Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Precipitation in Gadsden tops that of 93% of U.S. towns: 55 inches a year
January nights here settle around 29°. Temperatures cover 60° across the year, low to high. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 76% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 28, with the first autumn frost due around November 4.
A year in Gadsden at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gadsden’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gadsden’s place in Tennessee beside it.
What a year in Gadsden feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 220 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 28 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Alamo 1 N, TN, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gadsden’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Alamo 1 N, TN, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 55 inches a year; March is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gadsden
68% 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 Alamo 1 N, TN.
Living with Gadsden’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
220 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 28 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 4.
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 Gadsden from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 18%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gadsden and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gadsden yet.
Climates most like Gadsden’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden, TN | 29° | 90° | 55" | 3.7" |
| Huntsville, AL | 31° | 90° | 56" | 2.4" |
| Mena, AR | 29° | 90° | 58" | 4.0" |
| Seneca, SC | 32° | 89° | 54" | 2.2" |
| Winterville, NC | 33° | 90° | 53" | 3.3" |
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 Gadsden averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Gadsden compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gadsden’s place among Tennessee’s.
Gadsden weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gadsden’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alamo 1 N, TN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 29° | 4.1" | 1.3" | 8 | 1 | 32° – 46° |
| February | 53° | 33° | 4.8" | 1.5" | 8 | 1 | 32° – 51° |
| March | 62° | 40° | 5.5" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 62° |
| April | 72° | 48° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 58° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 90° | 70° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| August | 89° | 67° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 85° |
| September | 83° | 60° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 48° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| November | 61° | 39° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 43° – 55° |
| December | 51° | 32° | 5.2" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 30° – 51° |
| Year | 71° | 49° | 54.9" | 3.7" | 95 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 51°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Gadsden’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 Gadsden’s center.
- Snow: Alamo 1 N, TN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Alamo 1 N, TN, 8 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 Gadsden’s climate
What is the weather like in Gadsden?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gadsden in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 70 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Gadsden get?
About 3.7 inches in a normal winter at Alamo 1 N, TN, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gadsden?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 70°. About 43 days a year reach 90° (Alamo 1 N, TN).
When is the first and last frost in Gadsden?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 28 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 220 frost-free days, at Alamo 1 N, TN.
What growing zone is Gadsden in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gadsden?
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 Gadsden getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gadsden.
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.