Photo: Rivers Langley; SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Anniston tops that of 94% of U.S. towns: 56 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 89° on average. March is the wettest month, October the driest. In January, nights here are milder than in 76% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from December to February, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Anniston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Anniston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Anniston’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Anniston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 231 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 23 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Anniston Metro Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Anniston’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 56 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 116 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Jacksonville, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Anniston
57% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Anniston Metro Airport.
Living with Anniston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
231 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 23 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 90 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Anniston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Anniston and its neighbors
Oxford the hottest July afternoons (90°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Anniston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anniston, AL | 33° | 89° | 56" | 0.1" |
| Half Moon, NC | 33° | 89° | 57" | 0.6" |
| Hernando, MS | 32° | 91° | 56" | 0.3" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Little River, SC | 36° | 89° | 53" | 0.5" |
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 Anniston averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Anniston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Anniston’s place among Alabama’s.
Anniston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Anniston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jacksonville, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 33° | 5.4" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 35° – 51° |
| February | 58° | 36° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 38° – 56° |
| March | 66° | 42° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 62° |
| April | 74° | 48° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| May | 81° | 57° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 69° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| September | 84° | 62° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| October | 75° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 40° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 35° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 37° – 57° |
| Year | 73° | 50° | 55.5" | 0.1" | 116 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 57°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Anniston’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 Anniston’s center.
- Snow: Jacksonville, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Anniston Metro Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft lower; 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 Anniston’s climate
What is the weather like in Anniston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Anniston in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Anniston get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Jacksonville, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Anniston?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 60 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Anniston Metro Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Anniston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 23 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 231 frost-free days, at Anniston Metro Airport.
What growing zone is Anniston in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Anniston?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Anniston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Anniston.
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.