Photo: SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0Gay gets more rain and snow than 86% of U.S. towns: 51 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 90°. In January, nights here are milder than in 78% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.7° rise. The outdoor season runs from March to May and October to November, with highs of 66–82°.
A year in Gay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gay’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Gay feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 226 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Atlanta, GA, 19 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gay’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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
March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 108 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.3" in a normal year at Woodbury, GA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Gay
57% of the work is heating. 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 Atlanta, GA.
Living with Gay’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
226 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 26 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 6.
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 Gay from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gay and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gay yet.
Climates most like Gay’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gay, GA | 34° | 90° | 51" | 0.3" |
| Simpsonville, SC | 33° | 90° | 49" | 0.4" |
| Williamston, NC | 32° | 89° | 51" | 0.5" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
| Clarksdale, MS | 34° | 91° | 55" | 0.4" |
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 Gay averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Gay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gay’s place among Georgia’s.
Gay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gay’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Woodbury, GA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 34° | 4.7" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 51° |
| February | 60° | 37° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 58° |
| March | 67° | 43° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| April | 75° | 49° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 88° | 66° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| September | 84° | 63° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| October | 75° | 51° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| November | 66° | 41° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| December | 58° | 36° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 38° – 56° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 50.8" | 0.3" | 108 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Gay’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 Gay’s center.
- Snow: Woodbury, GA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Atlanta, GA, 19 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 Gay’s climate
What is the weather like in Gay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gay in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 65 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Gay get?
About 0.3 inches in a normal winter at Woodbury, GA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Gay?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 51 days a year reach 90° (Atlanta, GA).
When is the first and last frost in Gay?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 226 frost-free days, at Atlanta, GA.
What growing zone is Gay in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gay?
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 Gay getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gay.
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.