Photo: formulanone from Huntsville, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Gurley sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 58 inches a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 31°. Seasons differ by 58°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 75% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 4; in half of years the first frost comes by October 30.
A year in Gurley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gurley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gurley’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Gurley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 210 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Owens Cross Roads 3s, AL, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gurley’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Scottsboro, AL, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 58 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gurley
70% 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 Owens Cross Roads 3s, AL.
Living with Gurley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
210 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gurley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gurley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gurley yet.
Climates most like Gurley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gurley, AL | 31° | 90° | 58" | 1.3" |
| Oxford, MS | 32° | 90° | 59" | 1.2" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Half Moon, NC | 33° | 89° | 57" | 0.6" |
| Bolivar, TN | 30° | 90° | 56" | 1.7" |
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 Gurley averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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 Gurley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gurley’s place among Alabama’s.
Gurley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gurley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Scottsboro, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 31° | 5.4" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 33° – 49° |
| February | 55° | 34° | 5.3" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 36° – 53° |
| March | 64° | 41° | 5.6" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 48° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 80° | 57° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| September | 84° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| October | 74° | 50° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 39° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 34° | 5.9" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 35° – 54° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 57.7" | 1.3" | 106 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Gurley’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 Gurley’s center.
- Snow: Scottsboro, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Owens Cross Roads 3s, AL, 11 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 Gurley’s climate
What is the weather like in Gurley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gurley in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 78 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Gurley get?
About 1.3 inches in a normal winter at Scottsboro, AL, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gurley?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 49 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Owens Cross Roads 3s, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Gurley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 4 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 210 frost-free days, at Owens Cross Roads 3s, AL.
What growing zone is Gurley in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gurley?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Gurley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gurley.
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.