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Cottondale, Alabama Weather

Cicadas claim the scorching afternoon. Day 15 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Cottondale weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Cottondale, AL
Sunday, July 5 at 7:51 AM
77
°
Mostly Clear
Feels like
85°
Humidity
85%
Wind
4 mph
Sunrise
12:46 AM
Sunset
3:02 PM
Cottondale, AL
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastCottondale, AL: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 72 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit with a 28% chance of precipitation at 6 PM.
L 72°H 90°
Cottondale, AL
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Jul 5
    Overcast
    28%
    —
    90°74°—
  2. Monday
    Jul 6
    Overcast
    44%
    —
    89°72°-1°
  3. Tuesday
    Jul 7
    Overcast
    35%
    —
    95°69°+6°
  4. Wednesday
    Jul 8
    Overcast
    —
    —
    96°71°+1°
  5. Thursday
    Jul 9
    Light Drizzle
    14%
    —
    96°73°0°
  6. Friday
    Jul 10
    Overcast
    30%
    —
    99°74°+3°
  7. Saturday
    Jul 11
    Light Drizzle
    43%
    —
    96°75°-3°
Cottondale, AL
Next 24 hours · Mild now
HOT 90°68°81°94°6a12p6p12anow 77°high 90°low 72°PRECIP %
Cottondale, AL
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
NW
304° · backing 45°
Direction
NW
304°
Sustained
4
mph
Gust
6
mph
Peak 24h
9
avg 3
Beaufort · 2 · LIGHT BRZ
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 3 · pk 9 @ 7:00a
010MPHB1B2B3B4-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 111SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
A whisper of wind — leaves barely shift on the trees.
Cottondale, AL
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
1002.8
-0.9 mb in 3h · falling · 29.61 inHg
Now
1002.8
mb
3h
-0.9
mb
12h
+0.7
mb
24h
-3.1
mb
Regime · RAIN
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 1002–1007
9951000STORM|RAIN10051010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW1006.51001.71003.0
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Pressure giving way — clouds thicken and rain edges closer.
Cottondale, AL
Air quality
56
AQI
Moderate
→0 in 6h

AQI 56 (Moderate), driven by PM2.5. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). PM2.5 at 11.1 µg/m³ (AQI 55) with a 0.96 fine-to-coarse ratio and 4 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5DRIVERGood
11.1μg/m³
PM 10Good
12μg/m³
NO₂Good
4μg/m³
OzoneGood
56μg/m³
UV IndexLow
0.3

What's driving it

PM × Wind × Precip

PM2.5 at 11.1 µg/m³ (AQI 55) with a 0.96 fine-to-coarse ratio and 4 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in calm air, not road dust.

PM2.5/PM10
0.96
Wind
calm
Recent rain
0h in last 6h
Pattern
stagnant smoke

Trends

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISATSUN7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³350
Cottondale, AL
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
33%
MOSTLY CLEAR
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
26.1mi
UNLIMITED
92 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
12:51 UTC · Cottondale, AL · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
12:51 UTC · Cottondale, AL · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Cottondale, AL
Satellite · infrared · animated
Cottondale, AL
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Cottondale, AL
Almanac · Sunday, July 5
If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
Civil dawn
5:18 AM
Sunrise
12:46 AM
Daylight
14h 16m
Sunset
3:02 PM
Civil dusk
8:32 PM
Planting note
Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
Cottondale, AL
The moon
Waning Gibbous
73% illuminated
Moonrise
11:03 PM
Moonset
11:04 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Cottondale, AL
Microseason
Jul 1–5

Cicadas claim the scorching afternoon

plant
Jan 151% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Cottondale at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 77°F — typical for the season
  • Last frost: March 6 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Jul 1–5
  • Planting window: Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.

ZIP code: 35453

16-Day Forecast — Cottondale

  1. Sun89°74°28%
  2. Mon89°72°44%
  3. Tue95°69°35%
  4. Wed96°71°9%
  5. Thu96°73°14%
  6. Fri99°74°30%
  7. Sat96°75°43%
  8. Sun91°72°41%
  9. Mon91°72°25%
  10. Tue98°71°14%
  11. Wed101°74°14%
  12. Thu97°75°40%
  13. Fri88°68°42%
  14. Sat97°72°31%
  15. Sun90°74°32%
  16. Mon96°74°39%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of July 5, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

SPC Convective Outlook

Storm Prediction Center — Cottondale

SPC has placed Cottondale in the Marginal Risk category for severe thunderstorms today.

  • TODAYMRGLMarginal Risk
  • TOMORROWTSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
  • DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms

Isolated severe storms possible. Limited threat for hail or damaging wind.

Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.

January 1–5: Frost quiets the live oaks.January 6–10: Still water thickens with ice.January 11–15: Springs begin to move beneath ice.January 16–20: Cardinal dawn calls grow bolder.January 21–25: Late January thaw pulses.January 26–31: Last freeze locks the land.February 1–5: February's lengthening light.February 6–10: Warming winds thaw the margin.February 11–15: Magnolia blooms break the gray.February 16–20: Mockingbirds resume the dawn chorus.February 21–25: Rain replaces the last snow.February 26–28: Mist clings to greening valleys.March 1–5: The green pulse awakens.March 6–10: Hibernators emerge to call.March 11–15: Dogwood and redbud ignite.March 16–20: Swallowtails emerge from winter silk.March 21–25: Light crowns the dogwood canopy.March 26–31: Redbud cascades over the thaw.April 1–5: Thunder announces the wet season.April 6–10: Barn swallows carve the warming sky.April 11–15: Magnolia blooms and falls in a breath.April 16–20: First rainbows arch over thunderheads.April 21–25: Reeds push through marsh water.April 26–30: Frost retreats; seedlings rise free.May 1–5: Warblers flood the canopy in waves.May 6–10: Tulip poplar lights the forest crown.May 11–15: Shad pulse upstream through rapids.May 16–20: Roses open on the Piedmont edge.May 21–25: Fireflies scout the humid dusk.May 26–31: Frog choruses rise from every wetland.June 1–5: Fireflies pulse through the magnolias.June 6–10: Kudzu climbs deeper into green.June 11–15: Sun climbs to its northern throne.June 16–20: Heat settles and the rain begins.June 21–25: The longest day turns toward shadow.June 26–30: Fireflies drift through Spanish moss.July 1–5: Cicadas claim the scorching afternoon.July 6–10: Thunderheads boil and break at dusk.July 11–15: Thunder builds each drowsy afternoon.July 16–20: Cicadas claim the long noon.July 21–25: Dog days drape the earth in haze.July 26–31: Katydids begin their rasping chorus.August 1–5: Dusk arrives one minute earlier each night.August 6–10: Meteorological summer's turning page.August 11–15: Cool winds gather at the margins.August 16–20: Dog-day cicadas rise.August 21–25: Heat breaks in creek beds.August 26–31: Monarchs gather strength.September 1–5: Harvests begin in earnest.September 6–10: Dew beads on resurrection fern.September 11–15: Raptors trail the thermals.September 16–20: Day and dark find balance.September 21–25: Thunder quiets the land.September 26–30: Insects retreat below.October 1–5: Swamp waters recede.October 6–10: Maples ignite the ridge.October 11–15: Asters crown the meadows.October 16–20: Crickets sing at dusk.October 21–25: Frost paints the garden.October 26–31: Light rains whisper down.November 1–5: Sweetgum Turns Crimson.November 6–10: Camellia Blooms Break Through.November 11–15: Earth Stiffens Underfoot.November 16–20: Bare Limbs Hold the Light.November 21–25: First Frost Grips the High Ground.November 26–30: North Wind Strips the Last Leaves.December 1–5: Darkness Falls Before Dinner.December 6–10: Winter Locks the Land.December 11–15: Wildlife Retreats to Shelter.December 16–20: Ice Edges Deepen Inward.December 21–25: The Sun Begins its Return.December 26–31: The Year Turns in Silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

Microseason · July 1–5

Cicadas claim the scorching afternoon

Dog-day cicadas emerge in waves, their rasp dominating every sunny hour; heat peaks above 90 degrees daily.

Day 186 of 365 · Wedge 37 of 72

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
Marchlettuce, peas, spinach, radishes—
Aprillettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash—
Maytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Junetomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
July—tomatoes, beans, summer squash
August—tomatoes, beans, summer squash
September—tomatoes, beans, summer squash
Octoberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotswinter squash, tomatoes (last)
Novemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots—
December——

A year in weather

In Cottondale, July runs warmest near 82°F and January coldest around 46°F, while February is the wettest month (5.6 inches) and September the driest (3.5 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January46°5.1″7
February50°5.6″8
March57°5.5″8
April64°5.4″7
May72°4.0″6
June79°5.3″7
July82°4.9″7
August81°4.2″8
September76°3.5″4
October65°3.6″5
November54°4.8″5
December48°5.2″8

Regional context

Drawing on NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals, Cottondale's January averages 46°F and July 82°F — 36°F apart — while precipitation totals roughly 57.3 inches over some 79 days.

Cottondale's precipitation spreads evenly: February peaks at 5.6 inches on 8.4 wet days, while September holds 3.5 inches over 3.9 — no month dominates Cottondale's rain calendar. That even rhythm groups Cottondale with places like Holt, AL, Tuscaloosa, AL and Coaling, AL.

Cottondale rarely sees a hard freeze — its coldest month sits near 46°F — so planting spans most of the calendar. Heat peaks in July around 82°F, which confines cool-season crops to the shoulders of summer. Within Cottondale, low or inland lots lose 3-5°F overnight versus Cottondale's coastal ground.

Similar climates: Holt, AL, Tuscaloosa, AL, Coaling, AL, Brookwood, AL, Northport, AL.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Cottondale?
In Cottondale, expect the last spring frost near mid-March; Cottondale's first autumn frost comes around mid-December.
What is the rainy season in Cottondale?
Cottondale sees its heaviest rain in February (around 5.6 inches), part of roughly 57 inches a year.
What is the warmest month in Cottondale?
July is Cottondale's warmest month, averaging about 82°F.
What is the coldest month in Cottondale?
Cottondale bottoms out in January, with a mean near 46°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Cottondale?
Cottondale's last frost (mid-March) cues hardy greens; in Cottondale, hold heat-lovers two weeks past.
How many rainy days does Cottondale get?
Cottondale averages about 79 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
What hardiness zone is Cottondale?
Cottondale's hardiness zone tracks its winter low; with January near 46°F, check the USDA ZIP map for the exact zone.
What is the 10-day forecast for Cottondale?
Cottondale's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
Will it rain this week in Cottondale?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Cottondale in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Cottondale?
Current conditions for Cottondale and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Cottondale forecast updated?
The Cottondale forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Cottondale?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Cottondale are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
How accurate is the weather forecast for Cottondale?
The next few days in Cottondale's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

Cottondale, Alabama occupies a humid subtropical zone, with January means near 46°F and July around 82°F — a 36°F swing.

Cottondale sees close to 57 inches of precipitation annually, falling across some 79 wet days.

The 36°F gap between Cottondale's summer and winter, at 33.2°N, shapes Cottondale's frost calendar.

All cities in Alabama →

Tuscaloosa, AL weather →

ZIP codes in Cottondale

  • 35404
  • 35453

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.