Photo: Jud McCranie · CC BY-SA 4.0July in Portal runs hotter than in 88% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 37°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 85% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.0° rise. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 14 to November 15.
A year in Portal at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Portal’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Portal’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Portal feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 248 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 14 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rocky Ford 4se, GA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Portal’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 47 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and November the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Portal
52% 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 Rocky Ford 4se, GA.
Living with Portal’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
248 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 14 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Portal from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (30%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Portal and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Portal 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 Portal averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Portal compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Portal’s place among Georgia’s.
Portal weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Portal’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 37° | 4.0" | 43° – 55° |
| February | 64° | 40° | 3.8" | 44° – 60° |
| March | 71° | 46° | 3.9" | 51° – 65° |
| April | 78° | 52° | 3.2" | 60° – 71° |
| May | 85° | 60° | 3.2" | 69° – 78° |
| June | 90° | 68° | 5.2" | 75° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 5.5" | 79° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 5.1" | 78° – 83° |
| September | 86° | 65° | 3.7" | 73° – 81° |
| October | 78° | 55° | 2.9" | 62° – 71° |
| November | 69° | 44° | 2.8" | 52° – 63° |
| December | 62° | 39° | 3.7" | 42° – 61° |
| Year | 77° | 54° | 47.0" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 61°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Portal’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 Portal’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rocky Ford 4se, GA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Portal’s climate
What is the weather like in Portal?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 37°. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Portal in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 44 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 Portal?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 74 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Rocky Ford 4se, GA).
When is the first and last frost in Portal?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 14 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 248 frost-free days, at Rocky Ford 4se, GA.
What growing zone is Portal in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Portal?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Portal getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Portal.
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.