More precipitation falls on McDonald Chapel than on 95% of U.S. towns: 56 inches a year
January mornings start at about 33°. Winter and summer sit 58° apart. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 81% of U.S. towns. From March to May and October to November, highs of 65–82° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in McDonald Chapel at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McDonald Chapel’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McDonald Chapel’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in McDonald Chapel feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 231 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 23 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bessemer 3 Wsw, AL, 9 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts McDonald Chapel’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 Bessemer 3 Wsw, AL, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 56 inches a year; February is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McDonald Chapel
55% 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 Bessemer 3 Wsw, AL.
Living with McDonald Chapel’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
231 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 23 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McDonald Chapel from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McDonald Chapel and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of McDonald Chapel in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like McDonald Chapel’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonald Chapel, AL | 33° | 91° | 56" | 1.2" |
| Southaven, MS | 32° | 91° | 56" | 1.4" |
| Leland, NC | 34° | 90° | 57" | 0.9" |
| Warren, AR | 34° | 92° | 56" | 1.5" |
| Collierville, TN | 32° | 91° | 56" | 2.1" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in McDonald Chapel averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 McDonald Chapel compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McDonald Chapel’s place among Alabama’s.
McDonald Chapel weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McDonald Chapel’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bessemer 3 Wsw, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 33° | 5.2" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 35° – 51° |
| February | 59° | 37° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| March | 67° | 43° | 5.4" | 0.7" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 65° |
| April | 75° | 50° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 90° | 69° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 63° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| October | 76° | 52° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| November | 65° | 41° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| December | 57° | 36° | 5.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 37° – 56° |
| Year | 74° | 52° | 56.4" | 1.2" | 113 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where McDonald Chapel’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 McDonald Chapel’s center.
- Snow: Bessemer 3 Wsw, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bessemer 3 Wsw, AL, 9 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 McDonald Chapel’s climate
What is the weather like in McDonald Chapel?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McDonald Chapel in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 57 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does McDonald Chapel get?
About 1.2 inches in a normal winter at Bessemer 3 Wsw, AL, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in McDonald Chapel?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 80 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Bessemer 3 Wsw, AL).
When is the first and last frost in McDonald Chapel?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 23 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 231 frost-free days, at Bessemer 3 Wsw, AL.
What growing zone is McDonald Chapel in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit McDonald Chapel?
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 McDonald Chapel getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McDonald Chapel.
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.