4 Billion Years On

Alabama Climate – July 2026 Update

Top 5 Cities: Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville, Mobile, and Tuscaloosa

Alabama climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance

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At a Glance

Temperature – Average

Alabama
United States
Global
Land + Ocean
Jul
+1.0°C· 17th
27.6°C
+1.8°C· 1st
24.9°C
+1.0°C· 2nd
17.0°C
Record
28.1°C (1980)
24.9°C (2026)
17.0°C (2024)
May–Jul
+0.5°C· 22nd
24.8°C
+1.2°C· 5th
21.0°C
+1.0°C· 2nd
16.5°C
Record
26.1°C (2010)
21.6°C (2018)
16.5°C (2024)
2025
+1.0°C· 11th
18.1°C
+1.4°C· 4th
12.6°C
+1.0°C· 3rd
15.0°C
Record
18.6°C (2024)
13.1°C (2024)
15.2°C (2024)
Headline: anomaly vs your selected baseline (falls back to the 1961–1990 mean for a column without enough history for it) · Small figure: the actual value · Record = value on record for the ranking above

Climate Map – US

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 · Temperate

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.

Warmest month
Jul 27°C
Coldest month
Jan 8°C
Annual rainfall
1390mm
Wettest month
Jun 144mm
Annual snowfall
86mmwater-equiv.
Snowiest month
Jan 18mm
RainSnow (water-equivalent)

Monthly climate normals (20162025) - 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 TimelineAlabama

Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.

MetricTemperature
10-Yr AverageActual Year

Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).

Heatwave Days – Alabama

Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.

Heatwave Days per Year2019 (Record)10-Yr Avg

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

1950202619611990 baselineColdest (1976)20162025 meanWarmest (2024)2026 so far
2026Jul
2024
WinterSpringSummerAutumnJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1950-792016-25Spr Start−4 days1950-792016-25Aut End+9 days10°15°20°25°30°
Temp
18.4°C
+1.5 vs base
Precipitation
869mm
-573 vs base
Frost
days
ENSO
RONI 3-mo mean
Playback
8×
Mode
Presets

Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).

Monthly TemperatureAlabama

All years since 19762024 (Warmest)1976 (Coldest)2026 (Current Year)

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

Latest data Jul 2026
Warmest year
2024
18.6°C
Coldest year
1976
15.9°C
2026 so far
#4/77
18.4°C

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean

Shifting Seasons

Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Cfa · Temperate

How 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 19501979); 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.

Shifting summer
12 days Longer
Warm Season
1950–1979 Baseline: 14 Apr → 18 Oct · 187 days
2016–2025 Now: 10 Apr → 27 Oct · 199 days
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Spr 3 days EarlierAut 9 days Later
baseline yr·recent yr·ring = global temp anomaly

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.

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.