Natural Bridge is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 62 inches of precipitation a year
Nights in January average 31°. Its July heat outdoes that of 75% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.3° more than in 1901–2000, led by February. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 29 to November 9.
A year in Natural Bridge at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Natural Bridge’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Natural Bridge’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Natural Bridge feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 228 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Haleyville, AL, 10 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Natural Bridge’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 62 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain falls on about 108 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.9" in a normal year at Haleyville, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Natural Bridge
63% 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 Haleyville, AL.
Living with Natural Bridge’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
228 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 29 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 9.
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 Natural Bridge from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Natural Bridge and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Natural Bridge yet.
Climates most like Natural Bridge’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Bridge, AL | 31° | 90° | 62" | 0.9" |
| Dunlap, TN | 30° | 89° | 60" | 3.1" |
| Travelers Rest, SC | 32° | 88° | 60" | 1.9" |
| Northchase, NC | 34° | 90° | 59" | 0.2" |
| 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.
About as warm as it used to be
The last 30 years in Natural Bridge averaged 0.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.0°).
A smaller shift than in all but 61 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 Natural Bridge compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Natural Bridge’s place among Alabama’s.
Natural Bridge weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Natural Bridge’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Haleyville, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 31° | 5.7" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 33° – 49° |
| February | 56° | 34° | 5.9" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 36° – 53° |
| March | 65° | 40° | 5.7" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 62° |
| April | 74° | 47° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 80° | 57° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 68° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 89° | 67° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| September | 84° | 61° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 74° | 49° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 39° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 54° | 33° | 6.4" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 34° – 53° |
| Year | 72° | 49° | 61.6" | 0.9" | 108 | 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°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Natural Bridge’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 Natural Bridge’s center.
- Snow: Haleyville, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Haleyville, AL, 10 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Natural Bridge’s climate
What is the weather like in Natural Bridge?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, 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 75% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Natural Bridge in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 57 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Natural Bridge get?
About 0.9 inches in a normal winter at Haleyville, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Natural Bridge?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 68°. About 47 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Haleyville, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Natural Bridge?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 228 frost-free days, at Haleyville, AL.
What growing zone is Natural Bridge in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Natural Bridge?
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 Natural Bridge getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 61 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Natural Bridge.
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.