Photo: Rivers Langley, http://www.phoenixrivers.blogspot.com · Public domainMore precipitation falls on Roanoke than on 93% of U.S. towns: 54 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 32°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 76% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.9° higher. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from March to May and October, with highs of 67–82°.
A year in Roanoke at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Roanoke’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Roanoke’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Roanoke feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 216 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 2 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rock Mills, AL, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Roanoke’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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
December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 94 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at W Pt, GA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Roanoke
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 Rock Mills, AL.
Living with Roanoke’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
216 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 2 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May and October. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Roanoke from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Roanoke and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Roanoke yet.
Climates most like Roanoke’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke, AL | 32° | 90° | 54" | 0.1" |
| Kinston, NC | 33° | 90° | 53" | 0.7" |
| Hernando, MS | 32° | 91° | 56" | 0.3" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
| Savannah, TN | 30° | 90° | 56" | 1.0" |
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 Roanoke averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Roanoke compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Roanoke’s place among Alabama’s.
Roanoke weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Roanoke’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from W Pt, GA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 32° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 36° – 50° |
| February | 60° | 35° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 39° – 57° |
| March | 67° | 41° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| April | 75° | 47° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| May | 82° | 56° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 68° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 81° |
| August | 89° | 67° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| September | 84° | 61° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| October | 75° | 50° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| November | 65° | 39° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 57° | 35° | 5.4" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 56° |
| Year | 74° | 50° | 54.2" | 0.1" | 94 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Roanoke’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 Roanoke’s center.
- Snow: W Pt, GA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rock Mills, AL, 5 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 Roanoke’s climate
What is the weather like in Roanoke?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 32°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Roanoke in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 73 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Roanoke get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at W Pt, GA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Roanoke?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 68°. About 63 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Rock Mills, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Roanoke?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 2 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 216 frost-free days, at Rock Mills, AL.
What growing zone is Roanoke in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Roanoke?
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 Roanoke getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Roanoke.
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.