Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Roanoke Rapids's normal year runs from 32°F January nights to 90°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 15.9°C, January lows of 0°C, July highs of 32°C.
- NOAA stationRoanoke Rapids Airport
- Station IDUSW00093781
- Location36.44°N 77.71°W
- Elevation256 ft (78 m)
- Population14,573
On October 23, the normal high in Roanoke Rapids is 70°F and the normal low 48°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Roanoke Rapids.
- Jan 51° 32°
- Feb 54° 34°
- Mar 62° 40°
- Apr 71° 48°
- May 78° 58°
- Jun 86° 66°
- Jul 90° 70°
- Aug 87° 68°
- Sep 82° 62°
- Oct 72° 51°
- Nov 62° 41°
- Dec 54° 35°
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 Roanoke Rapids each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 90°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 32°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51°F | 32°F | 41.4°F | – | <1 | 17 | 10 h |
| February | 54°F | 34°F | 43.9°F | – | <1 | 15 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 62°F | 40°F | 50.7°F | – | <1 | 7 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 71°F | 48°F | 59.8°F | – | 1 | 1 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 78°F | 58°F | 67.8°F | – | 2 | <1 | 14 h |
| June | 86°F | 66°F | 76.2°F | – | 8 | <1 | 14 h 40 min |
| July | 90°F | 70°F | 79.8°F | – | 15 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| August | 87°F | 68°F | 77.7°F | – | 13 | <1 | 13 h 40 min |
| September | 82°F | 62°F | 72.2°F | – | 3 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 72°F | 51°F | 61.5°F | – | <1 | <1 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 62°F | 41°F | 51.4°F | – | <1 | 5 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 54°F | 35°F | 44.3°F | – | <1 | 15 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 71°F | 50°F | 60.6°F | – | 41 | 59 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11°C | 0°C | 5.2°C |
| February | 12°C | 1°C | 6.6°C |
| March | 17°C | 4°C | 10.4°C |
| April | 22°C | 9°C | 15.4°C |
| May | 26°C | 14°C | 19.9°C |
| June | 30°C | 19°C | 24.6°C |
| July | 32°C | 21°C | 26.6°C |
| August | 31°C | 20°C | 25.4°C |
| September | 28°C | 17°C | 22.3°C |
| October | 22°C | 11°C | 16.4°C |
| November | 17°C | 5°C | 10.8°C |
| December | 12°C | 2°C | 6.8°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Jackson (16 miles away), gets 5 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00093781; 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 Roanoke Rapids?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in April, May, 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 USW00093781.
When is the last frost in Roanoke Rapids?
In Roanoke Rapids, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after March 27 in half of years and after April 8 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before November 12 in half of years and before October 31 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 271 year in 10 after April 8; 9 in 10 after March 10
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- November 121 year in 10 before October 31; 9 in 10 before November 27
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 230 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 259 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 13 in half of springs and before November 26 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Roanoke Rapids in zone 8a in ZIP code 27870.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in North Carolina · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00093781; 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 Roanoke Rapids?
In a normal year in Roanoke Rapids, 41 days a year reach 90°F (1 of them 100°F or more) and 59 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 41a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 59a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 2high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00093781.
How sunny is Roanoke Rapids?
Over a year 77% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Roanoke Rapids, 4.3 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (81%) and March the cloudiest (72%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 74% | 2.5 |
| February | 72% | 3.2 |
| March | 72% | 4.2 |
| April | 76% | 5.4 |
| May | 76% | 5.9 |
| June | 81% | 6.4 |
| July | 81% | 6.1 |
| August | 80% | 5.5 |
| September | 76% | 4.5 |
| October | 75% | 3.5 |
| November | 77% | 2.8 |
| December | 73% | 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 much heating and cooling does Roanoke Rapids need?
A normal year in Roanoke Rapids brings 3,256 heating degree days, 39% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,669 cooling degree days, 84% 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 4,839 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 732 | 0 |
| February | 591 | 1 |
| March | 451 | 7 |
| April | 200 | 44 |
| May | 52 | 140 |
| June | 2 | 338 |
| July | 0 | 457 |
| August | 0 | 394 |
| September | 14 | 229 |
| October | 161 | 54 |
| November | 412 | 4 |
| December | 641 | 1 |
| Year (annual) | 3,256 | 1,669 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00093781. 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 Roanoke Rapids's climate compare?
Roanoke Rapids is warmer than 77 of the other 130 places with their own NOAA record in North Carolina. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 60.6°F is warmer than 76%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Roanoke Rapids share this climate record?
8 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.
- South Rosemary, NC2,522 people · 1 mi N
- Enfield, NC1,791 people · 18 mi S
- Weldon, NC1,372 people · 5 mi E
- Gaston, NC967 people · 5 mi NE
- South Weldon, NC688 people · 6 mi E
- Gasburg, VA501 people · 12 mi NW
- Halifax, NC160 people · 10 mi SE
- Ebony, VA75 people · 18 mi NW
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
What do Roanoke Rapids's other NOAA stations record?
One more NOAA station keeps 1991-2020 normals in or near Roanoke Rapids. This page uses Roanoke Rapids Airport; the other differs by site and elevation:
| Station | From this station | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke Rapids station USC00317319 | 3 mi NE | 210 ft | 59.5°F | 30°F | 89°F | 49.5 | – | March 31 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Roanoke Rapids's climate
What is the coldest month in Roanoke Rapids?
January, with a normal high of 51°F and a normal low of 32°F. The warmest is July (90°F by day, 70°F at night).
Does it snow in Roanoke Rapids?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Roanoke Rapids's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Jackson (16 miles away), records 5 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Roanoke Rapids in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Roanoke Rapids in zone 8a in ZIP code 27870.
How late can frost come in Roanoke Rapids?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after March 27; in one year in ten it comes after April 8. Waiting until April 8 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
- Jackson, NC16 miles from this station, 59.0°F a year
- Arcola, NC18 miles from this station, 59.8°F a year
- Emporia, VA20 miles from this station, 59.7°F a year
- Lawrenceville, VA24 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