Photo: Rivers Langley; SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0Wet weather: 52 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Hamilton, more than in 88% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 90°. The wettest month is December; the driest is October. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 79% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about March 5; in half of years the first frost comes by November 23.
A year in Hamilton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hamilton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hamilton’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Hamilton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 265 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 5 and the first by November 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Columbus Metro Airport, 18 miles from the town’s center, 340 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hamilton’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 52 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 94 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at W Pt, GA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Hamilton
43% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. 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 Columbus Metro Airport.
Living with Hamilton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
265 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 5 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hamilton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hamilton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hamilton yet.
Climates most like Hamilton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton, GA | 34° | 90° | 52" | 0.1" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
| Kinston, NC | 33° | 90° | 53" | 0.7" |
| Little River, SC | 36° | 89° | 53" | 0.5" |
| 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 Hamilton averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 Hamilton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hamilton’s place among Georgia’s.
Hamilton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hamilton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from W Pt, GA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 34° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 52° |
| February | 61° | 37° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 58° |
| March | 68° | 43° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| April | 75° | 49° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| June | 88° | 66° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| September | 85° | 63° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 52° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| November | 66° | 42° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 37° | 5.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| Year | 75° | 51° | 51.6" | 0.1" | 94 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Hamilton’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 Hamilton’s center.
- Snow: W Pt, GA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Columbus Metro Airport, 18 miles from the town’s center, 340 ft lower; 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 Hamilton’s climate
What is the weather like in Hamilton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hamilton in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 28 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Hamilton get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at W Pt, GA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Hamilton?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 81 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Columbus Metro Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Hamilton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 5 and the first fall frost by November 23, about 265 frost-free days, at Columbus Metro Airport.
What growing zone is Hamilton in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hamilton?
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 Hamilton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hamilton.
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.