Wet weather: 57 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Sipsey, more than in 95% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 32° on average. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 59°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 82% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from March to May and October to November, with highs of 65–82°.
A year in Sipsey at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sipsey’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sipsey’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Sipsey feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 220 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 30 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jasper, AL, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sipsey’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 108 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.6" in a normal year at Jasper, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sipsey
64% 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 Jasper, AL.
Living with Sipsey’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
220 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 30 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 4.
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 Sipsey from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sipsey and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sipsey yet.
Climates most like Sipsey’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sipsey, AL | 32° | 91° | 57" | 0.6" |
| Senatobia, MS | 32° | 91° | 56" | 0.4" |
| Monticello, AR | 34° | 92° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Collierville, TN | 32° | 91° | 56" | 2.1" |
| Leland, NC | 34° | 90° | 57" | 0.9" |
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 Sipsey averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+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 Sipsey compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sipsey’s place among Alabama’s.
Sipsey weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sipsey’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jasper, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 32° | 5.2" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 35° – 50° |
| February | 58° | 36° | 5.4" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 55° |
| March | 67° | 42° | 5.4" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| April | 75° | 49° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 69° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 86° |
| September | 86° | 63° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| October | 76° | 51° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| November | 65° | 40° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 59° |
| December | 56° | 35° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 55° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 56.5" | 0.6" | 108 | 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 Sipsey’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 Sipsey’s center.
- Snow: Jasper, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jasper, AL, 14 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 Sipsey’s climate
What is the weather like in Sipsey?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, 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 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sipsey 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 35°.
How much snow does Sipsey get?
About 0.6 inches in a normal winter at Jasper, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Sipsey?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Jasper, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Sipsey?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 30 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 220 frost-free days, at Jasper, AL.
What growing zone is Sipsey in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sipsey?
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 Sipsey 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 Sipsey.
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.