Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 3.0Summers, winters and rain in Huntsville all run close to those of most U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 26°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 70% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.5°, most of all in February. From April to June and September to October, highs of 69–84° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Huntsville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Huntsville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Huntsville’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Huntsville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 224 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 30 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Huntsville 1 Ssw, AR, 2.3 miles from the town’s center, 340 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Huntsville’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 47 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Huntsville
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 Huntsville 1 Ssw, AR.
Living with Huntsville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
224 frost-free days in zone 7a. 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Huntsville from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Huntsville and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Huntsville yet.
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 Huntsville averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Huntsville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Huntsville’s place among Arkansas’.
Huntsville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Huntsville’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 26° | 2.8" | 31° – 46° |
| February | 51° | 30° | 2.6" | 32° – 50° |
| March | 60° | 37° | 4.1" | 41° – 58° |
| April | 69° | 45° | 4.7" | 51° – 63° |
| May | 76° | 54° | 5.4" | 62° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 4.4" | 69° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 3.9" | 73° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 65° | 3.7" | 69° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 4.0" | 66° – 76° |
| October | 70° | 47° | 4.0" | 53° – 64° |
| November | 58° | 36° | 4.0" | 41° – 55° |
| December | 49° | 29° | 3.1" | 26° – 45° |
| Year | 68° | 46° | 46.7" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Huntsville’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 Huntsville’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Huntsville 1 Ssw, AR, 2.3 miles from the town’s center, 340 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 Huntsville’s climate
What is the weather like in Huntsville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 26°. Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Huntsville in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 67 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How hot does it get in Huntsville?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Huntsville 1 Ssw, AR).
When is the first and last frost in Huntsville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 30 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 224 frost-free days, at Huntsville 1 Ssw, AR.
What growing zone is Huntsville in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Huntsville?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Huntsville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Huntsville.
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.