Photo: Please attribute this image as the work of "DiscoverWithDima." · CC BY-SA 4.0Gulf Shores is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 62 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 44°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 93% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. Garden chairs stay out from February to May and October to December, the months with highs of 64–83°.
A year in Gulf Shores at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gulf Shores’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gulf Shores’ place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Gulf Shores feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze most winters
Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dauphin Is #2, AL, 22 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gulf Shores’ center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 62 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 115 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Dauphin Is #2, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Gulf Shores
31% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Dauphin Is #2, AL.
Living with Gulf Shores’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 9a. Frost comes about 8 winters in 10, so tender plants can often stay out through winter.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October, November and December. 7.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gulf Shores from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gulf Shores and its neighbors
Foley has the coldest January nights next door (42°, 2° colder) and Foley the hottest July afternoons (91°, 1° 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 Gulf Shores’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf Shores, AL | 44° | 90° | 62" | 0.0" |
| Franklin, LA | 44° | 90° | 61" | 0.0" |
| Port Arthur, TX | 44° | 91° | 61" | 0.0" |
| McComb, MS | 38° | 92° | 62" | 0.2" |
| Crawfordville, FL | 41° | 92° | 57" | 0.0" |
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 Gulf Shores averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.2°).
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 Gulf Shores compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gulf Shores’ place among Alabama’s.
Gulf Shores weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gulf Shores’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dauphin Is #2, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 44° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| February | 64° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 65° |
| March | 70° | 53° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 69° |
| April | 76° | 59° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| May | 83° | 67° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 78° |
| June | 88° | 74° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| July | 90° | 75° | 7.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 75° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| September | 87° | 72° | 6.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| October | 80° | 62° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| November | 70° | 52° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| December | 64° | 47° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 63° |
| Year | 77° | 61° | 61.8" | 0.0" | 115 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 65°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Gulf Shores’ 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 Gulf Shores’ center.
- Snow: Dauphin Is #2, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dauphin Is #2, AL, 22 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 Gulf Shores’ climate
What is the weather like in Gulf Shores?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gulf Shores in winter?
January nights average 44°. About 4 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Gulf Shores get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Dauphin Is #2, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Gulf Shores?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 75°. About 36 days a year reach 90° (Dauphin Is #2, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Gulf Shores?
There is no reliable frost date: a 32° night comes in about 79% of winters at Dauphin Is #2, AL, so most years bring a freeze but some pass without one.
What growing zone is Gulf Shores in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gulf Shores?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, May, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Gulf Shores 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 Gulf Shores.
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.