Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Berlin: 58 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 89°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 74% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.9° more than in 1901–2000, led by February. Garden planting can start around March 31; autumn frost returns near November 1.
A year in Berlin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Berlin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Berlin’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Berlin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 215 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saint Bernard, AL, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Berlin’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 58 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 121 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.6" in a normal year at Cullman Nahs, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Berlin
63% 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 Saint Bernard, AL.
Living with Berlin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
215 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Berlin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Berlin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Berlin yet.
Climates most like Berlin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin, AL | 31° | 89° | 58" | 0.6" |
| Oxford, MS | 32° | 90° | 59" | 1.2" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Half Moon, NC | 33° | 89° | 57" | 0.6" |
| Kingston, TN | 29° | 88° | 57" | 1.8" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Berlin averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 87% 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 Berlin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Berlin’s place among Alabama’s.
Berlin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Berlin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cullman Nahs, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 31° | 5.7" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 33° – 48° |
| February | 56° | 34° | 5.3" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 36° – 53° |
| March | 65° | 41° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 63° |
| April | 73° | 48° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 80° | 57° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 89° | 67° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| September | 84° | 61° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| October | 74° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 39° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| December | 54° | 34° | 5.9" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 34° – 54° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 58.3" | 0.6" | 121 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Berlin’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 Berlin’s center.
- Snow: Cullman Nahs, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saint Bernard, AL, 4 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 Berlin’s climate
What is the weather like in Berlin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 31°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Berlin in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 73 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Berlin get?
About 0.6 inches in a normal winter at Cullman Nahs, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Berlin?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 60 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Saint Bernard, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Berlin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 215 frost-free days, at Saint Bernard, AL.
What growing zone is Berlin in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Berlin?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Berlin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Berlin.
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.