Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Precipitation in Martin tops that of 88% of U.S. towns: 52 inches a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 33° on average. Rain is spread evenly through the year: the wettest month, March, gets little more than the driest, May. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 76% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 23 to November 11.
A year in Martin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Martin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Martin’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Martin 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 23 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Toccoa, GA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Martin’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
March is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 90 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.9" in a normal year at Carnesville, GA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Martin
63% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Toccoa, GA.
Living with Martin’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 23 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Martin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Martin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Martin yet.
Climates most like Martin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin, GA | 33° | 89° | 52" | 0.9" |
| Williamston, NC | 32° | 89° | 51" | 0.5" |
| Oxford, AL | 33° | 90° | 54" | 1.2" |
| Osceola, AR | 31° | 91° | 53" | 1.8" |
| Little River, SC | 36° | 89° | 53" | 0.5" |
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 Martin averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
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 Martin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Martin’s place among Georgia’s.
Martin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Martin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Carnesville, GA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 33° | 4.7" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 48° |
| February | 57° | 35° | 4.6" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 38° – 54° |
| March | 64° | 41° | 5.0" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 69° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 68° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| September | 83° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 51° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 55° | 35° | 4.9" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 36° – 54° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 51.7" | 0.9" | 90 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Martin’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 Martin’s center.
- Snow: Carnesville, GA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Toccoa, GA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft higher; 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 Martin’s climate
What is the weather like in Martin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Martin in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 51 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Martin get?
About 0.9 inches in a normal winter at Carnesville, GA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Martin?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 46 days a year reach 90° (Toccoa, GA).
When is the first and last frost in Martin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 23 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 233 frost-free days, at Toccoa, GA.
What growing zone is Martin 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 Martin?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Martin 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 Martin.
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.