Photo: Rivers A. Langley; SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0Opelika’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Opelika at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Opelika’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Opelika’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Opelika feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 223 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Opelika, AL, 4 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Opelika’s center in zone 8a: 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 55 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 100 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Opelika, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Opelika
61% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Opelika, AL.
Living with Opelika’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
223 frost-free days in zone 8a. 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 8.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Opelika from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Opelika and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Opelika yet.
Climates most like Opelika’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opelika, AL | 34° | 90° | 55" | 0.0" |
| Batesville, MS | 33° | 91° | 56" | 0.2" |
| Wrightsboro, NC | 34° | 90° | 58" | 0.2" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
| Fort Oglethorpe, GA | 31° | 90° | 53" | 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 Opelika averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.5°).
A smaller shift than in 96% 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 Opelika compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Opelika’s place among Alabama’s.
Opelika weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Opelika’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Opelika, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 34° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 52° |
| February | 61° | 37° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 58° |
| March | 68° | 43° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| April | 75° | 49° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| June | 88° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 63° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| October | 76° | 52° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| November | 66° | 42° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 37° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| Year | 75° | 52° | 54.9" | 0.0" | 100 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Opelika’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 Opelika’s center.
- Snow: Opelika, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Opelika, AL, 4 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Opelika’s climate
What is the weather like in Opelika?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Opelika in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 60 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Opelika get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Opelika, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Opelika?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 51 days a year reach 90° (Opelika, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Opelika?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 223 frost-free days, at Opelika, AL.
What growing zone is Opelika in?
Zone 8a 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 Opelika?
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 Opelika getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 96% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Opelika.
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.