Photo: Rivers Langley; SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Chelsea tops that of 95% of U.S. towns: 57 inches a year
Expect July afternoons of about 91°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 81% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.8° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 19, with the first autumn frost due around November 8.
A year in Chelsea at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chelsea’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chelsea’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Chelsea feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 236 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 19 and the first by November 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Helena, AL, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chelsea’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 14°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Birmingham Airport, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 57 inches a year; March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chelsea
54% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Helena, AL.
Living with Chelsea’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
236 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 2.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chelsea from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chelsea and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Chelsea in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Chelsea’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea, AL | 33° | 91° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Southaven, MS | 32° | 91° | 56" | 1.4" |
| Collierville, TN | 32° | 91° | 56" | 2.1" |
| West Memphis, AR | 33° | 91° | 55" | 1.7" |
| Leland, NC | 34° | 90° | 57" | 0.9" |
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 Chelsea averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Chelsea compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chelsea’s place among Alabama’s.
Chelsea weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chelsea’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Birmingham Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 33° | 5.3" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 36° – 51° |
| February | 60° | 36° | 5.5" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 40° – 56° |
| March | 67° | 43° | 5.5" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| April | 75° | 49° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| June | 88° | 66° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| July | 91° | 69° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 90° | 68° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 63° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 65° | 40° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 57° | 35° | 5.2" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 38° – 56° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 56.6" | 1.4" | 118 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Chelsea’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 Chelsea’s center.
- Snow: Birmingham Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Helena, AL, 15 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 Chelsea’s climate
What is the weather like in Chelsea?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chelsea in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 51 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Chelsea get?
About 1.4 inches in a normal winter at Birmingham Airport, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chelsea?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 69°. About 87 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Helena, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Chelsea?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 19 and the first fall frost by November 8, about 236 frost-free days, at Helena, AL.
What growing zone is Chelsea in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Chelsea?
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 Chelsea getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chelsea.
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.