Photo: Smalltownalabama · CC BY-SA 3.0Guntersville gets more rain and snow than 94% of U.S. towns: 55 inches of precipitation a year
Nights in January average 32°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 57°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 75% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to February, which average under 50°.
A year in Guntersville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Guntersville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Guntersville’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Guntersville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 244 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 19 and the first by November 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Guntersville, AL, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Guntersville’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 14°. 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 55 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 128 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.7" in a normal year at Guntersville, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Guntersville
61% 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 Guntersville, AL.
Living with Guntersville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
244 frost-free days in zone 8a. 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 31 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Guntersville from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Guntersville and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Guntersville yet.
Climates most like Guntersville’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guntersville, AL | 32° | 89° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Half Moon, NC | 33° | 89° | 57" | 0.6" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Berea, SC | 32° | 89° | 56" | 1.9" |
| Oakland, TN | 31° | 90° | 56" | 1.9" |
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 Guntersville averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.5°).
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 Guntersville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Guntersville’s place among Alabama’s.
Guntersville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Guntersville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Guntersville, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 32° | 5.2" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 34° – 49° |
| February | 56° | 35° | 5.1" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 36° – 53° |
| March | 64° | 42° | 5.5" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 63° |
| April | 73° | 49° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| May | 80° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 89° | 70° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 82° |
| August | 89° | 69° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| September | 84° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| October | 74° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 35° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 36° – 55° |
| Year | 72° | 51° | 55.4" | 0.7" | 128 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Guntersville’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 Guntersville’s center.
- Snow: Guntersville, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Guntersville, AL, 5 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 Guntersville’s climate
What is the weather like in Guntersville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 32°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Guntersville in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Guntersville get?
About 0.7 inches in a normal winter at Guntersville, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Guntersville?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 70°. About 49 days a year reach 90° (Guntersville, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Guntersville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 19 and the first fall frost by November 18, about 244 frost-free days, at Guntersville, AL.
What growing zone is Guntersville in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Guntersville?
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 Guntersville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° 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 Guntersville.
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.