Highland Lakes, AL climate
Highland Lakes has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Highland Lakes feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Highland Lakes weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 33° | 5.4" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 35° – 51° |
| February | 59° | 36° | 5.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| March | 67° | 43° | 5.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| April | 75° | 49° | 5.2" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 81° | 58° | 4.3" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 5.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 5.0" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 90° | 68° | 4.3" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 63° | 4.2" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| October | 75° | 51° | 3.5" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 41° | 4.6" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 36° | 5.2" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 37° – 55° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 58.0" | 0.0" | 88 | 0 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Highland Lakes
Highland Lakes gets 58 inches of rain and melted snow a year. March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 88 days a year.
About 236 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 21 and the first one by November 11. That leaves about 236 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 87% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Highland Lakes
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Highland Lakes, 54% of that work is heating and 46% is cooling.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Highland Lakes and its neighbors
Highland Lakes borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.1°. Shoal Creek has the coldest January nights (33°) and Hoover the hottest July afternoons (91°). Highland Lakes’s January low is 33° and its July high 90°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Highland Lakes compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Highland Lakes averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.5°). The shift is smaller than in 81% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Highland Lakes’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 37° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Highland Lakes’s climate
What is the coldest month in Highland Lakes?
January, with a typical high of 54° and a low of 33°.
What is the hottest month in Highland Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 65 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Highland Lakes get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.
When is the first frost in Highland Lakes?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 11, and the last spring frost by March 21.
What is the rainiest month in Highland Lakes?
March, with 5.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 58 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Highland Lakes itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Leeds, AL (10 mi, snow) and Birmingham Airport, AL (13 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.