Photo: Republic of Selmaria · CC BY-SA 4.0Madison sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 57 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 31°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 59°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 76% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about March 24; in half of years the first frost comes by November 8.
A year in Madison at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Madison’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Madison’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Madison feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 229 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 24 and the first by November 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Huntsville International Airport, 5 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Madison’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 Belle Mina 2 N, AL, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 57 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Madison
57% 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 Huntsville International Airport.
Living with Madison’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
229 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 24 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Madison from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Madison and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Madison yet.
Climates most like Madison’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, AL | 31° | 90° | 57" | 1.1" |
| Oxford, MS | 32° | 90° | 59" | 1.2" |
| Oakland, TN | 31° | 90° | 56" | 1.9" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Half Moon, NC | 33° | 89° | 57" | 0.6" |
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 Madison averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Madison compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Madison’s place among Alabama’s.
Madison weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Madison’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Belle Mina 2 N, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 31° | 5.4" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 33° – 49° |
| February | 55° | 34° | 5.3" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 35° – 53° |
| March | 64° | 41° | 5.4" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 48° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 80° | 58° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 90° | 67° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 85° |
| September | 84° | 61° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| October | 74° | 50° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| November | 62° | 39° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 34° | 6.0" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 34° – 54° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 56.9" | 1.1" | 122 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Madison’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 Madison’s center.
- Snow: Belle Mina 2 N, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Huntsville International Airport, 5 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Madison’s climate
What is the weather like in Madison?
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 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Madison in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 56 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Madison get?
About 1.1 inches in a normal winter at Belle Mina 2 N, AL, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Madison?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 62 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Huntsville International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Madison?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 24 and the first fall frost by November 8, about 229 frost-free days, at Huntsville International Airport.
What growing zone is Madison 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 Madison?
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 Madison getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Madison.
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.