Original analysis of NOAA, FEMA and Census data
Cape Coral heat and humidity data: what summer does to an air conditioner
Fort Myers Page Field now averages 145 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 100 nights that never cool below 75°F, based on 121 years of daily readings. Both are well above the 1991 to 2020 averages of 121 and 70. The air is wetter too: days with a dew point of 75°F or more have more than doubled since the late 1970s and 1980s.
Days per year at 90°F or hotter, Fort Myers Page Field
Nights per year when the low stayed at 75°F or warmer
What we found
- More 90 degree days. 113 a year in 1961 to 1990, 121 in 1991 to 2020, 145 in 2016 to 2025, and 152 a year so far in the 2020s (6 complete years).
- Warm nights nearly doubled. Nights with a low of 75°F or more went from 55 a year (1961 to 1990) to 100 (2016 to 2025). Nights at 78°F or more went from 11 to 25. In 2024 there were 47 in a row, ending August 28, 2024, the longest run in the record.
- Muggier air. Days with an average dew point of 75°F or more went from 22 a year in 1976 to 1990 to 49 in 2015 to 2024. Days at 70°F or more, already sticky, now number about 164 a year.
- A longer season. Over 2016 to 2025 the first 90°F day came around March 28 on average and the last around November 10, about 227 days apart. In 1991 to 2020 it was April 17 to October 25, 192 days.
- 2026 so far: 143 days at 90°F or more through October 24, 2026, against a 1991 to 2020 average of 119 by that date, and 115 nights at 75°F or warmer against 70. The high for the year was 98°F on June 8, 2026.
- Rain: June through September bring 67% of the station's average 57 inches a year (1991 to 2020), about 38.0 inches in four months.
- Storms: 69 tropical systems have tracked within 60 miles of central Cape Coral since 1859, 20 at hurricane strength and 8 as major hurricanes. 4 of those major hurricanes came after 2000. FEMA lists 19 hurricane and tropical storm major disaster declarations covering Lee County, 7 since 2017.
Days per year with an average dew point of 75°F or higher
Average daily high and low by month, Fort Myers Page Field
Average days at 90°F or hotter, by month
Average rainfall by month, inches
Hurricanes near Cape Coral since 1990
| Hurricane | Date nearest Cape Coral | Closest track point | Peak wind within 60 miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ian | September 28, 2022 | 17 miles | 155 mph, Category 4 |
| Irma | September 11, 2017 | 22 miles | 115 mph, Category 3 |
| Wilma | October 24, 2005 | 48 miles | 120 mph, Category 3 |
| Charley | August 13, 2004 | 16 miles | 150 mph, Category 4 |
NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 best tracks, six-hourly positions plus landfall points, measured from central Cape Coral. Hurricane Milton made landfall on Siesta Key in 2024, about 70 miles north, outside this radius.
FEMA major disaster declarations for Lee County: hurricanes and tropical storms
| Declaration | Incident began | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Milton | October 5, 2024 | DR-4834 |
| Hurricane Helene | September 23, 2024 | DR-4828 |
| Hurricane Debby | August 1, 2024 | DR-4806 |
| Hurricane Idalia | August 27, 2023 | DR-4734 |
| Hurricane Nicole | November 7, 2022 | DR-4680 |
| Hurricane Ian | September 23, 2022 | DR-4673 |
| Hurricane Irma | September 4, 2017 | DR-4337 |
| Tropical Storm Debby | June 23, 2012 | DR-4068 |
| Tropical Storm Fay | August 18, 2008 | DR-1785 |
| Hurricane Wilma | October 23, 2005 | DR-1609 |
| Hurricane Jeanne | September 24, 2004 | DR-1561 |
| Hurricane Ivan | September 13, 2004 | DR-1551 |
| Hurricane Frances | September 3, 2004 | DR-1545 |
| Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley | August 11, 2004 | DR-1539 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding Associated With Tropical Storm Gabrielle | September 13, 2001 | DR-1393 |
| Hurricane Opal | October 4, 1995 | DR-1069 |
| Tropical Storm Agnes | June 23, 1972 | DR-337 |
| Hurricane Gladys | November 7, 1968 | DR-252 |
| Hurricane Betsy | September 14, 1965 | DR-209 |
OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, Lee County, Florida. Emergency (EM) and fire declarations are not shown.
By decade
| Decade | Days at 90°F+ per year | Days at 95°F+ per year | Nights at 75°F+ per year | Nights at 80°F+ per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 73.9 | 1.0 | 10.3 | 0.1 |
| 1920s | 94.7 | 4.0 | 17.4 | 0.2 |
| 1930s | 76.7 | 3.2 | 44.9 | 0.7 |
| 1940s | 123.5 | 16.4 | 38.8 | 0.1 |
| 1950s | 115.8 | 7.0 | 22.3 | 0.1 |
| 1960s | 105.9 | 5.4 | 59.0 | 0.5 |
| 1970s | 102.9 | 6.8 | 48.9 | 0.2 |
| 1980s | 125.7 | 23.2 | 57.1 | 2.2 |
| 1990s | 127.3 | 23.0 | 63.0 | 1.0 |
| 2000s | 111.3 | 6.9 | 65.2 | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 125.0 | 15.3 | 78.9 | 1.9 |
| 2020 to 2025 | 152.2 | n/a | 107.0 | n/a |
Decades with fewer than 8 complete years are left out.
Homes by ZIP code
Housing age tells you how old the ductwork and the first systems are likely to be. Vacancy in Southwest Florida is mostly seasonal homes, which need humidity control while empty. Heating fuel shows how many homes rely on electric heat, where a heat pump is the usual system.
| ZIP | Area | Housing units | Median year built | Built before 1980 | Built 2000 or later | Vacant | Owner occupied | Electric heat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33908 | Fort Myers (south, Iona and McGregor) | 32,028 | 1997 | 11% | 45% | 39% | 72% | 93% |
| 34135 | Bonita Springs (inland) | 31,755 | 2002 | 9% | 56% | 33% | 82% | 92% |
| 33914 | Cape Coral (southwest) | 23,918 | 1999 | 8% | 49% | 24% | 79% | 95% |
| 33928 | Estero | 21,104 | 2004 | 6% | 68% | 30% | 87% | 90% |
| 33904 | Cape Coral (southeast) | 20,276 | 1982 | 46% | 17% | 25% | 77% | 95% |
| 33919 | Fort Myers (Whiskey Creek) | 19,606 | 1986 | 35% | 23% | 24% | 78% | 96% |
| 33917 | North Fort Myers (north) | 19,349 | 1986 | 34% | 23% | 22% | 84% | 94% |
| 33905 | Fort Myers (east, Tice) | 17,588 | 1990 | 34% | 41% | 14% | 63% | 93% |
| 33913 | Fort Myers (Gateway and the airport) | 17,338 | 2008 | 2% | 87% | 26% | 91% | 91% |
| 33950 | Punta Gorda | 17,077 | 1996 | 22% | 44% | 26% | 82% | 93% |
| 33990 | Cape Coral (central) | 15,872 | 1993 | 14% | 35% | 14% | 73% | 97% |
| 33903 | North Fort Myers (south) | 15,791 | 1984 | 39% | 19% | 26% | 82% | 95% |
| 33909 | Cape Coral (northeast) | 15,312 | 2004 | 7% | 70% | 8% | 70% | 94% |
| 34134 | Bonita Springs (coast) | 15,233 | 1995 | 13% | 30% | 43% | 82% | 94% |
| 33993 | Cape Coral (northwest) and Matlacha | 14,439 | 2006 | 4% | 85% | 17% | 87% | 92% |
| 33931 | Fort Myers Beach | 14,354 | 1984 | 36% | 15% | 69% | 89% | 94% |
| 33907 | Fort Myers (central) | 13,953 | 1985 | 34% | 17% | 20% | 47% | 94% |
| 33916 | Fort Myers (Dunbar) | 12,739 | 1997 | 28% | 47% | 16% | 34% | 95% |
| 33991 | Cape Coral (west) | 12,367 | 2005 | 6% | 65% | 16% | 79% | 94% |
| 33912 | Fort Myers (south, Six Mile Cypress) | 12,292 | 1999 | 8% | 47% | 28% | 87% | 95% |
| 33901 | Downtown Fort Myers | 11,930 | 1979 | 53% | 22% | 19% | 47% | 95% |
| 33967 | Three Oaks and San Carlos Park | 11,906 | 1994 | 13% | 38% | 13% | 71% | 89% |
| 33936 | Lehigh Acres (west) | 10,913 | 1979 | 53% | 21% | 7% | 72% | 95% |
| 33983 | Punta Gorda (Harbour Heights) | 9,288 | 1996 | 8% | 43% | 14% | 80% | 96% |
| 33971 | Lehigh Acres (central) | 8,958 | 2005 | 1% | 79% | 6% | 78% | 93% |
| 33957 | Sanibel | 8,564 | 1983 | 38% | 13% | 63% | 90% | 93% |
| 33980 | Port Charlotte (south) | 8,107 | 1992 | 21% | 38% | 26% | 76% | 96% |
| 33966 | Fort Myers (Daniels Parkway) | 7,934 | 2005 | 3% | 68% | 25% | 58% | 91% |
| 33982 | Punta Gorda (east) | 6,890 | 2000 | 21% | 51% | 20% | 89% | 86% |
| 33976 | Lehigh Acres (east) | 5,824 | 2005 | 4% | 80% | 5% | 72% | 96% |
| 33972 | Lehigh Acres (north) | 5,812 | 2003 | 8% | 66% | 12% | 80% | 95% |
| 33974 | Lehigh Acres (southeast) | 5,784 | 2005 | 4% | 84% | 6% | 73% | 95% |
| 33973 | Lehigh Acres (south) | 4,314 | 2004 | 2% | 77% | 8% | 23% | 95% |
| 33956 | St. James City (Pine Island south) | 3,592 | 1986 | 33% | 24% | 54% | 91% | 94% |
| 33922 | Bokeelia (Pine Island north) | 3,005 | 1989 | 23% | 33% | 42% | 84% | 97% |
Area names are our shorthand for the main neighborhood or town in each ZIP. Census ACS 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates (tables B25034, B25035, B25003, B25040). Click a column to sort.
How we built this
Temperature and rain. NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network daily summaries for Fort Myers Page Field (station USW00012835), January 1, 1892 to October 24, 2026. A year counts only if it has a high and low on at least 355 days, which leaves 121 complete years. "Normal" here means the average of 1991 to 2020; "recent" means 2016 to 2025. These are our own counts, not NOAA's official normals. Page Field is about 8 miles east of central Cape Coral, across the Caloosahatchee.
Dew point. NOAA NCEI Global Summary of the Day for the same airport (72210612835), daily mean dew point, 1976 to 2024, years with at least 340 days of readings (49 years).
Storms. NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 best-track data, 1851 to 2025. A storm counts if any track point falls within 60 statute miles of 26.56 N, 81.95 W; strength is the peak wind at those points. Disaster declarations come from OpenFEMA.
Homes. US Census American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates by ZIP Code Tabulation Area, via Census Reporter.
Limits. One airport station doesn't describe every neighborhood. Waterfront homes and the barrier islands can run a little cooler by day and wetter overall. Use this to understand the area, not to diagnose your system.
Using this data. Journalists and inspectors are welcome to cite or republish these charts and tables with a link to this page (CC BY 4.0).