Photo: Jud McCranie · Public domainWinter nights in Jekyll Island are milder than in 92% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 91°. Its July heat outdoes that of 83% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Plan time outside from October to May, when highs sit at 62–84°.
A year in Jekyll Island at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Jekyll Island’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Jekyll Island’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Jekyll Island feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 312 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 9 and the first by December 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Jekyll Island’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 49 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 105 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Jekyll Island
31% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Airport.
Living with Jekyll Island’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
312 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 9 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. 7.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Jekyll Island from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Jekyll Island and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Jekyll Island in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Jekyll Island’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jekyll Island, GA | 44° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Clute, TX | 46° | 91° | 50" | 0.0" |
| Wildwood, FL | 46° | 92° | 50" | 0.0" |
| Mount Pleasant, SC | 41° | 90° | 50" | 0.3" |
| Headland, AL | 39° | 91° | 56" | 0.1" |
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 Jekyll Island averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 77% 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 Jekyll Island compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Jekyll Island’s place among Georgia’s.
Jekyll Island weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Jekyll Island’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| February | 65° | 47° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 64° |
| March | 71° | 52° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| April | 77° | 58° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| May | 84° | 67° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| June | 89° | 73° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| July | 91° | 75° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 81° – 86° |
| August | 90° | 75° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 72° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| October | 79° | 63° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| November | 71° | 53° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| December | 65° | 47° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 65° |
| Year | 77° | 60° | 49.1" | 0.0" | 105 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 65°. August is the most reliable, staying within 4°.
Where Jekyll Island’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 Jekyll Island’s center.
- Snow: Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Airport, 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 Jekyll Island’s climate
What is the weather like in Jekyll Island?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Jekyll Island in winter?
January nights average 44°. About 8 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 47°.
How much snow does Jekyll Island get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Jekyll Island?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 75°. About 47 days a year reach 90° (Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Jekyll Island?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 9 and the first fall frost by December 26, about 312 frost-free days, at Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Airport.
What growing zone is Jekyll Island in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Jekyll Island?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Jekyll Island getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Jekyll Island.
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.