Wet weather: 55 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Sweet Water, more than in 93% of U.S. towns
July afternoons average 92°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 85% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.5°, most of all in February. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to January, which average under 50°.
A year in Sweet Water at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sweet Water’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sweet Water’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in Sweet Water feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 257 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 10 and the first by November 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Thomasville, AL, 15 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sweet Water’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 55 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 110 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Thomasville, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sweet Water
46% 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 Thomasville, AL.
Living with Sweet Water’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
257 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 10 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 21.
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 Sweet Water from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sweet Water and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sweet Water yet.
Climates most like Sweet Water’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Water, AL | 36° | 92° | 55" | 0.1" |
| Greenwood, MS | 35° | 92° | 55" | 0.5" |
| Monticello, AR | 34° | 92° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Tallulah, LA | 37° | 92° | 57" | 0.3" |
| Blakely, GA | 38° | 92° | 53" | 0.1" |
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 Sweet Water averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.2°).
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 Sweet Water compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sweet Water’s place among Alabama’s.
Sweet Water weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sweet Water’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Thomasville, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 36° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| February | 62° | 39° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| March | 70° | 45° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 65° |
| April | 77° | 52° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| May | 84° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| June | 90° | 68° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| September | 87° | 65° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| October | 78° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| November | 67° | 43° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| December | 60° | 38° | 5.3" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 58° |
| Year | 76° | 53° | 54.6" | 0.1" | 110 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Sweet Water’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 Sweet Water’s center.
- Snow: Thomasville, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Thomasville, AL, 15 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher; 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 Sweet Water’s climate
What is the weather like in Sweet Water?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sweet Water in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 41 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Sweet Water get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Thomasville, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Sweet Water?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 75 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Thomasville, AL).
When is the first and last frost in Sweet Water?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 10 and the first fall frost by November 21, about 257 frost-free days, at Thomasville, AL.
What growing zone is Sweet Water in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sweet Water?
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 Sweet Water 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 Sweet Water.
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.