Photo: Tamparitus · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Ellijay: 59 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 29°. Seasons differ by 58°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 71% of U.S. towns. From April to June and September to October, highs of 71–84° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Ellijay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ellijay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ellijay’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Ellijay 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 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jasper 1 Nnw, GA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ellijay’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ellijay, GA, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 59 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ellijay
76% 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 Jasper 1 Nnw, GA.
Living with Ellijay’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
221 frost-free days in zone 7b. 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ellijay from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ellijay and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ellijay yet.
Climates most like Ellijay’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellijay, GA | 29° | 87° | 59" | 2.9" |
| Lawrenceburg, TN | 29° | 89° | 58" | 1.9" |
| Marion, NC | 28° | 88° | 58" | 7.1" |
| Russellville, AL | 31° | 90° | 58" | 0.6" |
| Ripley, MS | 31° | 90° | 58" | 1.6" |
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 Ellijay averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in all but 112 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 Ellijay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ellijay’s place among Georgia’s.
Ellijay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ellijay’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ellijay, GA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 29° | 5.6" | 0.8" | 10 | 1 | 30° – 46° |
| February | 54° | 31° | 5.0" | 0.4" | 10 | 1 | 32° – 51° |
| March | 62° | 38° | 5.6" | 1.0" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| April | 71° | 44° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| May | 78° | 53° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| June | 84° | 61° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| July | 87° | 65° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| August | 86° | 64° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| October | 71° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| November | 61° | 37° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| December | 53° | 32° | 5.9" | 0.7" | 10 | 1 | 33° – 52° |
| Year | 70° | 47° | 59.3" | 2.9" | 116 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 52°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Ellijay’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 Ellijay’s center.
- Snow: Ellijay, GA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jasper 1 Nnw, GA, 15 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Ellijay’s climate
What is the weather like in Ellijay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ellijay in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 61 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Ellijay get?
About 2.9 inches in a normal winter at Ellijay, GA, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ellijay?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 65°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Jasper 1 Nnw, GA).
When is the first and last frost in Ellijay?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 221 frost-free days, at Jasper 1 Nnw, GA.
What growing zone is Ellijay in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ellijay?
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 Ellijay getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 112 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ellijay.
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.