McCanaan Missionary Baptist Church and Cemetery · Photo: Jud McCranie · CC BY-SA 4.0Summer afternoons in Girard are warmer than in 89% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 36°. Seasons differ by 57°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 82% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 21, with the first autumn frost due around November 9.
A year in Girard at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Girard’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Girard’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Girard feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 233 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 21 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Waynesboro 2 S, GA, 17 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Girard’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 46 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and October the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Girard
54% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Waynesboro 2 S, GA.
Living with Girard’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
233 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 21 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, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Girard from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (28%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Girard and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Girard yet.
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 Girard averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 62% 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 Girard compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Girard’s place among Georgia’s.
Girard weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Girard’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 36° | 3.9" | 41° – 55° |
| February | 63° | 39° | 3.7" | 43° – 60° |
| March | 70° | 44° | 3.9" | 51° – 65° |
| April | 77° | 51° | 3.1" | 60° – 69° |
| May | 85° | 59° | 3.3" | 67° – 77° |
| June | 90° | 68° | 4.8" | 75° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 5.0" | 79° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 4.9" | 78° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 65° | 3.5" | 73° – 81° |
| October | 78° | 53° | 2.9" | 62° – 71° |
| November | 68° | 43° | 2.9" | 50° – 62° |
| December | 61° | 38° | 3.8" | 40° – 60° |
| Year | 77° | 53° | 45.7" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 40° to 60°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Girard’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 Girard’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Waynesboro 2 S, GA, 17 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 Girard’s climate
What is the weather like in Girard?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 36°. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Girard in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How hot does it get in Girard?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 74 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Waynesboro 2 S, GA).
When is the first and last frost in Girard?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 21 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 233 frost-free days, at Waynesboro 2 S, GA.
What growing zone is Girard in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Girard?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Girard getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Girard.
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.