Precipitation in Epes tops that of 93% of U.S. towns: 54 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 92°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 57°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 86% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 19, with the first autumn frost due around November 8.
A year in Epes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Epes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Epes’ place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Epes 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 19 and the first by November 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gainesville Lock, AL, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Epes’ center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 54 inches of rain a year
February is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 106 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Gainesville Lock, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Epes
55% 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 Gainesville Lock, AL.
Living with Epes’ 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 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. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Epes from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Epes and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Epes yet.
Climates most like Epes’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epes, AL | 35° | 92° | 54" | 0.0" |
| Greenville, MS | 35° | 92° | 56" | 0.4" |
| Bastrop, LA | 35° | 93° | 57" | 0.0" |
| Monticello, AR | 34° | 92° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Blakely, GA | 38° | 92° | 53" | 0.1" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
About as warm as it used to be
The last 30 years in Epes averaged 0.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+0.9°).
A smaller shift than in all but 27 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 Epes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Epes’ place among Alabama’s.
Epes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Epes’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gainesville Lock, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 35° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 38° – 53° |
| February | 61° | 38° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 58° |
| March | 69° | 45° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 66° |
| April | 76° | 51° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| May | 84° | 60° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| June | 89° | 68° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 85° |
| September | 87° | 65° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| October | 78° | 53° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| November | 67° | 42° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| December | 59° | 37° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| Year | 76° | 53° | 54.3" | 0.0" | 106 | 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 Epes’ 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 Epes’ center.
- Snow: Gainesville Lock, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gainesville Lock, AL, 10 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 Epes’ climate
What is the weather like in Epes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Epes in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 54 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Epes get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Gainesville Lock, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Epes?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 75 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Gainesville Lock, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Epes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 19 and the first fall frost by November 8, about 239 frost-free days, at Gainesville Lock, AL.
What growing zone is Epes in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Epes?
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 Epes getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 27 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Epes.
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.