Cataloochee, North Carolina climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Cataloochee's normal year runs from 23°F January nights to 80°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 11.5°C, January lows of −5°C, July highs of 27°C.
- NOAA stationCataloochee
- Station IDUSC00311564
- Location35.64°N 83.10°W
- Elevation2,650 ft (808 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Cataloochee is 66°F and the normal low 36°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Cataloochee.
- Jan 46° 23°
- Feb 51° 26°
- Mar 58° 31°
- Apr 68° 38°
- May 74° 47°
- Jun 78° 54°
- Jul 80° 58°
- Aug 80° 57°
- Sep 75° 52°
- Oct 67° 38°
- Nov 58° 31°
- Dec 50° 27°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at Cataloochee each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 80°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 23°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46°F | 23°F | 34.8°F | – | <1 | 25 | 10 h |
| February | 51°F | 26°F | 38.3°F | – | <1 | 22 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 58°F | 31°F | 44.6°F | – | <1 | 18 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 68°F | 38°F | 53.0°F | – | <1 | 10 | 13 h |
| May | 74°F | 47°F | 60.2°F | – | <1 | 2 | 14 h |
| June | 78°F | 54°F | 66.1°F | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| July | 80°F | 58°F | 69.1°F | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 80°F | 57°F | 68.2°F | – | <1 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 75°F | 52°F | 63.3°F | – | <1 | 1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 67°F | 38°F | 52.9°F | – | <1 | 10 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 58°F | 31°F | 44.1°F | – | <1 | 20 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 50°F | 27°F | 38.1°F | – | <1 | 25 | 9 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 65°F | 40°F | 52.7°F | – | 1 | 131 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8°C | −5°C | 1.6°C |
| February | 10°C | −3°C | 3.5°C |
| March | 14°C | 0°C | 7.0°C |
| April | 20°C | 3°C | 11.7°C |
| May | 23°C | 8°C | 15.7°C |
| June | 26°C | 12°C | 18.9°C |
| July | 27°C | 15°C | 20.6°C |
| August | 26°C | 14°C | 20.1°C |
| September | 24°C | 11°C | 17.4°C |
| October | 20°C | 4°C | 11.6°C |
| November | 14°C | −1°C | 6.7°C |
| December | 10°C | −3°C | 3.4°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Waterville 2 (9 miles away), gets 6 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00311564; 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.
Which months are mildest at Cataloochee?
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 USC00311564.
When is the last frost at Cataloochee?
In Cataloochee, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 30 in half of years and after May 15 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 12 in half of years and before October 3 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 301 year in 10 after May 15; 9 in 10 after April 14
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 121 year in 10 before October 3; 9 in 10 before October 22
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 164 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 187 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 15 in half of springs and before October 20 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Cataloochee in zone 7a in ZIP code 28785, 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 USC00311564; 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 at Cataloochee?
In a normal year in Cataloochee, 1 day a year reaches 90°F and 131 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 131a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 7high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00311564.
How sunny is it at Cataloochee?
Over a year 73% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Cataloochee, 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 many heating and cooling degree days does Cataloochee record?
A normal year at Cataloochee brings 4,829 heating degree days, 10% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 384 cooling degree days, 58% 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 2,761 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 935 | 0 |
| February | 748 | 0 |
| March | 631 | 0 |
| April | 362 | 3 |
| May | 168 | 19 |
| June | 41 | 75 |
| July | 7 | 134 |
| August | 13 | 113 |
| September | 89 | 38 |
| October | 376 | 1 |
| November | 627 | 0 |
| December | 833 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,829 | 384 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00311564. 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 Cataloochee's climate compare?
Cataloochee is warmer than 9 of the 131 places with their own NOAA record in North Carolina. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 52.7°F is warmer than 52%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Questions about Cataloochee's climate
What is the coldest month at Cataloochee?
January, with a normal high of 46°F and a normal low of 23°F. The warmest is July (80°F by day, 58°F at night).
Does it snow at Cataloochee?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Waterville 2 (9 miles away), records 6 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Cataloochee in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Cataloochee in zone 7a in ZIP code 28785, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Cataloochee?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 30; in one year in ten it comes after May 15. Waiting until May 15 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
- Waterville 2, NC9 miles from this station, 58.0°F a year
- Waynesville, NC12 miles from this station, 53.2°F a year
- Cherokee, NC16 miles from this station, 55.2°F a year
- Newfound Gap, TN19 miles from this station, 48.8°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made