Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Hanover: 57 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 33°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 79% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from March to May and October, with highs of 68–82°.
A year in Hanover at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hanover’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hanover’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Hanover feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 230 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 25 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rockford 3 Ese, AL, 9 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hanover’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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sylacauga 4 Ne, AL, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 57 inches a year; February is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 107 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hanover
60% 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 Rockford 3 Ese, AL.
Living with Hanover’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
230 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 25 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 11.
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 Hanover from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hanover and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hanover yet.
Climates most like Hanover’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanover, AL | 33° | 90° | 57" | 1.7" |
| Pontotoc, MS | 32° | 91° | 58" | 1.2" |
| Collierville, TN | 32° | 91° | 56" | 2.1" |
| Leland, NC | 34° | 90° | 57" | 0.9" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
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 Hanover averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.2°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Hanover compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hanover’s place among Alabama’s.
Hanover weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hanover’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sylacauga 4 Ne, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 33° | 5.5" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 36° – 51° |
| February | 60° | 36° | 5.5" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 56° |
| March | 68° | 42° | 5.4" | 1.2" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| April | 75° | 48° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| May | 82° | 57° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| June | 88° | 65° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 68° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 82° |
| August | 90° | 67° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| September | 85° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| October | 76° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| November | 65° | 40° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 57° | 35° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 38° – 55° |
| Year | 74° | 50° | 57.1" | 1.7" | 107 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Hanover’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 Hanover’s center.
- Snow: Sylacauga 4 Ne, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rockford 3 Ese, AL, 9 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower; 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 Hanover’s climate
What is the weather like in Hanover?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hanover in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 46 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Hanover get?
About 1.7 inches in a normal winter at Sylacauga 4 Ne, AL, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hanover?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 68°. About 46 days a year reach 90° (Rockford 3 Ese, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Hanover?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 25 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 230 frost-free days, at Rockford 3 Ese, AL.
What growing zone is Hanover 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 Hanover?
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 Hanover getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hanover.
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.