Burnsville, North Carolina climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Burnsville's normal year runs from 27°F January nights to 83°F July afternoons, with 45.9 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 12.3°C, January lows of −3°C, July highs of 28°C, 1,165 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationBurnsville Agricultural
- Station IDUSC00311248
- Location35.92°N 82.27°W
- Elevation2,825 ft (861 m)
- Population1,626
On October 14, the normal high in Burnsville is 68°F and the normal low 43°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Burnsville.
- Jan 45° 27°
- Feb 49° 29°
- Mar 56° 34°
- Apr 66° 42°
- May 73° 49°
- Jun 80° 58°
- Jul 83° 61°
- Aug 81° 60°
- Sep 76° 54°
- Oct 67° 42°
- Nov 57° 34°
- Dec 48° 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 Burnsville each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 83°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 27°F. The most precipitation falls in June (4.38 in), the least in October (2.64 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45°F | 27°F | 35.5°F | 3.77 | – | <1 | 22 | 10 h |
| February | 49°F | 29°F | 39.1°F | 3.53 | – | <1 | 18 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 56°F | 34°F | 45.2°F | 3.77 | – | <1 | 13 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 66°F | 42°F | 54.0°F | 4.21 | – | <1 | 4 | 13 h |
| May | 73°F | 49°F | 60.9°F | 3.91 | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h |
| June | 80°F | 58°F | 69.0°F | 4.38 | – | 1 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| July | 83°F | 61°F | 72.2°F | 4.36 | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 81°F | 60°F | 70.4°F | 4.27 | – | <1 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 76°F | 54°F | 64.9°F | 4.21 | – | <1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 67°F | 42°F | 54.5°F | 2.64 | – | <1 | 3 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 57°F | 34°F | 45.4°F | 3.01 | – | <1 | 17 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 48°F | 29°F | 38.4°F | 3.82 | – | <1 | 19 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 65°F | 43°F | 54.1°F | 45.88 | – | 2 | 96 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7°C | −3°C | 1.9°C | 96 mm |
| February | 10°C | −2°C | 3.9°C | 90 mm |
| March | 13°C | 1°C | 7.3°C | 96 mm |
| April | 19°C | 5°C | 12.2°C | 107 mm |
| May | 23°C | 9°C | 16.1°C | 99 mm |
| June | 27°C | 15°C | 20.6°C | 111 mm |
| July | 28°C | 16°C | 22.3°C | 111 mm |
| August | 27°C | 15°C | 21.3°C | 108 mm |
| September | 24°C | 12°C | 18.3°C | 107 mm |
| October | 19°C | 6°C | 12.5°C | 67 mm |
| November | 14°C | 1°C | 7.4°C | 76 mm |
| December | 9°C | −2°C | 3.6°C | 97 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Celo (2 mi S) (8 miles away), gets 13 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00311248; 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 Burnsville?
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 USC00311248.
When is the last frost in Burnsville?
In Burnsville, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 24 in half of years and after May 13 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 19 in half of years and before October 7 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 241 year in 10 after May 13; 9 in 10 after April 5
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 191 year in 10 before October 7; 9 in 10 before November 3
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 180 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 203 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 6 in half of springs and before October 28 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Burnsville in zone 7a in ZIP code 28714, 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 USC00311248; 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 Burnsville?
In a normal year in Burnsville, 2 days a year reach 90°F and 96 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 2a 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
- 9high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00311248.
How sunny is Burnsville?
Over a year 74% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Burnsville, 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 Burnsville need?
A normal year in Burnsville brings 4,576 heating degree days, 15% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 635 cooling degree days, 30% fewer than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 3,168 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 914 | 0 |
| February | 725 | 0 |
| March | 614 | 0 |
| April | 335 | 3 |
| May | 151 | 24 |
| June | 15 | 135 |
| July | 3 | 226 |
| August | 4 | 172 |
| September | 72 | 69 |
| October | 332 | 6 |
| November | 587 | 0 |
| December | 825 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,576 | 635 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00311248. 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 Burnsville been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 55.3°F, 1.2°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 54.1°F. 5 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 54.9°F | +0.8°F | 40.06 |
| 2022 | 54.6°F | +0.5°F | 46.65 |
| 2023 | 55.6°F | +1.5°F | 51.09 |
| 2024 | 56.2°F | +2.1°F | 58.62 |
| 2025 | 55.3°F | +1.2°F | 42.03 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00311248. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Burnsville's climate compare?
Burnsville is warmer than 10 of the other 130 places with their own NOAA record in North Carolina, and wetter than 15. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 54.1°F is warmer than 57%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Burnsville 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 Burnsville's climate
What is the coldest month in Burnsville?
January, with a normal high of 45°F and a normal low of 27°F. The warmest is July (83°F by day, 61°F at night).
Does it snow in Burnsville?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Burnsville's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Celo (2 mi S) (8 miles away), records 13 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Burnsville?
June, with 4.38 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is October with 2.64 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Burnsville in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Burnsville in zone 7a in ZIP code 28714, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Burnsville?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 24; in one year in ten it comes after May 13. Waiting until May 13 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
- Celo (2 mi S), NC9 miles from this station, 52.2°F a year
- Mount Mitchell, NC12 miles from this station, 42.9°F a year
- Spruce Pine, NC15 miles from this station, 52.5°F a year
- Erwin, TN17 miles from this station, 55.4°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made