Alabama Annual Temperatures and Records

Alabama Temperature Records

Hottest temperature ever recorded: Centerville, central Alabama, 9/5/1925, 112 F Coldest temperature ever recorded: New Market, northern Alabama, 1/30/1966, -27 F Hottest city ranked by highest average annual temperature: Ft Morgan, southern Alabama, 69.0 F Coldest city ranked by lowest average annual temperature: Valley Head, northeastern Alabama, 57.5 F From mid July through mid September, 1980, a sustained period of extreme heat and high humidity took its toll on Alabama. The hottest day of the summer was July 17th, when over 80 percent of the state reached 100 degrees, and nearly one quarter of the state reached 105. The highest reading on that day was 108 degrees recorded in the cities of Bessemer, Aliceville, and Jasper. The summer of 2010 was a record-breaker in Alabama. Two major cities broke all-time records for the number of consecutive 90 degree days with 50 days at Birmingham and 56 days at Montgomery.

The climate of Alabama is characterized by moderate seasonality, though becoming somewhat subtropical near the coast. The summers are typically warm and humid, with little day-to-day temperature change. The average high temperatures for the summer range from 80 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit (° F). Slightly cooler temperatures prevail in the higher elevations of the northeastern counties. From late June through mid-August, approximately one-fourth of the evenings are made more comfortable by local afternoon thunderstorms, which bring cool breezes over widely scattered areas. In nearly every year, at least some locations reach highs of 100 or higher. 

In the coldest months, December, January and February, there are frequent shifts between mild air, which has been moistened and warmed by the Gulf of Mexico, and dry, cool continental air. Severely cold weather seldom occurs. Even in the northern third of the State, subzero temperatures are unusual. In the Tennessee River valley, subzero readings occur on average about once in four years in at least one location. Temperatures of 0 are recorded only rarely and briefly in the south. In the northern sections, temperatures of 10° F or lower occur on an average of about twice each winter, though in one- fourth of winters, no location falls below 10. Across the middle of the State, such temperatures occur about once a year, while they are recorded about once in 10 years in the coastal counties. For most of the state, temperatures in the winter range from 38 to 50° F during the evening. The average low temperatures during the winter can be quite cold ranging from 29 to 35° F.

Since cold air on clear nights collects in low places, there is considerable irregularity in the dates of the last spring or the first fall freezes in all sections. The length of the growing season ranges from 200 days in the northern counties to almost 300 days along the coast.

 

Alabama precipitation averages and extremes, precipitation and temperature data for all U.S. states and Top 10 U.S. climate extremes Data source: National Data Climatic Center