Fulton is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 58 inches of precipitation a year
Nights in January average 37°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 54°. In January, nights here are milder than in 84% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from December to January, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Fulton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fulton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fulton’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Fulton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 257 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 10 and the first by November 21. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Thomasville 2 S, AL, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Thomasville, AL, 9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fulton’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 58 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 110 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Thomasville, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Fulton
46% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Thomasville, AL.
Living with Fulton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
257 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 10 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fulton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fulton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fulton yet.
Climates most like Fulton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton, AL | 37° | 91° | 58" | 0.1" |
| Yazoo City, MS | 37° | 92° | 56" | 0.1" |
| Tallulah, LA | 37° | 92° | 57" | 0.3" |
| Jasper, TX | 39° | 93° | 57" | 0.1" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Fulton averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 Fulton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fulton’s place among Alabama’s.
Fulton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fulton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Thomasville, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 37° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 41° – 55° |
| February | 63° | 40° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 61° |
| March | 71° | 46° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| April | 77° | 52° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| May | 84° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 75° |
| June | 89° | 68° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| July | 91° | 71° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| September | 87° | 65° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| October | 78° | 54° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| November | 68° | 43° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| December | 61° | 39° | 5.6" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| Year | 76° | 54° | 57.6" | 0.1" | 110 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 61°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Fulton’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 Fulton’s center.
- Snow: Thomasville, AL.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Thomasville, AL, 9 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Thomasville 2 S, AL, 6 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 Fulton’s climate
What is the weather like in Fulton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fulton in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 47 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Fulton get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Thomasville, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Fulton?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 71°. About 64 days a year reach 90° (Thomasville, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Fulton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 10 and the first fall frost by November 21, about 257 frost-free days, at Thomasville, AL.
What growing zone is Fulton in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fulton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fulton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fulton.
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.