Photo: Billy Hathorn. Original uploader was Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Bay City has milder winter nights than 94% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 92°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 89% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.4° higher. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from October to April, with highs of 64–83°.
A year in Bay City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bay City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bay City’s place in Texas beside it.
What a year in Bay City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 290 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 20 and the first by December 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bay City Wtr Wks, TX, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bay City’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 26°. 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
September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 87 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.9" in a normal year at Danevang 1 W, TX, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bay City
33% 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 Bay City Wtr Wks, TX.
Living with Bay City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
290 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Feb 20 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, October, November and December. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bay City from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bay City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bay City yet.
Climates most like Bay City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay City, TX | 45° | 92° | 47" | 0.9" |
| St. Simons, GA | 43° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Orange Park, FL | 44° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Port Royal, SC | 41° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Eufaula, AL | 37° | 92° | 52" | 0.5" |
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 Bay City averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Bay City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bay City’s place among Texas’.
Bay City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bay City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Danevang 1 W, TX. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64° | 45° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| February | 68° | 49° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 65° |
| March | 74° | 55° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| April | 79° | 60° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| May | 86° | 68° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| June | 90° | 73° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 79° – 85° |
| July | 92° | 75° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 80° – 87° |
| August | 94° | 74° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 81° – 88° |
| September | 90° | 71° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| October | 83° | 61° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| November | 74° | 53° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| December | 67° | 47° | 3.3" | 0.9" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| Year | 80° | 61° | 46.5" | 0.9" | 87 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 50° to 65°. June is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Bay City’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 Bay City’s center.
- Snow: Danevang 1 W, TX.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bay City Wtr Wks, TX, 0.9 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 Bay City’s climate
What is the weather like in Bay City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bay City in winter?
January nights average 45°. About 7 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 48°.
How much snow does Bay City get?
About 0.9 inches in a normal winter at Danevang 1 W, TX, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Bay City?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 75°. About 88 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Bay City Wtr Wks, TX).
When is the first and last frost in Bay City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 20 and the first fall frost by December 3, about 290 frost-free days, at Bay City Wtr Wks, TX.
What growing zone is Bay City in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bay City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bay City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bay City.
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.