Tuscaloosa climate
Tuscaloosa (Alabama, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C64 °F, and about 1,415 mm56 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Tuscaloosa climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1254 | 134 | 744 | 1214.8 | 15 |
| Feb | 1559 | 337 | 948 | 1475.8 | 10 |
| Mar | 2067 | 745 | 1356 | 1345.3 | 3 |
| Apr | 2475 | 1152 | 1864 | 1295.1 | 0 |
| May | 2882 | 1661 | 2271 | 1104.3 | 0 |
| Jun | 3289 | 2069 | 2679 | 1114.4 | 0 |
| Jul | 3392 | 2271 | 2781 | 1234.8 | 0 |
| Aug | 3392 | 2171 | 2781 | 1174.6 | 0 |
| Sep | 3187 | 1865 | 2476 | 963.8 | 0 |
| Oct | 2577 | 1253 | 1965 | 813.2 | 0 |
| Nov | 1966 | 642 | 1254 | 1044.1 | 4 |
| Dec | 1457 | 337 | 847 | 1425.6 | 12 |
| Year | 3392 | 134 | 1864 | 1,41556 | 44 |
“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 | 81% | 57% | 2.7 | 10:11 |
| Feb | 82% | 63% | 3.2 | 10:57 |
| Mar | 80% | 59% | 4.3 | 11:53 |
| Apr | 79% | 52% | 5.5 | 12:58 |
| May | 78% | 53% | 6.1 | 13:52 |
| Jun | 76% | 52% | 6.3 | 14:20 |
| Jul | 75% | 54% | 6.1 | 14:08 |
| Aug | 74% | 51% | 5.6 | 13:22 |
| Sep | 73% | 45% | 5.0 | 12:20 |
| Oct | 73% | 42% | 4.0 | 11:17 |
| Nov | 76% | 47% | 3.0 | 10:24 |
| Dec | 83% | 59% | 2.3 | 9:58 |
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 Tuscaloosa is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 22 °C71 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 12 °C54 °F and lows 1 °C34 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 20.8 °C37.5 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,415 mm56 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is February (147 mm5.8 in), the driest is October (81 mm3.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 73% in October to 83% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 42%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 0 km/h (0 mph) in July to 1 km/h (0 mph) in November. Daylight lasts from about 10.0 hours in December to 14.3 hours in June.
Best time to visit Tuscaloosa
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are October: average highs of 25 °C77 °F to 25 °C77 °F with 81 mm3.2 in to 81 mm3.2 in of precipitation per month.
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 Tuscaloosa
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1254 to 15 °C59 °F, lows 134 to 3 °C37 °F, about 137 mm5.4 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 2067 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 745 to 16 °C61 °F, about 124 mm4.9 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 3289 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 2069 to 22 °C71 °F, about 117 mm4.6 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 1966 to 31 °C87 °F, lows 642 to 18 °C65 °F, about 94 mm3.7 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 Tuscaloosa compares
Compared with Birmingham, about 79 km to the northeast, Tuscaloosa is on average 0.8 °C1.5 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in February (1.2 °C2.2 °F warmer).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Tuscaloosa is the 73rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 11th 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: Shaoyang (China, Cfa), Pingxiang (China, Cfa) and Jinhua (China, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Birmingham 79 km · 17 °C62 °F · 1,369 mm54 in
- Montgomery 151 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,348 mm53 in
- Huntsville 192 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,396 mm55 in
- Columbus 255 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,276 mm50 in
- Jackson 265 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,457 mm57 in
- Mobile 283 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,590 mm63 in
- Chattanooga 291 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,355 mm53 in
- Atlanta 301 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,260 mm50 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Tuscaloosa?
July is the warmest month in Tuscaloosa, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (71 °F).
What is the coldest month in Tuscaloosa?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 12 °C (54 °F) and an average low of 1 °C (34 °F).
When does it rain the most in Tuscaloosa?
February is the wettest month with about 147 mm (5.8 in) of precipitation; October is the driest with about 81 mm (3.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Tuscaloosa?
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.