Wet weather: 54 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Saks, more than in 93% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 90°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 78% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Tender plants can go out after about March 23; in half of years the first frost comes by November 9.
A year in Saks at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Saks’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Saks’ place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Saks feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 231 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 23 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Anniston Metro Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Saks’ 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 116 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Jacksonville, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Saks
57% 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 Anniston Metro Airport.
Living with Saks’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
231 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 23 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 9.
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 Saks from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Saks and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Saks in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Saks’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saks, AL | 33° | 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" |
| Little River, SC | 36° | 89° | 53" | 0.5" |
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 Saks averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
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 Saks compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Saks’ place among Alabama’s.
Saks weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Saks’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jacksonville, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 33° | 5.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 35° – 51° |
| February | 59° | 36° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| March | 67° | 42° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 63° |
| April | 75° | 49° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| May | 81° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 82° |
| August | 90° | 68° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 62° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| October | 75° | 50° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 65° | 40° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 35° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 37° – 57° |
| Year | 74° | 50° | 54.0" | 0.1" | 116 | 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 57°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Saks’ 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 Saks’ center.
- Snow: Jacksonville, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Anniston Metro Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Saks’ climate
What is the weather like in Saks?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, 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 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Saks in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Saks get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Jacksonville, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Saks?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 60 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Anniston Metro Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Saks?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 23 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 231 frost-free days, at Anniston Metro Airport.
What growing zone is Saks 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 Saks?
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 Saks 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 Saks.
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.