Coosa County Jail · Photo: Rivers Langley; SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Rockford: 57 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 90°. Precipitation peaks in March and eases off in October. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 79% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about March 25; in half of years the first frost comes by November 11.
A year in Rockford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rockford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rockford’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Rockford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 230 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 25 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rockford 3 Ese, AL, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rockford’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 14°. 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 57 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 112 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.7" in a normal year at Alexander City, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Rockford
60% 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 Rockford 3 Ese, AL.
Living with Rockford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
230 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 25 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rockford from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rockford and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rockford yet.
Climates most like Rockford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford, AL | 33° | 90° | 57" | 0.7" |
| Leland, NC | 34° | 90° | 57" | 0.9" |
| Senatobia, MS | 32° | 91° | 56" | 0.4" |
| Collierville, TN | 32° | 91° | 56" | 2.1" |
| Monticello, AR | 34° | 92° | 55" | 0.7" |
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 Rockford averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 98% 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 Rockford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rockford’s place among Alabama’s.
Rockford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rockford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alexander City, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 33° | 5.4" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 36° – 51° |
| February | 60° | 37° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 56° |
| March | 68° | 43° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| April | 75° | 49° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| June | 88° | 65° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 90° | 68° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 63° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| November | 66° | 41° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 36° | 5.5" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 38° – 56° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 56.9" | 0.7" | 112 | 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 Rockford’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 Rockford’s center.
- Snow: Alexander City, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rockford 3 Ese, AL, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Rockford’s climate
What is the weather like in Rockford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rockford in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 46 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Rockford get?
About 0.7 inches in a normal winter at Alexander City, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Rockford?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 46 days a year reach 90° (Rockford 3 Ese, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Rockford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 25 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 230 frost-free days, at Rockford 3 Ese, AL.
What growing zone is Rockford in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rockford?
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 Rockford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rockford.
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.