Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0Midwinter lows in St. Simons stay above those of 92% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 91°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 48°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 84% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about February 9, with the first autumn frost due around December 26.
A year in St. Simons at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about St. Simons’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with St. Simons’ place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in St. Simons 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, 2.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts St. Simons’ center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 St. Simons
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 St. Simons’ 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. 16 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in St. Simons from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →St. Simons and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around St. Simons yet.
Climates most like St. Simons’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Simons, GA | 43° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Lake Jackson, TX | 45° | 92° | 50" | 0.0" |
| Wildwood, FL | 46° | 92° | 50" | 0.0" |
| Moncks Corner, SC | 37° | 93° | 50" | 0.0" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
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 St. Simons averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 St. Simons compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with St. Simons’ place among Georgia’s.
St. Simons weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at St. Simons’ 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° | 43° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| February | 65° | 46° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 64° |
| March | 71° | 52° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| April | 77° | 58° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| May | 84° | 67° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| June | 89° | 72° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| July | 91° | 75° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 81° – 86° |
| August | 90° | 75° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 81° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 72° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| October | 79° | 63° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| November | 71° | 52° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| December | 64° | 47° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 65° |
| Year | 77° | 60° | 48.5" | 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 St. Simons’ 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 St. Simons’ center.
- Snow: Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Airport (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Brunswick Malcolm Mckinnon Airport, 2.0 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 St. Simons’ climate
What is the weather like in St. Simons?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in St. Simons in winter?
January nights average 43°. 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 St. Simons 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 St. Simons?
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 St. Simons?
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 St. Simons in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit St. Simons?
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 St. Simons getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in St. Simons.
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.