Gainesville climate
Gainesville (Florida, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 21 °C69 °F, and about 1,316 mm52 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Gainesville climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1864 | 643 | 1254 | 742.9 | 4 |
| Feb | 2069 | 847 | 1458 | 773.0 | 2 |
| Mar | 2474 | 1151 | 1763 | 833.3 | 0 |
| Apr | 2882 | 1558 | 2170 | 662.6 | 0 |
| May | 3188 | 1965 | 2577 | 853.4 | 0 |
| Jun | 3289 | 2272 | 2780 | 1947.7 | 0 |
| Jul | 3189 | 2373 | 2781 | 1927.6 | 0 |
| Aug | 3188 | 2373 | 2781 | 2088.2 | 0 |
| Sep | 3085 | 2170 | 2578 | 1465.7 | 0 |
| Oct | 2781 | 1662 | 2271 | 622.4 | 0 |
| Nov | 2373 | 1152 | 1763 | 522.1 | 0 |
| Dec | 2068 | 847 | 1457 | 763.0 | 1 |
| Year | 3289 | 643 | 2169 | 1,31652 | 8 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79% | 50% | 3.3 | 10:26 |
| Feb | 79% | 51% | 4.0 | 11:06 |
| Mar | 75% | 45% | 5.1 | 11:55 |
| Apr | 71% | 43% | 6.1 | 12:51 |
| May | 68% | 41% | 6.6 | 13:38 |
| Jun | 77% | 56% | 6.0 | 14:02 |
| Jul | 80% | 60% | 5.7 | 13:52 |
| Aug | 83% | 58% | 5.4 | 13:12 |
| Sep | 83% | 52% | 5.0 | 12:18 |
| Oct | 80% | 43% | 4.4 | 11:24 |
| Nov | 79% | 42% | 3.6 | 10:37 |
| Dec | 81% | 51% | 3.0 | 10:15 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Gainesville is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 31 °C89 °F and a low of 23 °C73 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 18 °C64 °F and lows 6 °C43 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 15.2 °C27.4 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,316 mm52 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 45% of the annual total. The wettest month is August (208 mm8.2 in), the driest is November (52 mm2.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 68% in May to 83% in September. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 41%) are typical of May. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 3 km/h (2 mph) in July to 4 km/h (3 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 10.2 hours in December to 14.0 hours in June.
Best time to visit Gainesville
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are February–April and October–December: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 52 mm2.1 in to 83 mm3.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is August, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C88 °F, very wet (208 mm8.2 in) and humid (83% relative humidity).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Gainesville
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1864 to 20 °C69 °F, lows 643 to 8 °C47 °F, about 76 mm3.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2474 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 1151 to 19 °C65 °F, about 78 mm3.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3188 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 2272 to 23 °C73 °F, about 198 mm7.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2373 to 30 °C85 °F, lows 1152 to 21 °C70 °F, about 87 mm3.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Gainesville compares
Compared with Jacksonville, about 99 km to the northeast, Gainesville has practically the same average temperature and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in February (0.7 °C1.3 °F warmer).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Gainesville is the 23rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 30th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Putian (China, Cfa), Quanzhou (China, Cfa) and Longyan (China, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Jacksonville 99 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,285 mm51 in
- Daytona Beach 135 km · 22 °C72 °F · 1,310 mm52 in
- Orlando 154 km · 22 °C72 °F · 1,301 mm51 in
- Lakeland 183 km · 22 °C72 °F · 1,267 mm50 in
- Tampa 190 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,440 mm57 in
- Tallahassee 208 km · 20 °C67 °F · 1,350 mm53 in
- Palm Bay 247 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,377 mm54 in
- Savannah 295 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,152 mm45 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Gainesville?
July is the warmest month in Gainesville, with an average high of 31 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (73 °F).
What is the coldest month in Gainesville?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 18 °C (64 °F) and an average low of 6 °C (43 °F).
When does it rain the most in Gainesville?
August is the wettest month with about 208 mm (8.2 in) of precipitation; November is the driest with about 52 mm (2.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Gainesville?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are February–April and October–December.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.