Lillington, North Carolina climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Lillington's normal year runs from 29°F January nights to 90°F July afternoons, with 46.6 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 15.8°C, January lows of −1°C, July highs of 32°C, 1,185 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationLillington
- Station IDUSC00314987
- Location35.41°N 78.82°W
- Elevation150 ft (46 m)
- Population4,848
On October 22, the normal high in Lillington is 72°F and the normal low 46°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 26%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Lillington.
- Jan 53° 29°
- Feb 55° 31°
- Mar 64° 38°
- Apr 73° 46°
- May 80° 57°
- Jun 87° 65°
- Jul 90° 69°
- Aug 88° 68°
- Sep 83° 62°
- Oct 74° 49°
- Nov 64° 37°
- Dec 55° 32°
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 Lillington each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 90°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 29°F. The most precipitation falls in July (6.59 in), the least in February (2.77 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53°F | 29°F | 40.9°F | 3.11 | 10 | <1 | 21 | 10 h |
| February | 55°F | 31°F | 43.3°F | 2.77 | 10 | <1 | 16 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 64°F | 38°F | 51.2°F | 3.24 | 11 | <1 | 11 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 73°F | 46°F | 59.7°F | 3.65 | 9 | <1 | 1 | 13 h |
| May | 80°F | 57°F | 68.4°F | 3.99 | 9 | 2 | <1 | 14 h |
| June | 87°F | 65°F | 75.7°F | 4.73 | 10 | 11 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| July | 90°F | 69°F | 79.9°F | 6.59 | 12 | 20 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 88°F | 68°F | 78.1°F | 4.41 | 11 | 13 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 83°F | 62°F | 72.5°F | 4.63 | 8 | 8 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 74°F | 49°F | 61.4°F | 3.21 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 64°F | 37°F | 50.3°F | 2.85 | 7 | <1 | 13 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 55°F | 32°F | 43.5°F | 3.46 | 11 | <1 | 16 | 9 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 72°F | 49°F | 60.4°F | 46.64 | 116 | 54 | 77 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11°C | −1°C | 4.9°C | 79 mm |
| February | 13°C | 0°C | 6.3°C | 70 mm |
| March | 18°C | 4°C | 10.7°C | 82 mm |
| April | 23°C | 8°C | 15.4°C | 93 mm |
| May | 27°C | 14°C | 20.2°C | 101 mm |
| June | 30°C | 18°C | 24.3°C | 120 mm |
| July | 32°C | 21°C | 26.6°C | 167 mm |
| August | 31°C | 20°C | 25.6°C | 112 mm |
| September | 28°C | 17°C | 22.5°C | 118 mm |
| October | 23°C | 9°C | 16.3°C | 82 mm |
| November | 18°C | 3°C | 10.2°C | 72 mm |
| December | 13°C | 0°C | 6.4°C | 88 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Dunn (9 miles away), gets 2 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00314987; 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 Lillington?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, September and October. Of those, October has the fewest days with rain (8).
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 USC00314987.
When is the last frost in Lillington?
In Lillington, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after March 30 in half of years and after April 15 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before November 6 in half of years and before October 26 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
- March 301 year in 10 after April 15; 9 in 10 after March 11
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- November 61 year in 10 before October 26; 9 in 10 before November 24
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 223 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 249 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 14 in half of springs and before November 17 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Lillington in zone 8a in ZIP code 27546, 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 USC00314987; 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 Lillington?
In a normal year in Lillington, 54 days a year reach 90°F (2 of them 100°F or more), 77 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 116 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 54a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 77a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 3high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 116a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00314987.
How sunny is Lillington?
Over a year 78% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Lillington, 4.5 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (82%) and February the cloudiest (73%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 75% | 2.6 |
| February | 73% | 3.3 |
| March | 74% | 4.3 |
| April | 78% | 5.5 |
| May | 78% | 6.1 |
| June | 81% | 6.4 |
| July | 82% | 6.2 |
| August | 80% | 5.5 |
| September | 78% | 4.7 |
| October | 77% | 3.7 |
| November | 78% | 2.9 |
| December | 74% | 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 Lillington need?
A normal year in Lillington brings 3,324 heating degree days, 38% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,676 cooling degree days, 85% more 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 4,809 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 745 | 0 |
| February | 609 | 0 |
| March | 438 | 10 |
| April | 200 | 39 |
| May | 47 | 152 |
| June | 1 | 321 |
| July | 0 | 460 |
| August | 0 | 406 |
| September | 10 | 233 |
| October | 162 | 50 |
| November | 446 | 4 |
| December | 666 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 3,324 | 1,676 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00314987. 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 Lillington been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 62.3°F, 1.9°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 60.4°F. 2 of the 2 complete years since 2024 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 63.6°F | +3.2°F | 53.89 |
| 2025 | 62.3°F | +1.9°F | 43.72 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00314987. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Lillington's climate compare?
Lillington is warmer than 73 of the other 130 places with their own NOAA record in North Carolina, and wetter than 24. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 60.4°F is warmer than 76%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Lillington 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.
Which places near Lillington share this climate record?
6 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Anderson Creek, NC14,021 people · 12 mi SW
- Spout Springs, NC11,073 people · 16 mi SW
- Angier, NC8,284 people · 9 mi NE
- Barbecue, NC5,933 people · 13 mi SW
- Buies Creek, NC3,613 people · 4 mi E
- Mamers, NC636 people · 7 mi W
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Lillington's climate
What is the coldest month in Lillington?
January, with a normal high of 53°F and a normal low of 29°F. The warmest is July (90°F by day, 69°F at night).
Does it snow in Lillington?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Lillington's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Dunn (9 miles away), records 2 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Lillington?
July, with 6.59 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 2.77 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Lillington in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Lillington in zone 8a in ZIP code 27546, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Lillington?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after March 30; in one year in ten it comes after April 15. Waiting until April 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
- Dunn, NC9 miles from this station, 62.3°F a year
- Sanford, NC16 miles from this station, 60.8°F a year
- New Hill, NC20 miles from this station, 59.2°F a year
- Garner, NC21 miles from this station, 58.6°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made