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Duluth’s place among Georgia’s.
Duluth weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Duluth’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cumming 2n, GA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 32° | 4.8" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 34° – 48° |
| February | 56° | 35° | 4.8" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 37° – 54° |
| March | 64° | 41° | 5.1" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 48° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 79° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| August | 88° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 61° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 50° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 35° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 35° – 54° |
| Year | 71° | 50° | 53.2" | 0.6" | 120 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Duluth’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 Duluth’s center.
- Snow: Cumming 2n, GA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Atlanta Peachtree Airport, 12 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 Duluth’s climate
What is the weather like in Duluth?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, 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 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Duluth in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 49 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Duluth get?
About 0.6 inches in a normal winter at Cumming 2n, GA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Duluth?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 53 days a year reach 90° (Atlanta Peachtree Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Duluth?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 25 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 228 frost-free days, at Atlanta Peachtree Airport.
What growing zone is Duluth 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 Duluth?
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 Duluth getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Duluth.
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.