Florence, Alabama Music Enterprises (FAME) Recording Studios · Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domainPrecipitation in Muscle Shoals tops that of 95% of U.S. towns: 56 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 91°. Seasons differ by 60°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 80% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from December to February, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Muscle Shoals at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Muscle Shoals’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Muscle Shoals’ place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Muscle Shoals feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 220 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 30 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Muscle Shoals Wtp, AL, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Muscle Shoals’ center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 56 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain falls on about 96 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.6" in a normal year at Russellville #2, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Muscle Shoals
65% 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 Muscle Shoals Wtp, AL.
Living with Muscle Shoals’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
220 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 30 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 6.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Muscle Shoals from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Muscle Shoals and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Muscle Shoals yet.
Climates most like Muscle Shoals’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle Shoals, AL | 31° | 91° | 56" | 0.6" |
| Kinston, NC | 33° | 90° | 53" | 0.7" |
| Clarksdale, MS | 34° | 91° | 55" | 0.4" |
| Wynne, AR | 32° | 91° | 53" | 2.0" |
| Dalton, GA | 31° | 89° | 54" | 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 Muscle Shoals averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Muscle Shoals compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Muscle Shoals’ place among Alabama’s.
Muscle Shoals weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Muscle Shoals’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Russellville #2, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 31° | 5.0" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 34° – 49° |
| February | 56° | 33° | 5.1" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 35° – 53° |
| March | 65° | 40° | 5.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| April | 74° | 47° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| May | 81° | 56° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 88° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| July | 91° | 68° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 90° | 67° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 60° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| October | 75° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 38° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 54° | 33° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 34° – 53° |
| Year | 73° | 49° | 56.1" | 0.6" | 96 | 0 |
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 53°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Muscle Shoals’ 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 Muscle Shoals’ center.
- Snow: Russellville #2, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Muscle Shoals Wtp, AL, 1.2 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 Muscle Shoals’ climate
What is the weather like in Muscle Shoals?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 31°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Muscle Shoals in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 67 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Muscle Shoals get?
About 0.6 inches in a normal winter at Russellville #2, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Muscle Shoals?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 68°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Muscle Shoals Wtp, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Muscle Shoals?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 30 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 220 frost-free days, at Muscle Shoals Wtp, AL.
What growing zone is Muscle Shoals in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Muscle Shoals?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Muscle Shoals getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Muscle Shoals.
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.