Photo: Jennifer Smits · Public domainPass Christian’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Pass Christian at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pass Christian’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pass Christian’s place in Mississippi beside it.
What a year in Pass Christian feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 300 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 18 and the first by December 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pass Christian’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 65 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 111 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Pass Christian
35% 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 Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS.
Living with Pass Christian’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
300 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 18 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October, November and December. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pass Christian from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pass Christian and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Pass Christian in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Pass Christian’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Christian, MS | 42° | 90° | 65" | 0.2" |
| Destin, FL | 43° | 90° | 64" | 0.0" |
| New Iberia, LA | 43° | 91° | 62" | 0.0" |
| Orange, TX | 42° | 91° | 62" | 0.0" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
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 Pass Christian averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.2°).
A smaller shift than in 89% 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 Pass Christian compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pass Christian’s place among Mississippi’s.
Pass Christian weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pass Christian’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 42° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| February | 64° | 46° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 63° |
| March | 70° | 52° | 5.4" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 69° |
| April | 76° | 58° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| May | 83° | 66° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 77° |
| June | 88° | 72° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| July | 90° | 74° | 7.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| August | 90° | 74° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 79° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 70° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 81° |
| October | 79° | 60° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| November | 69° | 49° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| December | 62° | 44° | 5.0" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| Year | 76° | 59° | 65.2" | 0.2" | 111 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 46° to 63°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Pass Christian’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 Pass Christian’s center.
- Snow: Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS, 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 Pass Christian’s climate
What is the weather like in Pass Christian?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 42°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pass Christian in winter?
January nights average 42°. About 13 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Pass Christian get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Pass Christian?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 74°. About 44 days a year reach 90° (Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS).
When is the first and last frost in Pass Christian?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 18 and the first fall frost by December 14, about 300 frost-free days, at Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS.
What growing zone is Pass Christian in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pass Christian?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), 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 Pass Christian getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pass Christian.
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.