Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Spruce Pine: 61 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 89°. In January, nights here are milder than in 73% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.5° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around April 5; autumn frost returns near October 28.
A year in Spruce Pine at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Spruce Pine’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Spruce Pine’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Spruce Pine feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 205 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Russellville 4 Sse, AL, 4 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Spruce Pine’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 61 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain falls on about 108 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.9" in a normal year at Haleyville, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Spruce Pine
70% 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 Russellville 4 Sse, AL.
Living with Spruce Pine’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
205 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 5 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Spruce Pine from natural hazards, tornadoes are the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Spruce Pine and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Spruce Pine yet.
Climates most like Spruce Pine’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spruce Pine, AL | 30° | 89° | 61" | 0.9" |
| Travelers Rest, SC | 32° | 88° | 60" | 1.9" |
| Dayton, TN | 30° | 88° | 57" | 1.6" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Piney Green, NC | 34° | 89° | 57" | 0.6" |
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 Spruce Pine averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.4°).
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 Spruce Pine compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Spruce Pine’s place among Alabama’s.
Spruce Pine weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Spruce Pine’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Haleyville, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 30° | 5.5" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 32° – 48° |
| February | 55° | 34° | 5.5" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 35° – 53° |
| March | 64° | 40° | 5.6" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 62° |
| April | 72° | 47° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| May | 79° | 56° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| August | 88° | 66° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| September | 83° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 73° | 49° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| November | 61° | 38° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| December | 53° | 33° | 6.6" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 32° – 52° |
| Year | 71° | 49° | 60.8" | 0.9" | 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 32° to 52°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Spruce Pine’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 Spruce Pine’s center.
- Snow: Haleyville, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Russellville 4 Sse, AL, 4 miles from the town’s center, 300 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 Spruce Pine’s climate
What is the weather like in Spruce Pine?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Spruce Pine in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 76 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Spruce Pine get?
About 0.9 inches in a normal winter at Haleyville, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Spruce Pine?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 41 days a year reach 90° (Russellville 4 Sse, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Spruce Pine?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 205 frost-free days, at Russellville 4 Sse, AL.
What growing zone is Spruce Pine in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Spruce Pine?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Spruce Pine 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 Spruce Pine.
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.