Mt Mitchell, NC Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Average temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, with a derived climate comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Mt Mitchell's primary NOAA station, MT MITCHELL.
The climate verdict for Mt Mitchell
Water is the standout signal in Mt Mitchell, North Carolina: 81.1 inches of precipitation in a normal year. Against that wet profile, NOAA records an annual average of 43°F. At 24/100 (below average) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 0% of scores.
- 43°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 24/100
- comfort score, above 0% of station-mapped location scores
- 81.1"
- annual precipitation · 89" snow
- 141 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Mt Mitchell: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00315923 · Mt Mitchell, NC 43°F mean · 81.1" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-WET · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 43°F
- RANK-COOL #823
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Hyder
- PRCP-WET 81.1"
- SWING-MID 35°F
- COMF-LOW 24/100
- LOAD-HEAT 8,056 HDD
- STN-1 USC00315923
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Hyder, AK (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every NC station list.
- Mt Mitchell (this station) 43°F
- Cold Elfin Cove, AK 43°F
- Hot Petersburg, AK 43°F
- Near Hyder, AK 43°F
- Near Lemon Dam, CO 43°F
Climate Living Index · Mt Mitchell
Mt Mitchell: 16/100 · grade F
Mt Mitchell publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Mt Mitchell, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 24/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 168 calendar days | 34/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 141 days/year | 19/100 · F |
| Annual temperature balance | 42.9°F · 24.6° from 67.5°F | 12/100 · F |
| Snowfall burden | 89.1 inches/year | 3/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 81.1 in · 46.1 from 35 in | 0/100 · F |
Mt Mitchell · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Mt Mitchell is a continental Köppen climate: Dfb
Coldest-month mean 25.1°F and warmest-month mean 59.6°F place this station in continental, no dry season, warm summer climates (Dfb). Class Dfb is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, no dry season, warm summer.
- Köppen code
- Dfb
- Group
- Continental
- Warmest month
- 59.6°F
- Coldest month
- 25.1°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Mt Mitchell sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Mt Mitchell's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Cooler than 88%
- Among 6,861 stations, Mt Mitchell sits in the cooler third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Top 1% wettest
- Mt Mitchell's annual total ranks in the wetter third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Narrower than 83%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Mt Mitchell is compact versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Mt Mitchell compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Mt Mitchell's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
24 0th percentile score exceeds 0% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). This entry sits in this band.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Above this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Above this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Above this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Mt Mitchell's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 35 complete annual observations from 1980 to 2023, MT MITCHELL warmed at a fitted rate of 0.27°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Mt Mitchell primary station fitted change +0.27 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34°F (1°C) | 17°F (-8°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 7.5" | 19.2" | 25.5 | 0.0 |
| February | 36°F (2°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 5.6" | 18.6" | 23.5 | 0.0 |
| March | 41°F (5°C) | 24°F (-5°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 7.2" | 18.5" | 21.0 | 0.0 |
| April | 50°F (10°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 6.5" | 7.1" | 12.7 | 0.0 |
| May | 58°F (14°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 6.1" | 1.4" | 4.6 | 0.0 |
| June | 64°F (18°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 5.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| July | 67°F (19°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 6.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| August | 66°F (19°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 7.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| September | 61°F (16°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 8.8" | 0.0" | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| October | 54°F (12°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 6.3" | 0.7" | 7.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 45°F (7°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 6.2" | 3.9" | 16.9 | 0.0 |
| December | 38°F (3°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 6.9" | 19.7" | 23.9 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 67°F around July 17, short of 90°F on every date, while 168 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 16°F near January 20.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 15, then returns to freezing around October 31, covering 168 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is July 19, when 58% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is October 25 at 33%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 164 wet dates a year.
The widest day
April 9 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 18°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Mt Mitchell.
Where Mt Mitchell Stands Nationally
This is one of the wettest normals climates ranked: about 81 inches of precipitation in a normal year, a total fewer than one station in ten surpasses.
Among the steadiest day-night climates ranked: even the widest normal daily swing holds to roughly 18°F.
Mt Mitchell earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 19.2"
14.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 18.6"
12.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 18.5"
14.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 7.1"
12.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.4"
14.2 days with precipitation
16.1 days with precipitation
17.8 days with precipitation
16.1 days with precipitation
12.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.7"
10.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 3.9"
10.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 19.7"
13.1 days with precipitation
Mt Mitchell spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 25% of the annual total and December through February 25%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Mt Mitchell has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 34.5°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: September averages 8.8" and June 5.5". The three wettest months together take 29% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
When it rains in Mt Mitchell, it arrives in quantity
81.1" of precipitation falls across only about 164 wet days here, averaging 0.49 inches each. Fewer days carry more water: the year's total is delivered in comparatively heavy events rather than persistent damp.
- Days with measurable precipitation
- about 164 a year, 45% of all days
- Average depth per wet day
- 0.49 inches
- Most wet days
- July, about 18
- Fewest wet days
- October, about 10
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, and a per-day average is not a forecast of any individual storm.
Winter brings real snow to Mt Mitchell
Mt Mitchell averages 89.1 inches of snowfall a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 28 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 89.1 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 28 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 11% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 4
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 16
50% probability date
Growing Season
141 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
8,056
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
4
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside NC closest to Mt Mitchell on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (43°F here).
- Columbia, SD 43°F · 0.0°F off
- Denio, NV 43°F · 0.0°F off
- Fullerton, ND 43°F · 0.0°F off
- Government Camp, OR 43°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (81.1" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Falls City, OR 81.2" · 0.1" off
- Valdez, AK 82.1" · 1.0" off
- Point Baker, AK 82.3" · 1.2" off
- Cloverdale, OR 79.7" · 1.4" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Mt Mitchell
heating led · wet · mid swing
Mt Mitchell's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 8,056 annual heating degree days against 4 for cooling. Its 34.5°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Only about 141 days are frost-free in a normal year. That short interval is consistent with the cold-season signal, but the measure does not predict the exact first or last freeze in any one year.
-
1. Mt Mitchell coldest normal
January
Averaging 25°F (-4°C), this month sits below freezing for the month as a whole, not merely overnight.
-
2. Mt Mitchell typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Mt Mitchell snow peak
December
Mt Mitchell averages 89.1 inches of snow a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Mt Mitchell's climate
How much snow does Mt Mitchell get? ▼
How cold does Mt Mitchell get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Mt Mitchell? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Mt Mitchell's primary station: MT MITCHELL (USC00315923). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The conservative exact name-and-state crosswalk finds no Census place match, so PlainClimate treats this as a station-mapped location and does not claim it is a municipality. No exact Gazetteer row for Mt Mitchell; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Mt Mitchell comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.