Climate Comfort Score
78/100
Good
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 61°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Kinston, NC Climate
Average temperature, precipitation, and a comfort score, drawn from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →
- 61°F
- Avg annual temp
- 78/100
- Comfort score
- 53.0"
- Annual precip
- 217d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Kinston
Kinston, North Carolina averages 61°F a year and scores 78/100 on the comfort index - good, milder than 74% of U.S. cities.
- 61°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 78/100
- comfort score, milder than 74% of U.S. cities
- 53.0"
- yearly precipitation total
- 217 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
61°F (16°C)
Avg High
73°F
Avg Low
50°F
Annual Precip
53.0"
Comfort Score
78/100
Good
Avg Annual Temperature
61°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
53.0"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Kinston) 78.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Good for the Kinston area.
How Kinston compares to every U.S. city
Kinston's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
78 Top 26% higher than 74% 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 Kinston
MethodologyKinston's NOAA 1991-2020 normal sits inside a longer story: U.S. land temperatures have been tracking (and drifting from) the global mean since 1900, and the chart below shows that spread, with the most recent decade running 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 | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54°F (12°C) | 31°F (0°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 3.7" | 17.8 | 0.0 |
| February | 57°F (14°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 3.2" | 14.6 | 0.0 |
| March | 64°F (18°C) | 38°F (4°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 3.7" | 8.6 | 0.0 |
| April | 74°F (23°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 3.5" | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| May | 81°F (27°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 69°F (20°C) | 3.8" | 0.0 | 3.3 |
| June | 87°F (31°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 76°F (25°C) | 5.4" | 0.0 | 10.1 |
| July | 90°F (32°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 80°F (27°C) | 6.6" | 0.0 | 16.3 |
| August | 88°F (31°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 78°F (26°C) | 6.1" | 0.0 | 11.1 |
| September | 83°F (29°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 5.9" | 0.0 | 3.5 |
| October | 75°F (24°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 4.1" | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| November | 65°F (18°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 3.4" | 8.1 | 0.0 |
| December | 57°F (14°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 3.5" | 15.7 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
January 3.7"
10.8 days with precipitation
February 3.2"
9.0 days with precipitation
March 3.7"
10.3 days with precipitation
April 3.5"
7.8 days with precipitation
May 3.8"
8.7 days with precipitation
June 5.4"
10.7 days with precipitation
July 6.6"
11.7 days with precipitation
August 6.1"
11.6 days with precipitation
September 5.9"
9.3 days with precipitation
October 4.1"
8.4 days with precipitation
November 3.4"
7.8 days with precipitation
December 3.5"
10.3 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
November 4
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 1
50% probability date
Growing Season
217 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
3,105
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,743
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Kinston's climate means for you
Kinston runs 61°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 217 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near April 1 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 3,105 heating and 1,743 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: Kinston, NC
An annual average temperature of 61°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 73°F to a mean daily low of 50°F is what the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals report for Kinston, North Carolina. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. That baseline comes from station USC00314684 and thirty years of averaging, so it reflects a typical month rather than any one year's swings.
Anyone planning to live, garden, or travel in Kinston should weigh precipitation alongside temperature: the annual average runs 53.0 inches, predominantly as rainfall. 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 April 1 and the first fall freeze near November 4. And on the energy front, 3,105 heating degree days and 1,743 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Kinston scores 78/100 (Good), 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 Kinston, NC? ▼
The average annual temperature in Kinston, North Carolina is 61°F. The warmest month averages 90°F (32°C) and the coldest averages 31°F (0°C).
How much rain does Kinston get? ▼
Kinston receives 53.0 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Kinston? ▼
Kinston has a climate comfort score of 78/100 (Good), milder than 74% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Kinston? ▼
Kinston has approximately 217 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around April 1 and the first fall freeze around November 4.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Kinston? ▼
Kinston has 3,105 heating degree days and 1,743 cooling degree days annually, a fairly balanced heating/cooling split. 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 Kinston climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00314684 near Kinston.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00314684. 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.