Precipitation in Riverside tops that of 93% of U.S. towns: 54 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 33°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 83% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.7° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. The outdoor season runs from March to May and October, with highs of 67–82°.
A year in Riverside at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Riverside’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Riverside’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Riverside feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 225 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Talladega 10 Nne, AL, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Riverside’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 54 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 109 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.9" in a normal year at Talladega, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Riverside
60% 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 Talladega 10 Nne, AL.
Living with Riverside’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
225 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 26 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 4.
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 Riverside from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Riverside and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Riverside yet.
Climates most like Riverside’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside, AL | 33° | 91° | 54" | 0.9" |
| West Memphis, AR | 33° | 91° | 55" | 1.7" |
| Horn Lake, MS | 32° | 91° | 56" | 1.4" |
| Kinston, NC | 33° | 90° | 53" | 0.7" |
| Memphis, TN | 32° | 91° | 56" | 2.7" |
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 Riverside averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Riverside compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Riverside’s place among Alabama’s.
Riverside weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Riverside’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Talladega, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 33° | 5.2" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 35° – 51° |
| February | 59° | 36° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| March | 67° | 42° | 5.5" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| April | 75° | 48° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| June | 88° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 90° | 69° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 62° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 51° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 65° | 40° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 57° | 35° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 38° – 56° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 54.3" | 0.9" | 109 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Riverside’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 Riverside’s center.
- Snow: Talladega, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Talladega 10 Nne, AL, 9 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 Riverside’s climate
What is the weather like in Riverside?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Riverside in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 60 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Riverside get?
About 0.9 inches in a normal winter at Talladega, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Riverside?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 65 days a year reach 90° (Talladega 10 Nne, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Riverside?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 225 frost-free days, at Talladega 10 Nne, AL.
What growing zone is Riverside in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Riverside?
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 Riverside getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Riverside.
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.