Photo: Nyttend · Public domainThe climate in Galveston sits close to the middle of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 84°. Its January nights bite harder than in 68% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.9° higher. Plan time outside from May to October, when highs sit at 64–84°.
A year in Galveston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Galveston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Galveston’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Galveston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kokomo 3 Wsw, IN, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Galveston’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 23 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Kokomo 5 Wsw, IN, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 109 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Galveston
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Kokomo 3 Wsw, IN.
Living with Galveston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Galveston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Galveston and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Galveston yet.
Climates most like Galveston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galveston, IN | 18° | 84° | 41" | 23" |
| Bucyrus, OH | 18° | 83° | 40" | 23" |
| Ellwood City, PA | 20° | 84° | 42" | 28" |
| Kinderhook, NY | 16° | 84° | 42" | 31" |
| Galesburg, IL | 15° | 84° | 39" | 26" |
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 Galveston averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Galveston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Galveston’s place among Indiana’s.
Galveston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Galveston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kokomo 5 Wsw, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 18° | 2.6" | 7.5" | 9 | 16° – 38° |
| February | 37° | 22° | 2.1" | 5.9" | 9 | 17° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 30° | 2.9" | 3.3" | 9 | 31° – 54° |
| April | 62° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.4" | 10 | 43° – 56° |
| May | 73° | 50° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 55° – 69° |
| June | 81° | 60° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 65° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 66° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 53° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 60° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 43° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 3.1" | 0.7" | 8 | 34° – 49° |
| December | 38° | 24° | 2.6" | 5.4" | 10 | 17° – 41° |
| Year | 61° | 41° | 41.3" | 23.2" | 109 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Galveston’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 Galveston’s center.
- Snow: Kokomo 5 Wsw, IN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kokomo 3 Wsw, IN, 8 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 Galveston’s climate
What is the weather like in Galveston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 23 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Galveston in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 131 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Galveston get?
About 23 inches in a normal winter at Kokomo 5 Wsw, IN, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Galveston?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Kokomo 3 Wsw, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Galveston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 174 frost-free days, at Kokomo 3 Wsw, IN.
What growing zone is Galveston in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Galveston?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Galveston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Galveston.
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.