Alabama Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville, Mobile, and Tuscaloosa
Summary
Alabama experienced its 7th wettest May to July season on record, driven by repeated atmospheric moisture plumes and heavy early-summer downpours. While July rainfall itself dipped slightly below average overall, persistent humidity and elevated overnight temperatures kept heat index values well above triple digits across southern counties. The state's midsummer climate comes as a moderate El Niño in the tropical Pacific is forecast to peak at Very Strong between September and November, bringing expectations of a stormier transition into autumn.
This month in numbers
July 2026 brought an average temperature of 27.56°C to Alabama, a +1.2°C anomaly above the 1961-1990 baseline, ranking 17th warmest for that month on record. Maximum temperatures averaged 32.94°C (+0.5°C anomaly), while total monthly rainfall reached 108.46 mm (-25.9 mm anomaly). The broader May to July seasonal window was exceptionally wet, recording 485.9 mm of rain (+128.7 mm anomaly) to mark the 7th wettest 3-month stretch in 77 years of data. On a global level, land temperatures for the month averaged 15.8°C (+1.6°C anomaly, ranking 3rd warmest for July), while the May to July global average reached 14.34°C (+1.5°C anomaly, 2nd warmest on record).
What changed
The 3-month period highlighted a shift from wet spring conditions toward standard midsummer heat. Abundant rainfall in May (+80.2 mm anomaly) and June (+74.5 mm anomaly) gave way to drier conditions in July, yet elevated overnight minimums of 22.17°C (+1.9°C anomaly) prevented effective nighttime cooling across the state. Across the United States, July temperatures ran +1.5°C above baseline, keeping Alabama (+1.2°C anomaly) broadly aligned with national warming trends.
What’s driving change?
Regional warming across Alabama is reinforced by dynamics along the Gulf Coast and episodic trapping hot, humid air over central counties. On a global scale, climate patterns remain influenced by ENSO, where a moderate El Niño (+0.98°C RONI anomaly) is currently active. All of Alabama's 1 wildfire this year has happened in the past month, tracked on our live map at Extreme Weather tracker.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USUnited States
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp), plus GPCC (Snow, water-equivalent). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Alabama
Köppen Cfa · TemperateAlabama has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfa: Humid subtropical), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 27.3°C, while January is the coldest at 7.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1476mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Alabama
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Heatwave Days – Alabama
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Alabama
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Monthly Temperature – Alabama
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Records – Alabama
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Cfa · TemperateHow spring and autumn have shifted in Alabama. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (17.0°C, from 1950–1979); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 19.6°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+3.1°C).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Climate Systems
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Emissions & Energy
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Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Alabama
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Statewide monthly temperature and precipitation (nClimDiv).
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Alabama changing?
Alabama is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Alabama?
Alabama has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfa: Humid subtropical), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 27.3°C, while January is the coldest at 7.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1476mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Where does the climate data for Alabama come from?
Climate data for Alabama comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Alabama climate data cover?
The Alabama climate profile covers Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville, Mobile and surrounding areas. Alabama climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Alabama climate update refreshed?
The Alabama climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Alabama climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Alabama climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.