Shady Grove Methodist Church and Cemetery · Photo: Therianthrope · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than West Point: 59 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 31°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 58° apart. Its January nights stay gentler than in 73% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from March to May and September to October, when highs sit at 64–84°.
A year in West Point at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Point’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Point’s place in Alabama beside it.
What a year in West Point feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 215 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saint Bernard, AL, 10 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Point’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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
December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 121 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.6" in a normal year at Cullman Nahs, AL, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in West Point
63% 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 Saint Bernard, AL.
Living with West Point’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
215 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Point from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Point and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around West Point yet.
Climates most like West Point’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Point, AL | 31° | 89° | 59" | 0.6" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Kingston, TN | 29° | 88° | 57" | 1.8" |
| Travelers Rest, SC | 32° | 88° | 60" | 1.9" |
| 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 West Point averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.4°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 West Point compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Point’s place among Alabama’s.
West Point weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Point’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cullman Nahs, AL. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 31° | 5.6" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 32° – 48° |
| February | 55° | 34° | 5.4" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 35° – 53° |
| March | 64° | 40° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| April | 72° | 48° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 79° | 57° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| September | 84° | 61° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| October | 73° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| November | 62° | 39° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| December | 54° | 34° | 6.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 34° – 53° |
| Year | 71° | 49° | 58.8" | 0.6" | 121 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 53°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where West Point’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 West Point’s center.
- Snow: Cullman Nahs, AL.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saint Bernard, AL, 10 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 West Point’s climate
What is the weather like in West Point?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 31°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Point in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 73 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does West Point get?
About 0.6 inches in a normal winter at Cullman Nahs, AL, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in West Point?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 60 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Saint Bernard, AL).
When is the first and last frost in West Point?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 215 frost-free days, at Saint Bernard, AL.
What growing zone is West Point in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Point?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is West Point getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Point.
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.