Madison, Alabama Weather
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias. Day 78 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Madison weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 5Overcast——84°60°—
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast——87°67°+3°
- SundayJun 7Light Rain45%0.15″76°67°-11°
- MondayJun 8Light Showers65%—82°67°+6°
- TuesdayJun 9Light Drizzle38%—87°68°+5°
- WednesdayJun 10Light Drizzle26%—87°69°0°
- ThursdayJun 11Light Drizzle18%—90°70°+3°
AQI 46 (Good), driven by PM2.5. AQI down 21 over the last 6 hours — air quality is improving sharply. PM2.5 at 7.1 µg/m³ (AQI 39) 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.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 30. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~100%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
- Present
- AQI 30
- UV peak
- 3.3 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- overcast
- Projected peak
- AQI 7
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 7.1 µg/m³ (AQI 39) 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).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 4:35 AM
- Moonset
- 3:05 PM
- In sign
- ♒︎ Aquarius
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias
Madison at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 18°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: March 15 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 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 — Madison
SPC has placed Madison in the General Thunderstorms category for severe thunderstorms day after tomorrow.
- TODAYNONENo severe risk
- TOMORROWNONENo severe risk
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.
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.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | — |
| May | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Madison's warmest month is July (~81°F mean) and its coldest is January (~43°F). Rainfall peaks in December (5.9 inches) and bottoms out in September (3.5 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 5.0″ | 7 |
| February | 47° | 5.1″ | 8 |
| March | 54° | 5.4″ | 8 |
| April | 63° | 4.9″ | 7 |
| May | 71° | 4.7″ | 7 |
| June | 79° | 4.1″ | 7 |
| July | 81° | 4.5″ | 7 |
| August | 81° | 3.5″ | 6 |
| September | 75° | 3.5″ | 4 |
| October | 64° | 3.6″ | 5 |
| November | 53° | 4.3″ | 6 |
| December | 46° | 5.9″ | 7 |
Regional context
Madison sits within a humid subtropical climate region — a cohort that shares similar temperature ranges, seasonal patterns, and growing conditions across nearby cities.
Similar climates: Birmingham, AL, Huntsville, AL, Mobile, AL, Montgomery, AL, Tuscaloosa, AL.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Madison?
- Madison's last spring frost typically falls around mid-March, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-December.
- What is the rainy season in Madison?
- December is the wettest month with about 5.9 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 54 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Madison?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 81°F.
- What is the coldest month in Madison?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 43°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Madison?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-March); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Madison get?
- Madison averages about 79 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Madison?
- Madison's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Madison, Alabama sits in a humid subtropical climate zone. January means hover near 43°F while July averages 81°F — a 39°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Madison receives about 54 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 79 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (34.7°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.