Photo: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 4.0Afternoon heat in Alston beats that of 91% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 38°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 85% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.8° rise. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from February to April and October to November, with highs of 64–79°.
A year in Alston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alston’s place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Alston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 251 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 12 and the first by November 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hazlehurst, GA, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alston’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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
August is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 119 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Hazlehurst, GA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Alston
45% 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 Hazlehurst, GA.
Living with Alston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
251 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 12 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October and November. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alston and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Alston yet.
Climates most like Alston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alston, GA | 38° | 93° | 47" | 0.1" |
| Jacksonville, TX | 37° | 93° | 47" | 0.3" |
| Ladson, SC | 37° | 92° | 50" | 0.3" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Shreveport, LA | 37° | 94° | 52" | 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 Alston averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Alston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alston’s place among Georgia’s.
Alston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hazlehurst, GA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 38° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| February | 64° | 41° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 61° |
| March | 71° | 46° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| April | 78° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| May | 86° | 61° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| June | 90° | 68° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| July | 93° | 71° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 79° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 71° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| September | 87° | 66° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| October | 79° | 56° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| November | 70° | 45° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| December | 63° | 40° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 62° |
| Year | 78° | 55° | 46.9" | 0.1" | 119 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 43° to 62°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Alston’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 Alston’s center.
- Snow: Hazlehurst, GA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hazlehurst, GA, 15 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 Alston’s climate
What is the weather like in Alston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alston in winter?
January nights average 38°. About 33 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 43°.
How much snow does Alston get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Hazlehurst, GA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Alston?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 71°. About 83 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Hazlehurst, GA).
When is the first and last frost in Alston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 12 and the first fall frost by November 17, about 251 frost-free days, at Hazlehurst, GA.
What growing zone is Alston in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alston?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Alston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alston.
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.