Photo: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Iron City tops that of 92% of U.S. towns: 53 inches a year
January nights here settle around 39°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 53°. Its July heat outdoes that of 88% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 6, with the first autumn frost due around November 23.
A year in Iron City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Iron City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Iron City’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Iron City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 264 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 6 and the first by November 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Donalsonville, GA, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Iron City’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 22°. 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
July is the wettest month and October the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Iron City
41% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. 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 Donalsonville, GA.
Living with Iron City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
264 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 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 Nov 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October, November and December.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Iron City from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Iron City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Iron City 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 Iron City averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Iron City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Iron City’s place among Georgia’s.
Iron City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Iron City’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 39° | 4.8" | 43° – 57° |
| February | 66° | 42° | 4.7" | 45° – 63° |
| March | 73° | 48° | 5.1" | 54° – 68° |
| April | 79° | 54° | 4.0" | 62° – 72° |
| May | 86° | 62° | 3.1" | 71° – 78° |
| June | 91° | 69° | 5.5" | 76° – 85° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 6.0" | 79° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 71° | 5.3" | 79° – 84° |
| September | 88° | 67° | 4.6" | 75° – 82° |
| October | 80° | 57° | 2.7" | 64° – 73° |
| November | 71° | 46° | 3.3" | 52° – 64° |
| December | 64° | 42° | 4.5" | 43° – 62° |
| Year | 79° | 56° | 53.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 63°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Iron City’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 Iron City’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Donalsonville, GA, 5 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 Iron City’s climate
What is the weather like in Iron City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 39°. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Iron City in winter?
January nights average 39°. About 20 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How hot does it get in Iron City?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 110 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Donalsonville, GA).
When is the first and last frost in Iron City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 6 and the first fall frost by November 23, about 264 frost-free days, at Donalsonville, GA.
What growing zone is Iron City in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Iron City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Iron City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Iron City.
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.