Sanford reaches 100° on about 10 days a year, more than 91% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 37°. Seasons differ by 55°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 97% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around March 25; autumn frost returns near November 9.
A year in Sanford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sanford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sanford’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Sanford 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 9. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Andalusia Opp Airport, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Andalusia 3 W, AL, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sanford’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 59 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 87 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.3" in a normal year at Andalusia 3 W, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sanford
50% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Andalusia 3 W, AL.
Living with Sanford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
230 frost-free days in zone 8b. 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sanford from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sanford and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sanford yet.
Climates most like Sanford’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford, AL | 37° | 92° | 59" | 0.3" |
| Brandon, MS | 36° | 92° | 59" | 1.0" |
| Magalia, CA | 38° | 92° | 61" | 0.1" |
| Leesville, LA | 38° | 93° | 59" | 0.1" |
| Jasper, TX | 39° | 93° | 57" | 0.1" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
About as warm as it used to be
The last 30 years in Sanford averaged 0.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.0°).
A smaller shift than in all but 10 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 Sanford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sanford’s place among Alabama’s.
Sanford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sanford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Andalusia 3 W, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 37° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 40° – 55° |
| February | 65° | 40° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 62° |
| March | 72° | 46° | 5.1" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 68° |
| April | 78° | 51° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| May | 85° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| June | 90° | 68° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 70° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| September | 88° | 65° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| October | 79° | 54° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 70° | 43° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| December | 62° | 39° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 43° – 59° |
| Year | 78° | 53° | 59.1" | 0.3" | 87 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 43° to 62°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Sanford’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 Sanford’s center.
- Snow: Andalusia 3 W, AL.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Andalusia 3 W, AL, 7 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Andalusia Opp Airport, 0.7 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 Sanford’s climate
What is the weather like in Sanford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sanford in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 18 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Sanford get?
About 0.3 inches in a normal winter at Andalusia 3 W, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Sanford?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 70°. About 121 days a year reach 90° and 10 reach 100° (Andalusia 3 W, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Sanford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 25 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 230 frost-free days, at Andalusia 3 W, AL.
What growing zone is Sanford in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sanford?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Sanford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 10 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sanford.
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.