Swannanoa, NC Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, plus PlainClimate's derived comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Swannanoa's primary NOAA station, SWANNANOA 2 SSE.
The climate verdict for Swannanoa
Water is the standout signal in Swannanoa, North Carolina: 53.0 inches of precipitation in a normal year. Against that wet profile, NOAA records an annual average of 51°F. At 53/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 31% of scores.
- 51°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 53/100
- comfort score, above 31% of station-mapped location scores
- 53.0"
- annual precipitation · 29" snow
- 185 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Swannanoa: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00318448 · Swannanoa, NC 51°F mean · 53.0" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-WET · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 51°F
- RANK-MID #3,156
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Saint Helens Rfd
- PRCP-WET 53.0"
- SWING-MID 36°F
- COMF-LOW 53/100
- LOAD-HEAT 5,274 HDD
- STN-1 USC00318448
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Saint Helens Rfd, OR (+ 0.2 °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.
- Hot Roan Mtn, TN 52°F
- Near Saint Helens Rfd, OR 52°F
- Swannanoa (this station) 51°F
- Cold Falls City, OR 51°F
- Near Vancouver, WA 51°F
Climate Living Index · Swannanoa
Swannanoa: 52/100 · grade D
Swannanoa publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Swannanoa, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 53/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 111 calendar days | 70/100 · B |
| Frost-free season | 185 days/year | 54/100 · D |
| Annual temperature balance | 51.4°F · 16.1° from 67.5°F | 46/100 · D |
| Snowfall burden | 28.5 inches/year | 40/100 · D |
| Precipitation balance | 53.0 in · 18.0 from 35 in | 36/100 · F |
Swannanoa · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Swannanoa is a temperate Köppen climate: Cfb
Coldest-month mean 32.7°F and warmest-month mean 68.4°F place this station in temperate, no dry season, warm summer climates (Cfb). Class Cfb is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: temperate, specifically temperate, no dry season, warm summer.
- Köppen code
- Cfb
- Group
- Temperate
- Warmest month
- 68.4°F
- Coldest month
- 32.7°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 Swannanoa sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Swannanoa's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 46th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Top 14% wettest
- Swannanoa's annual total ranks in the wetter third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Narrower than 81%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Swannanoa is compact versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Swannanoa compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Swannanoa's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
53 31st percentile score exceeds 31% 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%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). This entry sits in this band.
- 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
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41°F (5°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 4.5" | 6.8" | 22.1 | 0.0 |
| February | 44°F (7°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 3.7" | 5.8" | 19.2 | 0.0 |
| March | 52°F (11°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 4.7" | 6.3" | 15.6 | 0.0 |
| April | 62°F (17°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 4.6" | 2.5" | 6.8 | 0.0 |
| May | 69°F (21°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 4.1" | 0.7" | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| June | 73°F (23°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 4.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| July | 76°F (24°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 4.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| August | 75°F (24°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 4.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| September | 70°F (21°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 5.2" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| October | 61°F (16°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 3.8" | 0.1" | 3.4 | 0.0 |
| November | 52°F (11°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 4.1" | 1.1" | 12.9 | 0.0 |
| December | 44°F (7°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 4.3" | 5.2" | 20.8 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 76°F around July 12, short of 90°F on every date, while 111 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 24°F near January 19.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into March 12, then returns to freezing around November 23, covering 111 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 June 19, when 46% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is October 16 at 29%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 142 wet dates a year.
The widest day
April 2 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 20°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Swannanoa.
Where Swannanoa Stands Nationally
Among the steadiest day-night climates ranked: even the widest normal daily swing holds to roughly 20°F.
The normal water year runs well above the national norm at roughly 53 inches.
Swannanoa 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: 6.8"
13.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.8"
11.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 6.3"
13.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.5"
11.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.7"
11.5 days with precipitation
14.5 days with precipitation
13.6 days with precipitation
12.5 days with precipitation
9.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
8.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.1"
10.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.2"
11.5 days with precipitation
Swannanoa spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 26% of the annual total and December through February 24%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Swannanoa has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 35.7°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: September averages 5.2" and February 3.7". The three wettest months together take 28% 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 Swannanoa, it arrives in quantity
53.0" of precipitation falls across only about 142 wet days here, averaging 0.37 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 142 a year, 39% of all days
- Average depth per wet day
- 0.37 inches
- Most wet days
- June, about 15
- Fewest wet days
- October, about 9
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 Swannanoa
Swannanoa averages 28.5 inches of snowfall a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 25 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: 28.5 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 25 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 5% 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 24
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 22
50% probability date
Growing Season
185 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
5,274
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
325
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside NC closest to Swannanoa 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 (51°F here).
- Aberdeen, WA 51°F · 0.0°F off
- Astoria, OR 51°F · 0.0°F off
- Beatrice, NE 51°F · 0.0°F off
- Brockton, MA 51°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (53.0" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Bowling Green, KY 53.0" · 0.0" off
- Monticello, AR 53.0" · 0.0" off
- Rock Mills, AL 53.0" · 0.0" off
- Danbury, CT 53.0" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Swannanoa
heating led · wet · mid swing
Swannanoa's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 5,274 annual heating degree days against 325 for cooling. Its 35.7°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Swannanoa's frost-free season lasts about 185 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
-
1. Swannanoa coldest normal
January
The monthly mean of 33°F (0°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.
-
2. Swannanoa typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Swannanoa snow peak
January
Swannanoa averages 28.5 inches of snow a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Swannanoa's climate
How much snow does Swannanoa get? ▼
How cold does Swannanoa get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Swannanoa? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Swannanoa's primary station: SWANNANOA 2 SSE (USC00318448). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as a census-designated place (GEOID 3766280), not an incorporated municipality. Match rule for Swannanoa: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Swannanoa 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.