Photo: Crimson Pictures · CC BY-SA 4.0Orange Beach is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 62 inches of precipitation a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 90°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 92% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.6° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around February 28; autumn frost returns near November 29.
A year in Orange Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Orange Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Orange Beach’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Orange Beach feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 277 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 28 and the first by November 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas, FL, 17 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Orange Beach’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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
July is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain falls on about 106 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas, FL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Orange Beach
39% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from January.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas, FL.
Living with Orange Beach’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
277 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 28 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Orange Beach from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Orange Beach and its neighbors
Foley has the coldest January nights next door (42°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Orange Beach’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange Beach, AL | 43° | 90° | 62" | 0.0" |
| Franklin, LA | 44° | 90° | 61" | 0.0" |
| Port Arthur, TX | 44° | 91° | 61" | 0.0" |
| McComb, MS | 38° | 92° | 62" | 0.2" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
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 Orange Beach averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.2°).
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 Orange Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Orange Beach’s place among Alabama’s.
Orange Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Orange Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas, FL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62° | 43° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 45° – 60° |
| February | 65° | 47° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 47° – 65° |
| March | 71° | 52° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 55° – 69° |
| April | 77° | 58° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 63° – 72° |
| May | 84° | 65° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 71° – 77° |
| June | 89° | 72° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 78° – 84° |
| July | 90° | 74° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 79° – 84° |
| August | 90° | 74° | 6.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 79° – 85° |
| September | 87° | 70° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 76° – 82° |
| October | 80° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 66° – 74° |
| November | 71° | 50° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 54° – 66° |
| December | 64° | 46° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 48° – 63° |
| Year | 77° | 59° | 62.0" | 0.0" | 106 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 65°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Orange Beach’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 Orange Beach’s center.
- Snow: Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas, FL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas, FL, 17 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 Orange Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in Orange Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Orange Beach in winter?
January nights average 43°. About 14 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Orange Beach get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas, FL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Orange Beach?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 74°. About 56 days a year reach 90° (Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas, FL).
When is the first and last frost in Orange Beach?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 28 and the first fall frost by November 29, about 277 frost-free days, at Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas, FL.
What growing zone is Orange Beach in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Orange Beach?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Orange Beach 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 Orange Beach.
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.