Bryson City, North Carolina climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Bryson City's normal year runs from 26°F January nights to 84°F July afternoons, with 58.6 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 13.2°C, January lows of −3°C, July highs of 29°C, 1,488 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationBryson City 4
- Station IDUSC00311165
- Location35.45°N 83.46°W
- Elevation1,985 ft (605 m)
- Population1,522
On October 23, the normal high in Bryson City is 68°F and the normal low 41°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Bryson City.
- Jan 48° 26°
- Feb 52° 29°
- Mar 60° 34°
- Apr 69° 42°
- May 75° 51°
- Jun 80° 60°
- Jul 84° 63°
- Aug 83° 62°
- Sep 78° 56°
- Oct 70° 44°
- Nov 60° 34°
- Dec 50° 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 Bryson City each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 84°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 26°F. The most precipitation falls in December (6.14 in), the least in October (3.21 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48°F | 26°F | 36.9°F | 5.26 | – | <1 | 22 | 10 h |
| February | 52°F | 29°F | 40.2°F | 5.31 | – | <1 | 18 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 60°F | 34°F | 47.0°F | 5.44 | – | <1 | 13 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 69°F | 42°F | 55.4°F | 4.96 | – | <1 | 4 | 13 h |
| May | 75°F | 51°F | 63.0°F | 5.20 | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h |
| June | 80°F | 60°F | 69.9°F | 5.06 | – | 1 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| July | 84°F | 63°F | 73.3°F | 5.06 | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 83°F | 62°F | 72.6°F | 4.38 | – | 1 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 78°F | 56°F | 67.3°F | 4.08 | – | <1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 70°F | 44°F | 56.9°F | 3.21 | – | <1 | 4 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 60°F | 34°F | 47.1°F | 4.50 | – | <1 | 16 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 50°F | 29°F | 39.9°F | 6.14 | – | <1 | 18 | 9 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 67°F | 44°F | 55.8°F | 58.60 | – | 4 | 96 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9°C | −3°C | 2.7°C | 134 mm |
| February | 11°C | −2°C | 4.6°C | 135 mm |
| March | 16°C | 1°C | 8.3°C | 138 mm |
| April | 20°C | 6°C | 13.0°C | 126 mm |
| May | 24°C | 11°C | 17.2°C | 132 mm |
| June | 27°C | 15°C | 21.1°C | 129 mm |
| July | 29°C | 17°C | 22.9°C | 129 mm |
| August | 28°C | 17°C | 22.6°C | 111 mm |
| September | 26°C | 14°C | 19.6°C | 104 mm |
| October | 21°C | 7°C | 13.8°C | 82 mm |
| November | 16°C | 1°C | 8.4°C | 114 mm |
| December | 10°C | −1°C | 4.4°C | 156 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Cherokee (9 miles away), gets 7 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00311165; 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 Bryson City?
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 USC00311165.
When is the last frost in Bryson City?
In Bryson City, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 16 in half of years and after May 2 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 24 in half of years and before October 11 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 161 year in 10 after May 2; 9 in 10 after April 1
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 241 year in 10 before October 11; 9 in 10 before November 6
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 189 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 214 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 3 in half of springs and before November 2 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Bryson City in zone 7b in ZIP code 28713, 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 USC00311165; 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 Bryson City?
In a normal year in Bryson City, 4 days a year reach 90°F and 96 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 4a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 96a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 5high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00311165.
How sunny is Bryson City?
Over a year 73% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Bryson City, 4.3 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (77%) and February the cloudiest (65%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 69% | 2.5 |
| February | 65% | 3.0 |
| March | 69% | 4.1 |
| April | 73% | 5.3 |
| May | 74% | 5.8 |
| June | 76% | 6.1 |
| July | 75% | 5.8 |
| August | 77% | 5.4 |
| September | 76% | 4.7 |
| October | 76% | 3.8 |
| November | 76% | 2.9 |
| December | 68% | 2.2 |
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 Bryson City need?
A normal year in Bryson City brings 4,173 heating degree days, 22% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 838 cooling degree days, 8% fewer than the median (908). Five months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 3,552 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 872 | 0 |
| February | 696 | 0 |
| March | 558 | 0 |
| April | 297 | 9 |
| May | 113 | 51 |
| June | 9 | 156 |
| July | 1 | 258 |
| August | 1 | 236 |
| September | 42 | 111 |
| October | 267 | 16 |
| November | 538 | 1 |
| December | 780 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,173 | 838 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00311165. 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.
Has Bryson City been warmer than normal lately?
2022 averaged 56.7°F, 0.9°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 55.8°F. 2 of the 2 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 56.8°F | +1.0°F | 62.16 |
| 2022 | 56.7°F | +0.9°F | 57.72 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00311165. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Bryson City's climate compare?
Bryson City is warmer than 21 of the other 130 places with their own NOAA record in North Carolina, and wetter than 107. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 55.8°F is warmer than 63%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Bryson City is Cfa: temperate, no dry season, hot summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Questions about Bryson City's climate
What is the coldest month in Bryson City?
January, with a normal high of 48°F and a normal low of 26°F. The warmest is July (84°F by day, 63°F at night).
Does it snow in Bryson City?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Bryson City's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Cherokee (9 miles away), records 7 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Bryson City?
December, with 6.14 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is October with 3.21 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Bryson City in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Bryson City in zone 7b in ZIP code 28713, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Bryson City?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 16; in one year in ten it comes after May 2. Waiting until May 2 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
- Cherokee, NC9 miles from this station, 55.2°F a year
- Newfound Gap, TN11 miles from this station, 48.8°F a year
- Robbinsville, NC14 miles from this station, 55.0°F a year
- Mount Leconte, TN14 miles from this station, 42.2°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made