Photo: Ichabod · CC BY-SA 3.0Wet weather: 55 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Alexandria, more than in 94% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 89°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 70% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.6° above 1901–2000. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 10 to October 29.
A year in Alexandria at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alexandria’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alexandria’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Alexandria feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 201 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Carthage, TN, 13 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alexandria’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Carthage, TN, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 55 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Alexandria
72% 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 Carthage, TN.
Living with Alexandria’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
201 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 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 Oct 29.
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 Alexandria from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alexandria and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Alexandria yet.
Climates most like Alexandria’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria, TN | 28° | 89° | 55" | 1.5" |
| Mayfield, KY | 27° | 89° | 52" | 1.4" |
| Canton, GA | 31° | 88° | 54" | 1.3" |
| Berea, SC | 32° | 89° | 56" | 1.9" |
| Ripley, MS | 31° | 90° | 58" | 1.6" |
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 Alexandria averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.7°).
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 Alexandria compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alexandria’s place among Tennessee’s.
Alexandria weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alexandria’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Carthage, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 28° | 4.8" | 0.5" | 10 | 1 | 30° – 45° |
| February | 52° | 32° | 4.9" | 0.7" | 10 | 1 | 32° – 49° |
| March | 61° | 38° | 5.2" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 59° |
| April | 71° | 46° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| May | 79° | 55° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| June | 86° | 63° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| August | 88° | 65° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 83° |
| September | 83° | 58° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| October | 72° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| November | 61° | 37° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| December | 51° | 31° | 5.6" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 31° – 52° |
| Year | 70° | 47° | 55.2" | 1.5" | 113 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 52°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Alexandria’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 Alexandria’s center.
- Snow: Carthage, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Carthage, TN, 13 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Alexandria’s climate
What is the weather like in Alexandria?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alexandria in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 86 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Alexandria get?
About 1.5 inches in a normal winter at Carthage, TN, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Alexandria?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 44 days a year reach 90° (Carthage, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Alexandria?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 201 frost-free days, at Carthage, TN.
What growing zone is Alexandria in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alexandria?
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 Alexandria 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 Alexandria.
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.