Climate Comfort Score
73/100
Good
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 59°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
- 59°F
- Avg annual temp
- 73/100
- Comfort score
- 50.4"
- Annual precip
- 196d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Shelby
Shelby, North Carolina averages 59°F a year and scores 73/100 on the comfort index - good, milder than 68% of U.S. cities.
- 59°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 73/100
- comfort score, milder than 68% of U.S. cities
- 50.4"
- annual precipitation · 4" snow
- 196 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
59°F (15°C)
Avg High
72°F
Avg Low
46°F
Annual Precip
50.4"
Annual Snow
4.0"
Comfort Score
73/100
Good
Avg Annual Temperature
59°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
50.4"
Plus 4.0" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Shelby) 73.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Good for the Shelby area.
How Shelby compares to every U.S. city
Shelby's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
73 Top 32% higher than 68% 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 Shelby
MethodologyShelby'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 | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53°F (11°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 4.3" | 1.8" | 21.4 | 0.0 |
| February | 57°F (14°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 3.4" | 0.6" | 17.6 | 0.0 |
| March | 64°F (18°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 4.7" | 0.7" | 10.8 | 0.0 |
| April | 73°F (23°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 4.3" | 0.0" | 2.2 | 0.1 |
| May | 80°F (27°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 4.3" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 1.4 |
| June | 87°F (31°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 4.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 8.5 |
| July | 91°F (33°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 78°F (26°C) | 4.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 15.9 |
| August | 89°F (32°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 77°F (25°C) | 4.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 11.3 |
| September | 83°F (29°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 4.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 5.0 |
| October | 74°F (23°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 3.7" | 0.0" | 2.4 | 0.4 |
| November | 64°F (18°C) | 35°F (1°C) | 49°F (10°C) | 4.0" | 0.1" | 13.2 | 0.0 |
| December | 55°F (13°C) | 29°F (-1°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 4.4" | 0.8" | 20.1 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 4.3"
Snow: 1.8"
9.9 days with precipitation
February 3.4"
Snow: 0.6"
8.7 days with precipitation
March 4.7"
Snow: 0.7"
10.2 days with precipitation
April 4.3"
9.1 days with precipitation
May 4.3"
10.5 days with precipitation
June 4.5"
10.9 days with precipitation
July 4.4"
11.8 days with precipitation
August 4.5"
11.2 days with precipitation
September 4.0"
7.9 days with precipitation
October 3.7"
7.8 days with precipitation
November 4.0"
Snow: 0.1"
8.1 days with precipitation
December 4.4"
Snow: 0.8"
9.7 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 25
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 12
50% probability date
Growing Season
196 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
3,559
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
1,459
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Shelby's climate means for you
Shelby runs 59°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 196 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near April 12 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 3,559 heating and 1,459 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: Shelby, NC
Shelby, North Carolina runs an annual average of 59°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 72°F to a mean daily low of 46°F, per NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. Drawn from station USC00317845, these thirty-year averages smooth out year-to-year swings into a baseline for what a typical month looks like here.
Anyone planning to live, garden, or travel in Shelby should weigh precipitation alongside temperature: the annual average runs 50.4 inches, with 4.0 inches typically falling as snow. The frost-free season averages 196 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near April 12 and the first fall freeze near October 25. And on the energy front, 3,559 heating degree days and 1,459 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Shelby scores 73/100 (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 Shelby, NC? ▼
The average annual temperature in Shelby, North Carolina is 59°F. The warmest month averages 91°F (33°C) and the coldest averages 27°F (-3°C).
How much rain does Shelby get? ▼
Shelby receives 50.4 inches of precipitation annually, including 4.0 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Shelby? ▼
Shelby has a climate comfort score of 73/100 (Good), milder than 68% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Shelby? ▼
Shelby has approximately 196 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around April 12 and the first fall freeze around October 25.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Shelby? ▼
Shelby has 3,559 heating degree days and 1,459 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 Shelby climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00317845 near Shelby.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00317845. 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.