Alabama Great Southern Railroad Passenger Depot · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Fort Payne is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 60 inches of precipitation a year
January mornings start at about 31°. Precipitation peaks in December and eases off in August. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 74% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from December to February, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Fort Payne at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fort Payne’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Payne’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Fort Payne feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 225 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Payne, AL, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Payne’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Valley Head, AL, is heaviest from February through March, about 1 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 60 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 125 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Payne
60% 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 Ft Payne, AL.
Living with Fort Payne’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
225 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 29 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: April, May, June, September and October. 17 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Payne from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fort Payne and its neighbors
Pine Ridge the hottest July afternoons (88°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fort Payne’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Payne, AL | 31° | 86° | 60" | 5.0" |
| Travelers Rest, SC | 32° | 88° | 60" | 1.9" |
| Marion, NC | 28° | 88° | 58" | 7.1" |
| La Follette, TN | 27° | 86° | 54" | 3.1" |
| London, KY | 25° | 86° | 53" | 5.7" |
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 Fort Payne averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Fort Payne compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Payne’s place among Alabama’s.
Fort Payne weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Payne’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Valley Head, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 31° | 5.7" | 1.0" | 12 | 1 | 33° – 47° |
| February | 54° | 34° | 5.4" | 1.3" | 12 | 1 | 35° – 53° |
| March | 62° | 41° | 5.7" | 1.4" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 61° |
| April | 70° | 48° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| May | 77° | 57° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| July | 86° | 67° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| August | 86° | 66° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| October | 71° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| November | 60° | 40° | 4.7" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 52° | 34° | 6.1" | 1.0" | 11 | 0 | 34° – 53° |
| Year | 69° | 49° | 60.0" | 5.0" | 125 | 2 |
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 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Fort Payne’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 Fort Payne’s center.
- Snow: Valley Head, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Payne, AL, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Fort Payne’s climate
What is the weather like in Fort Payne?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fort Payne in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 57 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Fort Payne get?
About 5.0 inches in a normal winter at Valley Head, AL, heaviest from February through March, about 1 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fort Payne?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 67°. About 60 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Ft Payne, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Fort Payne?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 8, about 225 frost-free days, at Ft Payne, AL.
What growing zone is Fort Payne in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fort Payne?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fort Payne getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fort Payne.
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.