Photo: Rivers Langley; SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0More precipitation falls on Goshen than on 94% of U.S. towns: 56 inches a year
January nights here settle around 36°. Temperatures cover 56° across the year, low to high. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 83% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 69–79°, runs through March, April, October and November.
A year in Goshen at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Goshen’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Goshen’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Goshen 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. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Troy, AL, 11 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Goshen’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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
December is the wettest month and October the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Goshen
48% 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 Troy, AL.
Living with Goshen’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: March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Goshen from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Goshen and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Goshen yet.
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 Goshen averaged 0.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.1°).
A smaller shift than in all but 17 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 Goshen compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Goshen’s place among Alabama’s.
Goshen weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Goshen’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 36° | 5.1" | 38° – 55° |
| February | 64° | 39° | 4.7" | 42° – 61° |
| March | 71° | 45° | 5.4" | 51° – 67° |
| April | 77° | 51° | 4.4" | 60° – 68° |
| May | 85° | 60° | 3.7" | 68° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 67° | 5.1" | 75° – 83° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 5.3" | 77° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 69° | 4.8" | 77° – 84° |
| September | 87° | 65° | 4.3" | 73° – 81° |
| October | 79° | 53° | 3.4" | 61° – 71° |
| November | 69° | 43° | 4.3" | 49° – 61° |
| December | 61° | 38° | 5.5" | 41° – 59° |
| Year | 77° | 53° | 55.8" |
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 6°.
Where Goshen’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 Goshen’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Troy, AL, 11 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft higher; 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 Goshen’s climate
What is the weather like in Goshen?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 36°. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Goshen in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 33 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How hot does it get in Goshen?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 68 days a year reach 90° (Troy, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Goshen?
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 Troy, AL.
What growing zone is Goshen in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Goshen?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Goshen getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 17 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Goshen.
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.