Birmingham climate
Birmingham (Alabama, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C62 °F, and about 1,369 mm54 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Birmingham climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1152 | 032 | 542 | 1164.6 | 17 |
| Feb | 1456 | 235 | 846 | 1375.4 | 11 |
| Mar | 1865 | 643 | 1254 | 1295.1 | 5 |
| Apr | 2373 | 1051 | 1762 | 1224.8 | 0 |
| May | 2781 | 1559 | 2170 | 1144.5 | 0 |
| Jun | 3188 | 2067 | 2578 | 1104.3 | 0 |
| Jul | 3392 | 2170 | 2781 | 1214.8 | 0 |
| Aug | 3392 | 2169 | 2781 | 1064.2 | 0 |
| Sep | 3086 | 1763 | 2475 | 923.6 | 0 |
| Oct | 2576 | 1152 | 1864 | 803.1 | 0 |
| Nov | 1864 | 541 | 1152 | 1024.0 | 5 |
| Dec | 1355 | 235 | 745 | 1395.5 | 13 |
| Year | 3392 | 032 | 1762 | 1,36954 | 50 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 83% | 56% | 2.7 | 10:09 |
| Feb | 83% | 62% | 3.2 | 10:56 |
| Mar | 81% | 58% | 4.3 | 11:53 |
| Apr | 79% | 51% | 5.6 | 12:59 |
| May | 77% | 52% | 6.1 | 13:53 |
| Jun | 74% | 53% | 6.2 | 14:22 |
| Jul | 72% | 56% | 6.0 | 14:10 |
| Aug | 71% | 53% | 5.5 | 13:23 |
| Sep | 70% | 46% | 4.9 | 12:20 |
| Oct | 70% | 43% | 4.0 | 11:17 |
| Nov | 75% | 46% | 3.0 | 10:22 |
| Dec | 83% | 59% | 2.3 | 9:56 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Birmingham is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 21 °C70 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 11 °C52 °F and lows 0 °C32 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 21.7 °C39 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,369 mm54 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is December (139 mm5.5 in), the driest is October (80 mm3.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 70% in September to 83% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 43%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 1 km/h (0 mph) in August to 1 km/h (1 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 9.9 hours in December to 14.4 hours in June.
Best time to visit Birmingham
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are October: average highs of 25 °C76 °F to 25 °C76 °F with 80 mm3.1 in to 80 mm3.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 11 °C52 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Birmingham
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1152 to 14 °C56 °F, lows 032 to 2 °C35 °F, about 131 mm5.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1865 to 27 °C81 °F, lows 643 to 15 °C59 °F, about 122 mm4.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3188 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 2067 to 21 °C70 °F, about 113 mm4.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1864 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 541 to 17 °C63 °F, about 91 mm3.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Birmingham compares
Compared with Huntsville, about 136 km to the north, Birmingham is on average 0.7 °C1.3 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in February (1.3 °C2.4 °F warmer).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Birmingham is the 82nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 17th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Yiwu (China, Cfa), Puyang (China, Cfa) and Guli (China, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Tuscaloosa 79 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,415 mm56 in
- Huntsville 136 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,396 mm55 in
- Montgomery 137 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,348 mm53 in
- Columbus 206 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,276 mm50 in
- Chattanooga 218 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,355 mm53 in
- Atlanta 225 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,260 mm50 in
- Sandy Springs 229 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,292 mm51 in
- Murfreesboro 261 km · 15 °C59 °F · 1,367 mm54 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Birmingham?
July is the warmest month in Birmingham, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F).
What is the coldest month in Birmingham?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 11 °C (52 °F) and an average low of 0 °C (32 °F).
When does it rain the most in Birmingham?
December is the wettest month with about 139 mm (5.5 in) of precipitation; October is the driest with about 80 mm (3.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Birmingham?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.