Needham gets more rain and snow than 95% of U.S. towns: 56 inches of precipitation a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 36°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 84% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.5° higher. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 14, with the first autumn frost due around November 16.
A year in Needham at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Needham’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Needham’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Needham feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 247 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 14 and the first by November 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at P Harrison Archusa, MS, 22 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Needham’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 56 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and October the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Needham
50% 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 P Harrison Archusa, MS.
Living with Needham’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
247 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 14 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Needham from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Needham and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Needham yet.
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 Needham averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.2°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Needham compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Needham’s place among Alabama’s.
Needham weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Needham’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 36° | 5.4" | 40° – 55° |
| February | 63° | 40° | 5.2" | 42° – 60° |
| March | 71° | 45° | 5.7" | 52° – 66° |
| April | 77° | 51° | 4.8" | 60° – 69° |
| May | 84° | 60° | 4.0" | 69° – 75° |
| June | 90° | 68° | 4.7" | 76° – 83° |
| July | 91° | 71° | 5.1" | 79° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 4.7" | 77° – 84° |
| September | 87° | 65° | 3.7" | 73° – 81° |
| October | 78° | 53° | 3.7" | 61° – 71° |
| November | 68° | 42° | 4.0" | 50° – 60° |
| December | 61° | 38° | 5.3" | 42° – 58° |
| Year | 77° | 53° | 56.1" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 60°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Needham’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 Needham’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: P Harrison Archusa, MS, 22 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 Needham’s climate
What is the weather like in Needham?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 36°. Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Needham in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 46 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How hot does it get in Needham?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 71°. About 78 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (P Harrison Archusa, MS).
When is the first and last frost in Needham?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 14 and the first fall frost by November 16, about 247 frost-free days, at P Harrison Archusa, MS.
What growing zone is Needham 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 Needham?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Needham getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Needham.
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.