Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Bristow Cove: 57 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 89°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 75% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.8° rise. The heating season runs December to February: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Bristow Cove at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bristow Cove’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bristow Cove’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Bristow Cove feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 240 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 19 and the first by November 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gadsden, AL, 16 miles from the town’s center, 370 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bristow Cove’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 57 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 108 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.9" in a normal year at Boaz, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bristow Cove
58% 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 Gadsden, AL.
Living with Bristow Cove’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
240 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 19 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bristow Cove from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bristow Cove and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bristow Cove yet.
Climates most like Bristow Cove’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristow Cove, AL | 32° | 89° | 57" | 0.9" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Piney Green, NC | 34° | 89° | 57" | 0.6" |
| Berea, SC | 32° | 89° | 56" | 1.9" |
| Ripley, MS | 31° | 90° | 58" | 1.6" |
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 Bristow Cove averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 89% 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 Bristow Cove compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bristow Cove’s place among Alabama’s.
Bristow Cove weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bristow Cove’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Boaz, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 32° | 5.3" | 0.5" | 10 | 0 | 34° – 49° |
| February | 56° | 35° | 5.3" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 54° |
| March | 64° | 42° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 63° |
| April | 73° | 49° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 80° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 69° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 81° |
| August | 88° | 68° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| September | 84° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| October | 74° | 51° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 35° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 36° – 55° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 57.0" | 0.9" | 108 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Bristow Cove’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 Bristow Cove’s center.
- Snow: Boaz, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gadsden, AL, 16 miles from the town’s center, 370 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 Bristow Cove’s climate
What is the weather like in Bristow Cove?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 32°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bristow Cove in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 53 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Bristow Cove get?
About 0.9 inches in a normal winter at Boaz, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Bristow Cove?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 66 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Gadsden, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Bristow Cove?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 19 and the first fall frost by November 13, about 240 frost-free days, at Gadsden, AL.
What growing zone is Bristow Cove in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bristow Cove?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bristow Cove getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bristow Cove.
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.