Photo: Chris Pruitt · CC BY-SA 3.0Bay Minette sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 65 inches a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 40°. Precipitation peaks in July and eases off in October. In January, nights here are milder than in 89% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about February 28, with the first autumn frost due around November 25.
A year in Bay Minette at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bay Minette’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bay Minette’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Bay Minette feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 272 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 28 and the first by November 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bay Minette, AL, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bay Minette’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 65 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 113 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Bay Minette, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bay Minette
39% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
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 Minette, AL.
Living with Bay Minette’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
272 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 28 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October, November and December. 10 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bay Minette from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bay Minette and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bay Minette in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bay Minette’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 Minette, AL | 40° | 91° | 65" | 0.2" |
| Denham Springs, LA | 41° | 92° | 64" | 0.1" |
| McComb, MS | 38° | 92° | 62" | 0.2" |
| Vidor, TX | 42° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
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 Bay Minette averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Minette compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bay Minette’s place among Alabama’s.
Bay Minette weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bay Minette’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bay Minette, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 40° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| February | 66° | 44° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 64° |
| March | 72° | 49° | 5.2" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 68° |
| April | 78° | 55° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| May | 85° | 63° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 77° |
| June | 90° | 70° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| July | 91° | 72° | 7.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 72° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| September | 87° | 68° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| October | 80° | 57° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| November | 70° | 47° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| December | 64° | 42° | 5.4" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| Year | 78° | 56° | 65.4" | 0.2" | 113 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 45° to 64°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Bay Minette’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 Minette’s center.
- Snow: Bay Minette, AL (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bay Minette, AL, 0.7 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 Minette’s climate
What is the weather like in Bay Minette?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bay Minette in winter?
January nights average 40°. About 20 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Bay Minette get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Bay Minette, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Bay Minette?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 72°. About 61 days a year reach 90° (Bay Minette, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Bay Minette?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 28 and the first fall frost by November 25, about 272 frost-free days, at Bay Minette, AL.
What growing zone is Bay Minette in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bay Minette?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), 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 Minette getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bay Minette.
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.