FLORIDA · AUGUST · WES SKILES PEACOCK SPRINGS
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs sits in the Suwannee River country of North Florida. The state park carries the name of the underwater filmmaker who explored its caves, and most of what makes it famous lies below the surface. Peacock Spring, Orange Grove Sink and Olsen Sink open onto a flooded limestone system that pulls cave divers from across the country. Above the waterline, August brings the full weight of a North Florida summer.
The month comes down to the clock. Afternoons run near 90°F, mornings sit in the low 70s, and measurable rain falls on roughly one day in three. Get in the water early, spend the hot middle of the day under a roof, and keep the late afternoon free for storms.
THE MONTH AT A GLANCE · PEACOCK SPRINGS · AUGUST
Go in August if you dive or swim at dawn: afternoons average 89.9°F at the Cross City station, and rain lands on about one day in three.
AUGUST · NOAA 1991–2020 NORMALS · CROSS CITY STATION · EARLY STARTS
Go for: early dives and swims, more than 13 hours of daylight at mid-month, and a spring basin to drop into when the air nears 90°F.
Think twice before: planning long midday hikes or booking without flexibility: 11.5 wet days and hurricane season both fall on August.
Climate: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020, Cross City station · Daylight: sunrise-sunset.org · full sources at the end
On this page
- Weather at Peacock Springs in August89.9°F highs, 72.9°F lows, 11.5 wet days
- How hot the days and nights getA 17°F swing and what to wear for it
- Crowds and prices in AugustBooking, lodging tax and the one upgrade that helps
- Things to do in AugustPeacock Spring, Orange Grove Sink and Olsen Sink
- A two-day August itineraryTwo days around a 6:58 a.m. sunrise
- August vs July or SeptemberSeptember at 5.82 inches of rain against 8.10
- Is August a good time to go?Yes for early divers, with who should wait
Where to sleep near Luraville, which airport to fly into and what the trip costs stay the same from month to month, so our statewide guides carry them: where to stay in Florida, Florida flights and airports and what a Florida trip costs.
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs weather in August: average highs, lows and rain days
| August normal | Cross City station (NOAA, 1991–2020) |
|---|---|
| Average high | 89.9°F (32.2°C) |
| Average low | 72.9°F (22.7°C) |
| Precipitation | 8.10 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 11.5 |
| Daylight on August 15 | About 13 h 15 min |
| Sunrise and sunset, August 15 | 6:58 a.m. and 8:14 p.m. EDT |
NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information publishes the 1991–2020 normals we use, measured at the Cross City station (USW00012833): an average August high of 89.9°F, an average low of 72.9°F and 8.10 inches of rain. Those come from a physical thermometer at an official station, a firmer basis than a reanalysis grid cell. Cross City also serves Troy Spring on the same reach of the Suwannee, so every figure here describes the river valley around the park rather than the spring basin itself.
In an average August, 11.5 days record at least a tenth of an inch of rain, roughly one day in three. Florida’s wet season runs on afternoon thunderstorms, as our Florida overview explains, so most of those wet days still leave the morning usable. Plan outdoor time before lunch, and treat the first thunder as the signal to leave the water and the open trail.
Seventeen degrees separate the average low from the average high, and even the cool end sits at 72.9°F. A light rain shell, quick-dry clothes, a hat and more drinking water than seems reasonable cover the day. Divers should choose thermal protection by the water temperature, and we could not verify the spring’s reading, so ask a dive shop before you pick a wetsuit.
On August 15 the sun rises at 6:58 a.m. and sets at 8:14 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, about 13 hours 15 minutes of daylight by sunrise-sunset.org’s calculation. Evening light lasts past dinner, yet the best hours for the surface trails are the first three after sunrise, before the afternoon climbs toward 90°F.
How warm is Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in August?
The average high of 89.9°F and the average low of 72.9°F leave a 17-degree gap between dawn and midafternoon. Single days run past both averages. We found no water reading for the spring we could trust, so we quote no spring temperature. Where our coastal pages give a sea temperature, it is an average of daily maxima and runs a little warmer than a 24-hour mean, and we have no comparable figure for an inland spring.
A 72.9°F morning means shorts and a T-shirt with a damp edge to the air. By early afternoon, with the high near 90°F, shade and a place to refill bottles matter more than any layer. Sunscreen and a brimmed hat belong in the bag from the first hour.
Our Cross City source gives no count of nights below freezing for August, and with an average low of 72.9°F cold never enters the picture. The first real cooling in the normals arrives in September, when the average low slips to 69.8°F.
How busy is Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in August? Crowds and prices
We found no occupancy series or monthly room rates for the Suwannee valley, so we rank no month cheap or expensive. August does fall inside Florida’s wet season and the Atlantic hurricane season, both laid out in our Florida overview.
Without rate data we cannot say how many weeks ahead rooms tighten near the park. August does strengthen the case for a refundable booking: if a storm tracks toward North Florida, a flexible rate lets you move the trip at no loss. Our Florida safety guide explains how to follow storm watches before you drive.
We could not verify the Suwannee County lodging-tax rate, so we give no percentage. Check the final total, taxes included, on the booking screen before you confirm.
Pay extra for distance, if for anything. A room close to the park puts you in the water soon after the 6:58 a.m. sunrise, in the coolest hours of the day. Working air conditioning and space to rinse and dry dive gear come next on the list.
Things to do in Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in August
August gives divers more than 13 hours of daylight around mid-month. That is room for two dives with a long surface interval spent in the shade, a schedule the shorter days of winter squeeze.
Peacock Spring, Orange Grove Sink and Olsen Sink are among the entrances to the cave system inside the park. We could not verify the 2026 dive rules, entrance fee or opening hours, so confirm certification requirements and times with Florida State Parks before you load tanks. Troy Spring, on the same reach of the Suwannee and read by the same Cross City weather station, makes a second stop. Our Florida things-to-do guide covers the wider state.
A spring holds close to one temperature all year while the air moves with the seasons. In August, with afternoons averaging 89.9°F, the water feels cold against the air, and a swim or a dive turns into the relief from the heat. In winter the same basin feels mild against a cooler morning.
We could not verify an entrance fee or any free-entry day in August, so we promise nothing free. The Florida state park system posts its current fees online, and a quick check before the drive settles it.
Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in August: a two-day itinerary
Day one: reach the gate at opening, which we could not verify for 2026, and get the first dive or swim done while the air sits near its 72.9°F average low. Leave the water by late morning. From noon to midafternoon, with the high climbing toward 89.9°F, eat, rest and rinse gear indoors. Keep an eye on the sky from 2 p.m. and stay out of the water once thunder starts. After 5 p.m., fit a second dive or a walk around the basins, with light until the 8:14 p.m. sunset.
Day two: start early again, then drive to Troy Spring for a different basin on the same stretch of the Suwannee. If lightning settles in for the afternoon, give up on the water until it passes and use the hours for the drive onward. Our Florida road trip guide and getting around Florida help with the next leg.
Best time to visit Wes Skiles Peacock Springs: August vs July and September
| Cross City normal (1991–2020) | July | August | September |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 90.1°F | 89.9°F | 88.0°F |
| Average low | 72.5°F | 72.9°F | 69.8°F |
| Precipitation | 7.77 in | 8.10 in | 5.82 in |
| Days with 0.10 in or more | 11.6 | 11.5 | 7.6 |
July and August are near twins at Cross City: highs of 90.1°F and 89.9°F, lows of 72.5°F and 72.9°F, and 11.6 against 11.5 wet days. August is wetter by 0.33 inch, at 8.10 against 7.77. September breaks away, with the high at 88.0°F, the low at 69.8°F, rain down to 5.82 inches and wet days down to 7.6, almost four fewer than August. We have no spring temperature to compare across the three months.
Shifting four weeks later brings 2.28 fewer inches of rain, nights 3.1 degrees cooler and afternoons 1.9 degrees milder. September still sits inside hurricane season, which peaks around September 10 according to the NOAA dates in our Florida overview. A July trip, four weeks earlier, changes almost nothing on the thermometer and trims a third of an inch of rain. See the best time to visit Florida for the full year.
Is August a good time to visit Wes Skiles Peacock Springs?
Yes, for certified divers and for swimmers who like an early start: the water stands apart from the heat, and more than 13 hours of light leave room for two sessions. For hikers, for families planning long midday outings and for anyone who wilts near 90°F, August is a hard month.
Pick September if August is not for you. Its Cross City normals run 88.0°F by day and 69.8°F by night, with 7.6 wet days instead of 11.5. Our September guide has the details.
August is the month when a spring basin feels most welcome, with 89.9°F afternoons waiting above the water.
The last word
Book the room nearest the park you can find, set an alarm for the 6:58 a.m. sunrise, and keep your afternoons free for storms. They are rarely small: an average August at Cross City brings 2.4 days with an inch of rain or more, so pack dry bags for the car as well as the dive gear.
Sources & data for this guide
- August, July and September normals (highs, lows, precipitation, days at 0.10 in or more, days at 1 in or more) · NOAA NCEI monthly normals 1991–2020, Cross City station USW00012833, the station that also serves Troy Spring · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Daylight, sunrise and sunset on August 15 · sunrise-sunset.org, converted from UTC to Eastern Daylight Time · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Hurricane season dates and the September 10 peak · NOAA National Hurricane Center, via our Florida overview · checked Sep 24, 2026
- We could not verify the spring’s water temperature, the park’s 2026 entrance fee, hours or dive rules, or the Suwannee County lodging-tax rate · check Florida State Parks and your booking before you go
To plan your stay
- Best Time to Visit Wes Skiles Peacock Springs: Weather, Rain and the Quiet Months
- Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in July: Weather, Rain Days and How It Compares With June and August
- Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in September: Weather, Rain Days and Hurricane Season
- Wes Skiles Peacock Springs in June: Weather, Rain Days, Crowds and May vs July