Climate Comfort Score
83/100
Excellent
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 60°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Chapel Hill, NC Climate
Average temperature, precipitation, and a comfort score, drawn from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →
- 60°F
- Avg annual temp
- 83/100
- Comfort score
- 48.9"
- Annual precip
- 217d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina averages 60°F a year and scores 83/100 on the comfort index - excellent, milder than 85% of U.S. cities.
- 60°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 83/100
- comfort score, milder than 85% of U.S. cities
- 48.9"
- annual precipitation · 3" snow
- 217 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
60°F (15°C)
Avg High
71°F
Avg Low
49°F
Annual Precip
48.9"
Annual Snow
2.8"
Comfort Score
83/100
Excellent
Avg Annual Temperature
60°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
48.9"
Plus 2.8" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Chapel Hill) 83.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Excellent for the Chapel Hill area.
How Chapel Hill compares to every U.S. city
Chapel Hill's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
83 Top 15% higher than 85% 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 Chapel Hill
MethodologyHow the U.S. land temperature anomaly tracks against the global mean since 1900. The current NOAA 1991-2020 normal for Chapel Hill captures average conditions across the spread shown, the most recent decade is 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 | 51°F (10°C) | 29°F (-1°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 4.0" | 1.5" | 21.0 | 0.0 |
| February | 54°F (12°C) | 31°F (0°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 3.3" | 0.9" | 16.9 | 0.0 |
| March | 62°F (17°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 4.4" | 0.1" | 9.9 | 0.0 |
| April | 72°F (22°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 3.7" | 0.0" | 1.1 | 0.3 |
| May | 79°F (26°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 3.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| June | 86°F (30°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 4.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 9.2 |
| July | 90°F (32°C) | 69°F (21°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 4.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 16.6 |
| August | 88°F (31°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 78°F (25°C) | 4.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 11.9 |
| September | 82°F (28°C) | 62°F (16°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 5.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 4.1 |
| October | 72°F (22°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 3.8" | 0.0" | 0.8 | 0.2 |
| November | 62°F (17°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 3.5" | 0.1" | 9.7 | 0.0 |
| December | 54°F (12°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 3.9" | 0.2" | 17.7 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 4.0"
Snow: 1.5"
11.3 days with precipitation
February 3.3"
Snow: 0.9"
10.4 days with precipitation
March 4.4"
Snow: 0.1"
11.5 days with precipitation
April 3.7"
9.9 days with precipitation
May 3.8"
10.3 days with precipitation
June 4.1"
10.7 days with precipitation
July 4.8"
10.9 days with precipitation
August 4.3"
10.7 days with precipitation
September 5.4"
9.1 days with precipitation
October 3.8"
8.5 days with precipitation
November 3.5"
Snow: 0.1"
9.2 days with precipitation
December 3.9"
Snow: 0.2"
11.3 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
November 3
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
March 31
50% probability date
Growing Season
217 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
3,500
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,605
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Chapel Hill's climate means for you
Chapel Hill runs 60°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 217 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near March 31 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 3,500 heating and 1,605 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: Chapel Hill, NC
An annual average temperature of 60°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 71°F to a mean daily low of 49°F is what the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals report for Chapel Hill, North Carolina. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. That baseline comes from station USC00311677 and thirty years of averaging, so it reflects a typical month rather than any one year's swings.
Chapel Hill averages 48.9 inches of precipitation a year, with 2.8 inches typically falling as snow, and that matters as much to daily life here as temperature does. The frost-free season averages 217 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near March 31 and the first fall freeze near November 3. As for energy demand, 3,500 heating degree days and 1,605 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Chapel Hill scores 83/100 (Excellent), 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 Chapel Hill, NC? ▼
The average annual temperature in Chapel Hill, North Carolina is 60°F. The warmest month averages 90°F (32°C) and the coldest averages 29°F (-1°C).
How much rain does Chapel Hill get? ▼
Chapel Hill receives 48.9 inches of precipitation annually, including 2.8 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Chapel Hill? ▼
Chapel Hill has a climate comfort score of 83/100 (Excellent), milder than 85% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Chapel Hill? ▼
Chapel Hill has approximately 217 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around March 31 and the first fall freeze around November 3.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Chapel Hill? ▼
Chapel Hill has 3,500 heating degree days and 1,605 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 Chapel Hill climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00311677 near Chapel Hill.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00311677. 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.