Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture · CC BY-SA 4.0Wet weather: 55 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Decatur, more than in 93% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 31°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 59°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 77% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from December to February, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Decatur at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Decatur’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Decatur’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Decatur feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 228 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Decatur 4se, AL, 3 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Decatur’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 Belle Mina 2 N, AL, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 55 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Decatur
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 Decatur 4se, AL.
Living with Decatur’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
228 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 26 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October. 28 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Decatur from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Decatur and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Decatur in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Decatur’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur, AL | 31° | 90° | 55" | 1.1" |
| Oakland, TN | 31° | 90° | 56" | 1.9" |
| Kinston, NC | 33° | 90° | 53" | 0.7" |
| Osceola, AR | 31° | 91° | 53" | 1.8" |
| Seneca, SC | 32° | 89° | 54" | 2.2" |
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 Decatur averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Decatur compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Decatur’s place among Alabama’s.
Decatur weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Decatur’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Belle Mina 2 N, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 31° | 5.1" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 33° – 49° |
| February | 56° | 34° | 5.1" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 35° – 53° |
| March | 64° | 41° | 5.2" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 49° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 80° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| August | 90° | 68° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 85° |
| September | 85° | 61° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| October | 74° | 49° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 39° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 54° | 34° | 5.7" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 34° – 54° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 54.8" | 1.1" | 122 | 1 |
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 Decatur’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 Decatur’s center.
- Snow: Belle Mina 2 N, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Decatur 4se, AL, 3 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Decatur’s climate
What is the weather like in Decatur?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Decatur in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Decatur get?
About 1.1 inches in a normal winter at Belle Mina 2 N, AL, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Decatur?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 41 days a year reach 90° (Decatur 4se, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Decatur?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 228 frost-free days, at Decatur 4se, AL.
What growing zone is Decatur in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Decatur?
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 Decatur getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Decatur.
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.