Malcolm sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 63 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 39°. July is the wettest month, October the driest. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 86% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 18, with the first autumn frost due around November 12.
A year in Malcolm at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Malcolm’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Malcolm’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Malcolm feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 239 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 18 and the first by November 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jackson, AL, 23 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Malcolm’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 63 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 108 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Jackson, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Malcolm
49% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Jackson, AL.
Living with Malcolm’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
239 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 18 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October, November and December.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Malcolm from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Malcolm and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Malcolm yet.
Climates most like Malcolm’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malcolm, AL | 39° | 92° | 63" | 0.0" |
| Zachary, LA | 40° | 92° | 63" | 0.0" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
| Silsbee, TX | 40° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
| Natchez, MS | 38° | 92° | 58" | 0.0" |
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 Malcolm averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.3°).
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 Malcolm compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Malcolm’s place among Alabama’s.
Malcolm weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Malcolm’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jackson, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 39° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 57° |
| February | 66° | 42° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 63° |
| March | 73° | 48° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 68° |
| April | 79° | 53° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| May | 86° | 62° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| June | 90° | 69° | 6.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 72° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| August | 92° | 71° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| September | 88° | 67° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| October | 80° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| November | 70° | 45° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| December | 63° | 41° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 61° |
| Year | 78° | 55° | 62.9" | 0.0" | 108 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 63°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Malcolm’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 Malcolm’s center.
- Snow: Jackson, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jackson, AL, 23 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher; 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 Malcolm’s climate
What is the weather like in Malcolm?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Malcolm in winter?
January nights average 39°. About 46 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 42°.
How much snow does Malcolm get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Jackson, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Malcolm?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 72°. About 79 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Jackson, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Malcolm?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 18 and the first fall frost by November 12, about 239 frost-free days, at Jackson, AL.
What growing zone is Malcolm in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Malcolm?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Malcolm 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 Malcolm.
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.