Photo: Rivers A. Langley; SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Rock Mills tops that of 92% of U.S. towns: 53 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 90°. Winter and summer sit 58° apart. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 78% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from March to May and October, with highs of 67–82°.
A year in Rock Mills at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rock Mills’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rock Mills’ place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Rock Mills 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, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rock Mills’ center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 53 inches of rain a year
March 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 Rock Mills
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 Rock Mills’ 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rock Mills 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 →Rock Mills and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rock Mills yet.
Climates most like Rock Mills’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Mills, AL | 32° | 90° | 53" | 0.1" |
| Kinston, NC | 33° | 90° | 53" | 0.7" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
| Clarksdale, MS | 34° | 91° | 55" | 0.4" |
| Simpsonville, SC | 33° | 90° | 49" | 0.4" |
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 Rock Mills averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Rock Mills compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rock Mills’ place among Alabama’s.
Rock Mills weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rock Mills’ 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° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 50° |
| February | 60° | 35° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 39° – 57° |
| March | 67° | 41° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 63° |
| April | 75° | 48° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| May | 82° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| June | 88° | 65° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| September | 84° | 62° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| October | 75° | 50° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| November | 66° | 39° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| December | 57° | 35° | 5.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 56° |
| Year | 74° | 50° | 53.3" | 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 Rock Mills’ 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 Rock Mills’ center.
- Snow: W Pt, GA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rock Mills, AL, 0.6 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 Rock Mills’ climate
What is the weather like in Rock Mills?
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 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rock Mills 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 37°.
How much snow does Rock Mills get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at W Pt, GA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Rock Mills?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 63 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Rock Mills, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Rock Mills?
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 Rock Mills in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rock Mills?
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 Rock Mills getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rock Mills.
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.