Black Mountain, North Carolina climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Black Mountain's normal year runs from 26°F January nights to 84°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 13.0°C, January lows of −3°C, July highs of 29°C.
- NOAA stationBlack Mountain (2 mi W)
- Station IDUSC00310843
- Location35.61°N 82.36°W
- Elevation2,290 ft (698 m)
- Population8,572
On October 14, the normal high in Black Mountain is 69°F and the normal low 45°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Black Mountain.
- Jan 49° 26°
- Feb 52° 28°
- Mar 59° 34°
- Apr 68° 42°
- May 75° 51°
- Jun 81° 58°
- Jul 84° 62°
- Aug 83° 61°
- Sep 78° 55°
- Oct 69° 44°
- Nov 59° 33°
- Dec 51° 29°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Black Mountain each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 84°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 26°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49°F | 26°F | 37.4°F | – | <1 | 22 | 10 h |
| February | 52°F | 28°F | 40.0°F | – | <1 | 20 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 59°F | 34°F | 46.0°F | – | <1 | 15 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 68°F | 42°F | 54.7°F | – | <1 | 4 | 13 h |
| May | 75°F | 51°F | 62.8°F | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h |
| June | 81°F | 58°F | 69.7°F | – | 1 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| July | 84°F | 62°F | 73.1°F | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 83°F | 61°F | 71.9°F | – | 3 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 78°F | 55°F | 66.3°F | – | 1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 69°F | 44°F | 56.4°F | – | <1 | 4 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 59°F | 33°F | 46.1°F | – | <1 | 15 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 51°F | 29°F | 40.0°F | – | <1 | 22 | 9 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 67°F | 44°F | 55.4°F | – | 6 | 102 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9°C | −3°C | 3.0°C |
| February | 11°C | −2°C | 4.4°C |
| March | 15°C | 1°C | 7.8°C |
| April | 20°C | 5°C | 12.6°C |
| May | 24°C | 10°C | 17.1°C |
| June | 27°C | 15°C | 20.9°C |
| July | 29°C | 17°C | 22.8°C |
| August | 28°C | 16°C | 22.2°C |
| September | 25°C | 13°C | 19.1°C |
| October | 20°C | 7°C | 13.6°C |
| November | 15°C | 1°C | 7.8°C |
| December | 11°C | −2°C | 4.4°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Swannanoa (3 miles away), gets 29 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00310843; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Black Mountain?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, June, July, August, September and October.
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00310843.
When is the last frost in Black Mountain?
In Black Mountain, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 19 in half of years and after May 7 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 23 in half of years and before October 8 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 191 year in 10 after May 7; 9 in 10 after April 4
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 231 year in 10 before October 8; 9 in 10 before November 4
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 184 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 207 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 4 in half of springs and before November 1 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Black Mountain in zone 7a in ZIP code 28770, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in North Carolina · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00310843; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Black Mountain?
In a normal year in Black Mountain, 6 days a year reach 90°F and 102 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 6a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 102a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 5high of 32°F or less
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1949) is 99°F, on July 21, 1980; the lowest is −14°F, on January 21, 1985.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2004, with 68.60 in; the snowiest season is 1968–69, with 35.5 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00310843; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00310843. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is Black Mountain?
Over a year 74% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Black Mountain, 4.4 kWh per square metre a day. November is the sunniest month (77%) and February the cloudiest (70%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 73% | 2.6 |
| February | 70% | 3.3 |
| March | 71% | 4.3 |
| April | 74% | 5.4 |
| May | 74% | 5.9 |
| June | 76% | 6.2 |
| July | 75% | 5.8 |
| August | 76% | 5.4 |
| September | 76% | 4.7 |
| October | 77% | 3.8 |
| November | 77% | 3.0 |
| December | 71% | 2.3 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Black Mountain need?
A normal year in Black Mountain brings 4,266 heating degree days, 21% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 783 cooling degree days, 14% fewer than the median (908). Six months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 3,435 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 854 | 0 |
| February | 699 | 0 |
| March | 588 | 0 |
| April | 319 | 9 |
| May | 114 | 46 |
| June | 19 | 160 |
| July | 1 | 252 |
| August | 3 | 216 |
| September | 51 | 90 |
| October | 276 | 10 |
| November | 568 | 1 |
| December | 775 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,266 | 783 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00310843. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
How does Black Mountain's climate compare?
Black Mountain is warmer than 17 of the other 130 places with their own NOAA record in North Carolina. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 55.4°F is warmer than 62%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Questions about Black Mountain's climate
What is the coldest month in Black Mountain?
January, with a normal high of 49°F and a normal low of 26°F. The warmest is July (84°F by day, 62°F at night).
Does it snow in Black Mountain?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Black Mountain's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Swannanoa (3 miles away), records 29 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Black Mountain in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Black Mountain in zone 7a in ZIP code 28770, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Black Mountain?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 19; in one year in ten it comes after May 7. Waiting until May 7 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- North Carolina climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Swannanoa, NC2 miles from this station, 51.4°F a year
- North Fork 2, NC4 miles from this station, 56.2°F a year
- Mount Mitchell, NC12 miles from this station, 42.9°F a year
- Old Fort, NC14 miles from this station, 55.6°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made