Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Shoal Creek: 58 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 90° on average. Winter and summer sit 57° apart. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 77% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 21 to November 11.
A year in Shoal Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shoal Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shoal Creek’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Shoal Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 236 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 21 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Birmingham Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shoal Creek’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 58 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 88 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Leeds, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Shoal Creek
54% 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 Birmingham Airport.
Living with Shoal Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
236 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 21 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. 1.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shoal Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shoal Creek and its neighbors
Hoover the hottest July afternoons (91°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Shoal Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoal Creek, AL | 33° | 90° | 58" | 0.0" |
| Wrightsboro, NC | 34° | 90° | 58" | 0.2" |
| Philadelphia, MS | 34° | 91° | 57" | 0.2" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Savannah, TN | 30° | 90° | 56" | 1.0" |
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 Shoal Creek averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Shoal Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shoal Creek’s place among Alabama’s.
Shoal Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shoal Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Leeds, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 33° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 51° |
| February | 59° | 36° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| March | 67° | 43° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| April | 74° | 49° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 81° | 58° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 62° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| October | 75° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 41° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 36° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 37° – 55° |
| Year | 73° | 51° | 58.2" | 0.0" | 88 | 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 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Shoal Creek’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 Shoal Creek’s center.
- Snow: Leeds, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Birmingham Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, 220 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 Shoal Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Shoal Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shoal Creek in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 47 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Shoal Creek get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Leeds, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Shoal Creek?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 65 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Birmingham Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Shoal Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 21 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 236 frost-free days, at Birmingham Airport.
What growing zone is Shoal Creek in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shoal Creek?
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 Shoal Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shoal Creek.
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.