Climate Comfort Score
77/100
Good
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 64°F annual avg 3 stations
Wilmington, NC Climate
Average temperature, precipitation, and a comfort score, drawn from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →
- 64°F
- Avg annual temp
- 77/100
- Comfort score
- 60.1"
- Annual precip
- 246d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 3 weather stations (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina averages 64°F a year and scores 77/100 on the comfort index - good, milder than 72% of U.S. cities.
- 64°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 77/100
- comfort score, milder than 72% of U.S. cities
- 60.1"
- annual precipitation · 1" snow
- 246 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
64°F (18°C)
Avg High
74°F
Avg Low
54°F
Annual Precip
60.1"
Annual Snow
0.9"
Comfort Score
77/100
Good
Avg Annual Temperature
64°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
60.1"
Plus 0.9" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Wilmington) 77.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Good for the Wilmington area.
How Wilmington compares to every U.S. city
Wilmington's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
77 Top 28% higher than 72% 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 Wilmington
MethodologyHow the U.S. land temperature anomaly tracks against the global mean since 1900. The current NOAA 1991-2020 normal for Wilmington captures average conditions across the spread shown, the most recent decade is 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 | 57°F (14°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 3.8" | 0.7" | 12.6 | 0.0 |
| February | 60°F (16°C) | 38°F (4°C) | 49°F (10°C) | 3.5" | 0.2" | 8.4 | 0.0 |
| March | 67°F (19°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 4.0" | 0.0" | 3.9 | 0.0 |
| April | 75°F (24°C) | 53°F (11°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 3.1" | 0.0" | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| May | 81°F (27°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 4.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 2.5 |
| June | 87°F (31°C) | 69°F (21°C) | 78°F (26°C) | 5.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 9.7 |
| July | 90°F (32°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 82°F (28°C) | 6.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 16.6 |
| August | 88°F (31°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 80°F (27°C) | 8.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 11.7 |
| September | 84°F (29°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 8.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 3.8 |
| October | 76°F (24°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 4.7" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| November | 67°F (20°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 3.6" | 0.0" | 2.9 | 0.0 |
| December | 60°F (16°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9.2 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 3.8"
Snow: 0.7"
9.9 days with precipitation
February 3.5"
Snow: 0.2"
9.5 days with precipitation
March 4.0"
9.6 days with precipitation
April 3.1"
7.7 days with precipitation
May 4.5"
9.6 days with precipitation
June 5.7"
11.2 days with precipitation
July 6.9"
13.2 days with precipitation
August 8.2"
13.9 days with precipitation
September 8.7"
10.7 days with precipitation
October 4.7"
8.0 days with precipitation
November 3.6"
8.5 days with precipitation
December 3.7"
9.9 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
November 20
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
March 19
50% probability date
Growing Season
246 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
2,326
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
2,133
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Wilmington's climate means for you
Wilmington runs 64°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 246 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near March 19 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 2,326 heating and 2,133 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: Wilmington, NC
Wilmington, North Carolina runs an annual average of 64°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 74°F to a mean daily low of 54°F, per NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. Drawn from 3 weather stations, 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 Wilmington should weigh precipitation alongside temperature: the annual average runs 60.1 inches, with 0.9 inches typically falling as snow. The frost-free season averages 246 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near March 19 and the first fall freeze near November 20. And on the energy front, 2,326 heating degree days and 2,133 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Wilmington scores 77/100 (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 Wilmington, NC? ▼
The average annual temperature in Wilmington, North Carolina is 64°F. The warmest month averages 90°F (32°C) and the coldest averages 36°F (2°C).
How much rain does Wilmington get? ▼
Wilmington receives 60.1 inches of precipitation annually, including 0.9 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Wilmington? ▼
Wilmington has a climate comfort score of 77/100 (Good), milder than 72% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Wilmington? ▼
Wilmington has approximately 246 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around March 19 and the first fall freeze around November 20.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Wilmington? ▼
Wilmington has 2,326 heating degree days and 2,133 cooling degree days annually, a fairly balanced heating/cooling split. 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 Wilmington climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from 3 weather stations near Wilmington.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USW00013748. 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.