Wet weather: 56 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Cottondale, more than in 94% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 91°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 84% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.4° higher. The outdoor season runs from March to May and October to November, with highs of 66–83°.
A year in Cottondale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cottondale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cottondale’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Cottondale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 239 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 18 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Northport 2 S, AL, 8 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cottondale’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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
February is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 107 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.3" in a normal year at Holt L&d, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Cottondale
52% 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 Northport 2 S, AL.
Living with Cottondale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
239 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 18 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cottondale from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cottondale and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Cottondale in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Cottondale’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottondale, AL | 34° | 91° | 56" | 0.3" |
| Greenwood, MS | 35° | 92° | 55" | 0.5" |
| Monticello, AR | 34° | 92° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Grambling, LA | 35° | 93° | 57" | 0.4" |
| 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 Cottondale averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in all but 106 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 Cottondale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cottondale’s place among Alabama’s.
Cottondale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cottondale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Holt L&d, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 34° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 37° – 52° |
| February | 60° | 38° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 57° |
| March | 68° | 44° | 5.1" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 65° |
| April | 76° | 51° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| May | 83° | 60° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| June | 89° | 68° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| July | 91° | 71° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 86° |
| September | 86° | 64° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| October | 77° | 52° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| November | 66° | 42° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 37° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| Year | 75° | 52° | 55.6" | 0.3" | 107 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Cottondale’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 Cottondale’s center.
- Snow: Holt L&d, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Northport 2 S, AL, 8 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Cottondale’s climate
What is the weather like in Cottondale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cottondale in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 47 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Cottondale get?
About 0.3 inches in a normal winter at Holt L&d, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Cottondale?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 71°. About 89 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Northport 2 S, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Cottondale?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 18 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 239 frost-free days, at Northport 2 S, AL.
What growing zone is Cottondale in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cottondale?
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 Cottondale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 106 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cottondale.
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.