Nights stay kind in Thunderbolt each January, milder than in 88% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 92°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 87% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from February to April and October to December, with highs of 64–79°.
A year in Thunderbolt at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Thunderbolt’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Thunderbolt’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Thunderbolt feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 270 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 2 and the first by November 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Savannah International Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Thunderbolt’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 48 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 108 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Savannah International Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Thunderbolt
39% 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 Savannah International Airport.
Living with Thunderbolt’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
270 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 2 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October, November and December. 1.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Thunderbolt from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Thunderbolt and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Thunderbolt in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Thunderbolt’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt, GA | 40° | 92° | 48" | 0.0" |
| Rusk, TX | 38° | 93° | 49" | 0.1" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Lake City, FL | 41° | 92° | 53" | 0.0" |
| Darlington, SC | 34° | 92° | 47" | 0.0" |
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 Thunderbolt averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Thunderbolt compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Thunderbolt’s place among Georgia’s.
Thunderbolt weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Thunderbolt’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Savannah International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 40° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| February | 65° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 63° |
| March | 71° | 48° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| April | 78° | 55° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| May | 84° | 63° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| June | 89° | 70° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 73° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 81° – 86° |
| August | 90° | 73° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| September | 86° | 69° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| October | 79° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| November | 70° | 48° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| December | 64° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 64° |
| Year | 78° | 57° | 48.0" | 0.0" | 108 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 64°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Thunderbolt’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 Thunderbolt’s center.
- Snow: Savannah International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Savannah International Airport, 11 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 Thunderbolt’s climate
What is the weather like in Thunderbolt?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Thunderbolt in winter?
January nights average 40°. About 21 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Thunderbolt get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Savannah International Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Thunderbolt?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 73°. About 81 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Savannah International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Thunderbolt?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 2 and the first fall frost by November 30, about 270 frost-free days, at Savannah International Airport.
What growing zone is Thunderbolt 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 Thunderbolt?
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 Thunderbolt getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Thunderbolt.
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.