Climate Comfort Score
78/100
Good
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 61°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Muscle Shoals, AL Climate
Temperature, precipitation, and comfort score from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →
- 61°F
- Avg annual temp
- 78/100
- Comfort score
- 57.6"
- Annual precip
- 221d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals, Alabama averages 61°F a year and scores 78/100 on the comfort index - good, milder than 74% of U.S. cities.
- 61°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 78/100
- comfort score, milder than 74% of U.S. cities
- 57.6"
- precipitation, annual total
- 221 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
61°F (16°C)
Avg High
72°F
Avg Low
50°F
Annual Precip
57.6"
Comfort Score
78/100
Good
Avg Annual Temperature
61°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
57.6"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Muscle Shoals) 78.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Good for the Muscle Shoals area.
How Muscle Shoals compares to every U.S. city
Muscle Shoals's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
78 Top 26% higher than 74% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Muscle Shoals
MethodologySince 1900, U.S. land temperatures have tracked (and diverged from) the global mean - the chart below shows how. Muscle Shoals's current NOAA 1991-2020 normal sits within that longer spread, and the most recent decade runs warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51°F (10°C) | 31°F (0°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 4.9" | 19.5 | 0.0 |
| February | 55°F (13°C) | 35°F (1°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 5.2" | 13.0 | 0.0 |
| March | 64°F (18°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 53°F (11°C) | 5.3" | 5.7 | 0.0 |
| April | 72°F (22°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 5.0" | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| May | 79°F (26°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 5.0" | 0.0 | 1.9 |
| June | 87°F (30°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 76°F (24°C) | 4.8" | 0.0 | 12.7 |
| July | 89°F (32°C) | 69°F (20°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 5.1" | 0.0 | 16.9 |
| August | 89°F (32°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 78°F (26°C) | 4.5" | 0.0 | 14.9 |
| September | 84°F (29°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 4.0" | 0.0 | 8.2 |
| October | 74°F (23°C) | 49°F (10°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 3.7" | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| November | 62°F (17°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 51°F (10°C) | 4.3" | 8.6 | 0.0 |
| December | 54°F (12°C) | 35°F (1°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 5.9" | 14.0 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
January 4.9"
February 5.2"
March 5.3"
April 5.0"
May 5.0"
June 4.8"
July 5.1"
August 4.5"
September 4.0"
October 3.7"
November 4.3"
December 5.9"
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
November 3
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
March 27
50% probability date
Growing Season
221 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
3,190
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,651
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Muscle Shoals's climate means for you
Muscle Shoals runs 61°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 221 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near March 27 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 3,190 heating and 1,651 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Muscle Shoals, AL
Muscle Shoals, Alabama runs an annual average of 61°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 72°F to a mean daily low of 50°F, per NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. Drawn from station USW00063894, these thirty-year averages smooth out year-to-year swings into a baseline for what a typical month looks like here.
Muscle Shoals averages 57.6 inches of precipitation a year, predominantly as rainfall, and that matters as much to daily life here as temperature does. The frost-free season averages 221 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near March 27 and the first fall freeze near November 3. As for energy demand, 3,190 heating degree days and 1,651 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Muscle Shoals scores 78/100 (Good), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Shoulder seasons bring the mildest highs and lows in the monthly tables above, summer brings July-driven heat, and winter brings January-driven cold - use that rhythm for planning. These figures are thirty-year averages rather than forecasts, so a specific year may still run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than what's shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Muscle Shoals, AL? ▼
The average annual temperature in Muscle Shoals, Alabama is 61°F. The warmest month averages 89°F (32°C) and the coldest averages 31°F (0°C).
How much rain does Muscle Shoals get? ▼
Muscle Shoals receives 57.6 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Muscle Shoals? ▼
Muscle Shoals has a climate comfort score of 78/100 (Good), milder than 74% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Muscle Shoals? ▼
Muscle Shoals has approximately 221 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around March 27 and the first fall freeze around November 3.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Muscle Shoals? ▼
Muscle Shoals has 3,190 heating degree days and 1,651 cooling degree days annually, a fairly balanced heating/cooling split. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Muscle Shoals climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USW00063894 near Muscle Shoals.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USW00063894. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.