Spruce Pine, North Carolina climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Spruce Pine's normal year runs from 24°F January nights to 81°F July afternoons, with 57.2 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 11.4°C, January lows of −5°C, July highs of 27°C, 1,453 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationSpruce Pine (2 mi NE)
- Station IDUSC00318221
- Location35.93°N 82.00°W
- Elevation2,850 ft (869 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population2,192
On October 22, the normal high in Spruce Pine is 63°F and the normal low 39°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Spruce Pine.
- Jan 45° 24°
- Feb 48° 26°
- Mar 55° 32°
- Apr 64° 39°
- May 71° 48°
- Jun 78° 57°
- Jul 81° 60°
- Aug 80° 59°
- Sep 74° 53°
- Oct 65° 42°
- Nov 56° 32°
- Dec 48° 27°
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 Spruce Pine each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 81°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 24°F. The most precipitation falls in April (5.48 in), the least in February (3.54 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45°F | 24°F | 34.0°F | 4.54 | – | <1 | 25 | 10 h |
| February | 48°F | 26°F | 36.6°F | 3.54 | – | <1 | 23 | 10 h 50 min |
| March | 55°F | 32°F | 43.4°F | 5.23 | – | <1 | 18 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 64°F | 39°F | 51.6°F | 5.48 | – | <1 | 9 | 13 h |
| May | 71°F | 48°F | 59.9°F | 5.12 | – | <1 | 1 | 14 h |
| June | 78°F | 57°F | 67.1°F | 5.03 | – | <1 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| July | 81°F | 60°F | 70.6°F | 5.45 | – | 1 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| August | 80°F | 59°F | 69.3°F | 5.48 | – | 1 | <1 | 13 h 30 min |
| September | 74°F | 53°F | 63.3°F | 5.08 | – | <1 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 65°F | 42°F | 53.4°F | 3.79 | – | <1 | 5 | 11 h 20 min |
| November | 56°F | 32°F | 43.7°F | 3.85 | – | <1 | 20 | 10 h 20 min |
| December | 48°F | 27°F | 37.7°F | 4.63 | – | <1 | 24 | 9 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 64°F | 41°F | 52.5°F | 57.22 | – | 2 | 125 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7°C | −5°C | 1.1°C | 115 mm |
| February | 9°C | −4°C | 2.6°C | 90 mm |
| March | 13°C | 0°C | 6.3°C | 133 mm |
| April | 18°C | 4°C | 10.9°C | 139 mm |
| May | 22°C | 9°C | 15.5°C | 130 mm |
| June | 25°C | 14°C | 19.5°C | 128 mm |
| July | 27°C | 16°C | 21.4°C | 138 mm |
| August | 26°C | 15°C | 20.7°C | 139 mm |
| September | 23°C | 12°C | 17.4°C | 129 mm |
| October | 18°C | 5°C | 11.9°C | 96 mm |
| November | 13°C | 0°C | 6.5°C | 98 mm |
| December | 9°C | −3°C | 3.2°C | 118 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Celo (2 mi S) (13 miles away), gets 13 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00318221; 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 Spruce Pine?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August, 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 USC00318221.
When is the last frost in Spruce Pine?
In Spruce Pine, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 26 in half of years and after May 13 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 20 in half of years and before October 6 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
- April 261 year in 10 after May 13; 9 in 10 after April 10
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 201 year in 10 before October 6; 9 in 10 before November 2
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 177 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 199 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 11 in half of springs and before October 29 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Spruce Pine in zone 7a in ZIP code 28777, 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 USC00318221; 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 Spruce Pine?
In a normal year in Spruce Pine, 2 days a year reach 90°F and 125 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 125a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 10high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00318221.
How sunny is Spruce Pine?
Over a year 74% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Spruce Pine, 4.4 kWh per square metre a day. November is the sunniest month (77%) and February the cloudiest (70%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 73% | 2.6 |
| February | 70% | 3.3 |
| March | 71% | 4.3 |
| April | 74% | 5.4 |
| May | 74% | 5.9 |
| June | 76% | 6.2 |
| July | 75% | 5.8 |
| August | 76% | 5.4 |
| September | 76% | 4.7 |
| October | 77% | 3.8 |
| November | 77% | 3.0 |
| December | 71% | 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 Spruce Pine need?
A normal year in Spruce Pine brings 4,997 heating degree days, 7% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 484 cooling degree days, 47% fewer than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,824 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 959 | 0 |
| February | 797 | 0 |
| March | 670 | 0 |
| April | 403 | 1 |
| May | 179 | 19 |
| June | 30 | 93 |
| July | 6 | 180 |
| August | 9 | 144 |
| September | 93 | 43 |
| October | 364 | 4 |
| November | 641 | 0 |
| December | 848 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 4,997 | 484 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00318221. 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 Spruce Pine been warmer than normal lately?
2021 averaged 52.6°F, 0.1°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 52.5°F.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 52.6°F | +0.1°F | 51.53 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00318221. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Spruce Pine's climate compare?
Spruce Pine is warmer than 7 of the other 130 places with their own NOAA record in North Carolina, and wetter than 103. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 52.5°F is warmer than 52%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Spruce Pine is Cfb: temperate, no dry season, warm 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.
Questions about Spruce Pine's climate
What is the coldest month in Spruce Pine?
January, with a normal high of 45°F and a normal low of 24°F. The warmest is July (81°F by day, 60°F at night).
Does it snow in Spruce Pine?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Spruce Pine's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Celo (2 mi S) (13 miles away), records 13 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Spruce Pine?
April, with 5.48 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 3.54 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Spruce Pine in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Spruce Pine in zone 7a in ZIP code 28777, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Spruce Pine?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 26; in one year in ten it comes after May 13. Waiting until May 13 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
- Celo (2 mi S), NC12 miles from this station, 52.2°F a year
- Grandfather Mountain, NC15 miles from this station, 47.5°F a year
- Burnsville, NC15 miles from this station, 54.1°F a year
- Roan Mountain, TN17 miles from this station, 51.8°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made