Fort Oglethorpe Historic District · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0Fort Oglethorpe’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 31°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Fort Oglethorpe at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fort Oglethorpe’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Oglethorpe’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Fort Oglethorpe feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 205 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chickamauga Park Larc, GA, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Oglethorpe’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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
February is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 89 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Chickamauga Park, GA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Oglethorpe
70% 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 Chickamauga Park Larc, GA.
Living with Fort Oglethorpe’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
205 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 6 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September and October. 34 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Oglethorpe from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fort Oglethorpe and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Fort Oglethorpe in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fort Oglethorpe’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Oglethorpe, GA | 31° | 90° | 53" | 0.0" |
| Williamston, NC | 32° | 89° | 51" | 0.5" |
| Opelika, AL | 34° | 90° | 55" | 0.0" |
| Clarksville, TN | 28° | 89° | 52" | 0.5" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
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 Fort Oglethorpe averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
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 Fort Oglethorpe compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Oglethorpe’s place among Georgia’s.
Fort Oglethorpe weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Oglethorpe’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chickamauga Park, GA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 31° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 32° – 48° |
| February | 55° | 34° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 53° |
| March | 64° | 40° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 61° |
| April | 73° | 48° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 57° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| September | 84° | 61° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| October | 73° | 49° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| November | 62° | 39° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 53° | 34° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 35° – 53° |
| Year | 72° | 49° | 52.8" | 0.0" | 89 | 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 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Fort Oglethorpe’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 Fort Oglethorpe’s center.
- Snow: Chickamauga Park, GA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chickamauga Park Larc, GA, 1.6 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 Fort Oglethorpe’s climate
What is the weather like in Fort Oglethorpe?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 31°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fort Oglethorpe in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 84 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Fort Oglethorpe get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Chickamauga Park, GA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Fort Oglethorpe?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 51 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Chickamauga Park Larc, GA).
When is the first and last frost in Fort Oglethorpe?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 205 frost-free days, at Chickamauga Park Larc, GA.
What growing zone is Fort Oglethorpe in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fort Oglethorpe?
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 Fort Oglethorpe 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 Fort Oglethorpe.
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.