Climate Comfort Score
49/100
Moderate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 50°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Banner Elk, NC Climate
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: average temperature, precipitation, and comfort score
- 50°F
- Avg annual temp
- 49/100
- Comfort score
- 53.8"
- Annual precip
- 167d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Banner Elk
Banner Elk, North Carolina averages 50°F a year and scores 49/100 on the comfort index - moderate, milder than 18% of U.S. cities.
- 50°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 49/100
- comfort score, milder than 18% of U.S. cities
- 53.8"
- annual precipitation · 31" snow
- 167 days
- frost-free growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
50°F (10°C)
Avg High
60°F
Avg Low
40°F
Annual Precip
53.8"
Annual Snow
31.4"
Comfort Score
49/100
Moderate
Avg Annual Temperature
50°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
53.8"
Plus 31.4" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Banner Elk) 49.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Moderate for the Banner Elk area.
How Banner Elk compares to every U.S. city
Banner Elk's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
49 Top 82% higher than 18% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Banner Elk
MethodologySince 1900, U.S. land temperatures have tracked (and diverged from) the global mean - the chart below shows how. Banner Elk's current NOAA 1991-2020 normal sits within that longer spread, and the most recent decade runs warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40°F (5°C) | 22°F (-5°C) | 31°F (0°C) | 4.6" | 6.9" | 25.2 | 0.0 |
| February | 44°F (6°C) | 24°F (-4°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 3.7" | 11.4" | 22.4 | 0.0 |
| March | 50°F (10°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 4.9" | 4.8" | 18.9 | 0.0 |
| April | 60°F (16°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 4.8" | 0.8" | 9.4 | 0.0 |
| May | 68°F (20°C) | 47°F (9°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 5.1" | 0.0" | 1.4 | 0.0 |
| June | 74°F (23°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 5.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| July | 77°F (25°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 5.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| August | 76°F (25°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 4.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| September | 71°F (22°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 4.5" | 0.0" | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| October | 62°F (17°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 3.4" | 0.1" | 7.4 | 0.0 |
| November | 52°F (11°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 3.3" | 1.6" | 18.4 | 0.0 |
| December | 44°F (7°C) | 26°F (-4°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 4.3" | 5.8" | 22.9 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 4.6"
Snow: 6.9"
13.9 days with precipitation
February 3.7"
Snow: 11.4"
11.3 days with precipitation
March 4.9"
Snow: 4.8"
13.1 days with precipitation
April 4.8"
Snow: 0.8"
12.3 days with precipitation
May 5.1"
13.8 days with precipitation
June 5.1"
14.3 days with precipitation
July 5.7"
15.3 days with precipitation
August 4.3"
14.1 days with precipitation
September 4.5"
11.5 days with precipitation
October 3.4"
Snow: 0.1"
9.3 days with precipitation
November 3.3"
Snow: 1.6"
9.8 days with precipitation
December 4.3"
Snow: 5.8"
13.2 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 14
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 30
50% probability date
Growing Season
167 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
5,690
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
268
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Banner Elk's climate means for you
Banner Elk runs 50°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 167 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near April 30 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 5,690 heating and 268 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Banner Elk, NC
The NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals describe Banner Elk, North Carolina as a location with an annual average temperature of 50°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 60°F to a mean daily low of 40°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. These thirty-year averages, computed from station USC00310506, smooth out year-to-year variability and give a baseline expectation for typical conditions in any given month.
Beyond temperature, Banner Elk averages 53.8 inches of precipitation annually, with 31.4 inches typically falling as snow - a real factor for anyone planning to live, garden, or travel here. The frost-free season averages 167 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near April 30 and the first fall freeze near October 14. Turning to energy use, 5,690 heating degree days and 268 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Banner Elk scores 49/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Use the monthly tables above to plan around specific windows, shoulder seasons for mild highs and lows, peak summer for July-driven heat, or deep winter for January-driven cold. All figures here are thirty-year averages: any single year may run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal, so treat them as planning guidance rather than forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Banner Elk, NC? ▼
The average annual temperature in Banner Elk, North Carolina is 50°F. The warmest month averages 77°F (25°C) and the coldest averages 22°F (-5°C).
How much rain does Banner Elk get? ▼
Banner Elk receives 53.8 inches of precipitation annually, including 31.4 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Banner Elk? ▼
Banner Elk has a climate comfort score of 49/100 (Moderate), milder than 18% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Banner Elk? ▼
Banner Elk has approximately 167 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around April 30 and the first fall freeze around October 14.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Banner Elk? ▼
Banner Elk has 5,690 heating degree days and 268 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Banner Elk climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00310506 near Banner Elk.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00310506. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.