North Carolina climate: Statewide normals, its places and each month, NOAA 1991-2020
North Carolina's statewide normal is 59.6°F a year with 50.8 inches of precipitation (NOAA nClimDiv, 1991-2020); it has warmed 1.1°F per century since 1895, and 2019 was its warmest year.
- Statewide normal temperature
- 59.6°Fyear, 1991-2020
- Statewide normal precipitation
- 50.8 inyear, 1991-2020
- Last five years against normal
- +0.8°F2021-2025 mean 60.4°F
- Places with normals
- 187131 Census places, 56 other stations
What is North Carolina's weather like each month?
Statewide, July is the warmest month and January the coldest. Each month has its own page with the warmest and coolest places that month:
- Jan51°30°
- Feb55°33°
- Mar62°39°
- Apr71°47°
- May78°55°
- Jun85°64°
- Jul88°68°
- Aug86°67°
- Sep81°61°
- Oct72°49°
- Nov62°39°
- Dec54°33°
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51°F | 30°F | 40.8°F | 3.93 |
| February | 55°F | 33°F | 43.8°F | 3.37 |
| March | 62°F | 39°F | 50.3°F | 4.11 |
| April | 71°F | 47°F | 59.0°F | 3.85 |
| May | 78°F | 55°F | 66.9°F | 4.02 |
| June | 85°F | 64°F | 74.4°F | 4.73 |
| July | 88°F | 68°F | 77.9°F | 5.15 |
| August | 86°F | 67°F | 76.4°F | 5.19 |
| September | 81°F | 61°F | 70.8°F | 5.29 |
| October | 72°F | 49°F | 60.4°F | 3.67 |
| November | 62°F | 39°F | 50.3°F | 3.58 |
| December | 54°F | 33°F | 43.6°F | 3.88 |
Source: NOAA NCEI nClimDiv statewide series (Climate at a Glance); data files. Statewide values are area-weighted from a 5 km grid of station data, so they differ from the simple average of a state's stations.
Has North Carolina been warmer than normal?
5 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the 1991-2020 statewide normal of 59.6°F. The record since 1895 rises at a fitted 1.1°F per century; the warmest year was 2019 (61.3°F).
| Year | Mean | Against normal |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 60.2°F | +0.7°F |
| 2022 | 59.9°F | +0.4°F |
| 2023 | 60.8°F | +1.2°F |
| 2024 | 61.1°F | +1.6°F |
| 2025 | 60.0°F | +0.4°F |
Source: NOAA NCEI nClimDiv statewide annual series.
Where is it warmest, wettest and snowiest in North Carolina?
Among the places PlainClimate covers, Cedar Island has the warmest year (66.6°F) and Mount Mitchell the coolest (42.9°F); Lake Toxaway (2 mi SW) is the wettest (96.3 in) and Monroe the driest (37.9 in), and Mount Mitchell gets the most snow (89 in).
| Place | Year | July high | January low | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 61.4°F | 90°F | 32°F | 43.6 | 4 | March 30 |
| Raleigh | 61.2°F | 91°F | 32°F | 46.1 | 5 | March 31 |
| Greensboro | 59.6°F | 89°F | 30°F | 44.0 | 7 | March 30 |
| Durham | 58.3°F | 87°F | 28°F | 48.6 | – | April 2 |
| Winston-Salem | 59.5°F | 88°F | 31°F | 43.2 | – | March 26 |
| Fayetteville | 63.0°F | 91°F | 34°F | 44.6 | – | March 22 |
| Cary | 59.7°F | 88°F | 31°F | 48.8 | – | March 31 |
| Wilmington | 64.4°F | 90°F | 36°F | 60.1 | 1 | March 19 |
| High Point | 61.0°F | 89°F | 32°F | 48.3 | 2 | March 30 |
| Concord | 60.7°F | 92°F | 29°F | 47.9 | 3 | April 1 |
| Greenville | 62.1°F | 90°F | 33°F | 53.4 | 3 | March 27 |
| Asheville | 57.3°F | 85°F | 29°F | 49.6 | 10 | April 9 |
| Gastonia | 62.1°F | 91°F | 33°F | 43.3 | – | March 24 |
| Apex | 60.1°F | 89°F | 31°F | 48.3 | 5 | March 27 |
| Jacksonville | 62.5°F | 90°F | 32°F | 58.9 | – | March 31 |
| Chapel Hill | 60.6°F | 90°F | 32°F | 43.6 | – | March 29 |
| Burlington | 60.7°F | 91°F | 30°F | 43.3 | – | April 1 |
| Rocky Mount | 60.5°F | 91°F | 31°F | 44.4 | – | April 1 |
| Wilson | 61.6°F | 90°F | 33°F | 50.3 | 2 | March 22 |
| Hickory | 59.0°F | 87°F | 30°F | 47.1 | – | March 31 |
| Monroe | 61.2°F | 91°F | 32°F | 37.9 | – | March 31 |
| Garner | 58.6°F | 88°F | 28°F | 50.7 | – | April 1 |
| Salisbury | 59.3°F | 88°F | 29°F | 43.7 | 2 | April 6 |
| Goldsboro | 63.3°F | 91°F | 35°F | 52.3 | 2 | March 15 |
| New Bern | 62.7°F | 90°F | 34°F | 53.0 | – | March 23 |
| Sanford | 60.8°F | 90°F | 31°F | 46.9 | 2 | April 10 |
| Clayton | 59.9°F | 89°F | 30°F | 52.1 | 3 | April 7 |
| Statesville | 57.4°F | 87°F | 26°F | 46.6 | 5 | April 16 |
| Asheboro | 59.0°F | 88°F | 29°F | 46.6 | – | April 5 |
| Shelby | 59.2°F | 91°F | 27°F | 50.4 | 4 | April 12 |
| Carrboro | 59.7°F | 90°F | 29°F | 48.9 | 3 | March 31 |
| Boone | 50.2°F | 79°F | 22°F | 59.1 | 26 | May 2 |
| Lexington | 59.3°F | 89°F | 28°F | 45.5 | 3 | April 11 |
| Kinston | 63.6°F | 91°F | 35°F | 52.9 | 1 | March 25 |
| Graham | 59.5°F | 90°F | 29°F | 47.2 | – | April 4 |
| Elizabeth City | 61.4°F | 88°F | 33°F | 46.5 | – | March 28 |
| Lumberton | 63.5°F | 91°F | 35°F | 42.6 | – | March 24 |
| Lenoir | 57.9°F | 88°F | 27°F | 49.7 | 4 | April 7 |
| Morganton | 57.9°F | 88°F | 28°F | 51.5 | 5 | April 7 |
| Havelock | 64.3°F | 90°F | 36°F | 57.4 | 1 | March 19 |
| Albemarle | 60.3°F | 89°F | 31°F | 48.3 | 1 | March 29 |
| Hendersonville | 56.0°F | 85°F | 27°F | 59.0 | 7 | April 14 |
| Eden | 57.5°F | 89°F | 27°F | 47.1 | 5 | April 11 |
| Laurinburg | 63.4°F | 92°F | 34°F | 40.2 | – | March 25 |
| Henderson | 58.2°F | 90°F | 26°F | 48.6 | 2 | April 16 |
| Reidsville | 58.1°F | 88°F | 29°F | 47.8 | 7 | April 5 |
| Roanoke Rapids | 60.6°F | 90°F | 32°F | – | – | March 27 |
| Smithfield | 61.6°F | 92°F | 31°F | 49.4 | 1 | March 29 |
| Myrtle Grove | 64.1°F | 90°F | 36°F | 65.1 | – | March 20 |
| Lincolnton | 59.8°F | 89°F | 30°F | 49.5 | 6 | April 9 |
| Tarboro | 60.4°F | 89°F | 30°F | 47.6 | 5 | March 30 |
| Waynesville | 53.2°F | 82°F | 24°F | 50.2 | 11 | April 30 |
| Mount Airy | 55.5°F | 86°F | 25°F | 50.5 | 8 | April 19 |
| Morehead City | 63.2°F | 86°F | 36°F | 61.2 | 1 | March 18 |
| Washington | 61.9°F | 89°F | 34°F | 53.0 | 1 | March 22 |
| Oxford | 59.4°F | 89°F | 30°F | 46.6 | – | March 30 |
| Dunn | 62.3°F | 92°F | 32°F | 50.1 | 2 | March 28 |
| Black Mountain | 55.4°F | 84°F | 26°F | – | – | April 19 |
| Clinton | 61.5°F | 90°F | 32°F | 51.0 | 2 | March 26 |
| Roxboro | 58.2°F | 89°F | 26°F | 47.3 | 3 | April 15 |
| Fletcher | 55.2°F | 84°F | 25°F | 53.9 | 9 | April 18 |
| Siler City | 59.4°F | 89°F | 30°F | 45.9 | 2 | March 31 |
| Brevard | 55.2°F | 83°F | 25°F | 75.6 | 7 | April 21 |
| Marion | 57.9°F | 85°F | 28°F | 56.6 | 7 | April 5 |
| Forest City | 58.7°F | 89°F | 27°F | 52.1 | – | April 11 |
| Cullowhee | 56.1°F | 85°F | 26°F | 54.2 | 4 | April 19 |
| Mocksville | 57.1°F | 88°F | 25°F | 46.9 | 5 | April 15 |
| Swannanoa | 51.4°F | 76°F | 25°F | 53.0 | 29 | April 22 |
| Hamlet | 62.9°F | 92°F | 33°F | 49.5 | 1 | March 30 |
| Shallotte | 63.4°F | 87°F | 36°F | 56.5 | – | March 20 |
| Williamston | 61.4°F | 89°F | 33°F | 53.2 | 1 | March 20 |
| Wadesboro | 61.7°F | 91°F | 32°F | 47.8 | 3 | March 24 |
| Surf City | 62.1°F | 88°F | 34°F | – | – | March 26 |
| Beaufort | 63.8°F | 87°F | 38°F | 55.7 | – | March 10 |
| Lillington | 60.4°F | 90°F | 29°F | 46.6 | – | March 30 |
| Randleman | 58.7°F | 88°F | 27°F | 45.5 | 5 | March 29 |
| Whiteville | 61.8°F | 90°F | 32°F | 50.9 | 1 | March 29 |
| Raeford | 60.4°F | 90°F | 30°F | 48.6 | 3 | April 3 |
| Newport | 62.0°F | 87°F | 34°F | 60.6 | – | March 26 |
| Mount Olive | 61.1°F | 89°F | 31°F | 49.4 | – | March 28 |
| Edenton | 62.1°F | 89°F | 34°F | 51.0 | 2 | March 24 |
| North Wilkesboro | 57.2°F | 87°F | 27°F | 51.7 | 6 | April 10 |
| Franklin | 56.1°F | 84°F | 26°F | 55.5 | 3 | April 17 |
| Southport | 65.0°F | 92°F | 36°F | 54.6 | – | March 24 |
| Elkin | 56.0°F | 87°F | 23°F | 49.0 | 3 | April 15 |
| Rural Hall | 57.4°F | 87°F | 28°F | – | – | April 6 |
| Wallace | 62.0°F | 91°F | 31°F | 57.2 | 1 | April 1 |
| Louisburg | 59.1°F | 90°F | 28°F | 48.3 | 2 | April 11 |
| Elizabethtown | 62.1°F | 91°F | 32°F | 53.3 | – | March 29 |
| Plymouth | 62.1°F | 89°F | 34°F | 54.6 | 1 | March 31 |
| Yadkinville | 56.6°F | 87°F | 25°F | 46.6 | 7 | April 16 |
| Carthage | 60.7°F | 90°F | 31°F | 47.8 | 1 | April 1 |
| Warsaw | 59.2°F | 88°F | 30°F | 52.0 | 2 | April 7 |
| Richlands | 60.9°F | 90°F | 32°F | 55.5 | – | April 5 |
| Taylorsville | 58.3°F | 87°F | 29°F | 52.6 | 4 | April 2 |
| Murfreesboro | 58.5°F | 88°F | 29°F | 49.6 | 3 | April 6 |
| Spruce Pine | 52.5°F | 81°F | 24°F | 57.2 | – | April 26 |
| Sparta | 52.6°F | 84°F | 22°F | 57.1 | 19 | April 22 |
| Bent Creek | 54.4°F | 84°F | 25°F | 52.0 | – | April 26 |
| Yanceyville | 58.9°F | 90°F | 29°F | 48.1 | 9 | March 31 |
| Andrews | 56.8°F | 86°F | 27°F | – | – | April 17 |
| Murphy | 56.7°F | 87°F | 25°F | 59.3 | 4 | April 22 |
| Jefferson | 51.1°F | 81°F | 22°F | 51.0 | 14 | May 7 |
| Cherokee | 55.2°F | 83°F | 26°F | 56.7 | 7 | April 17 |
| Burnsville | 54.1°F | 83°F | 27°F | 45.9 | – | April 24 |
| Tryon | 59.6°F | 86°F | 32°F | 64.3 | 5 | March 27 |
| Manteo | 61.6°F | 86°F | 36°F | 46.5 | 1 | March 15 |
| Snow Hill | 61.7°F | 91°F | 32°F | 50.6 | – | March 26 |
| Bryson City | 55.8°F | 84°F | 26°F | 58.6 | – | April 16 |
| Atlantic Beach | 64.1°F | 86°F | 39°F | 59.0 | – | March 3 |
| Belhaven | 61.6°F | 89°F | 33°F | 52.3 | 1 | March 25 |
| Lake Lure | 58.5°F | 88°F | 28°F | 59.3 | 3 | April 5 |
| Blowing Rock | 49.8°F | 77°F | 21°F | – | – | April 25 |
| Banner Elk | 50.1°F | 77°F | 22°F | 53.8 | 31 | April 30 |
| Bayboro | 61.8°F | 88°F | 34°F | 58.8 | 1 | March 30 |
| Highlands | 50.9°F | 78°F | 24°F | 88.3 | 10 | April 30 |
| Old Fort | 55.6°F | 85°F | 25°F | 55.9 | – | April 21 |
| Marshall | 54.4°F | 85°F | 24°F | 41.6 | 26 | April 28 |
| Catawba | 60.1°F | 89°F | 31°F | 46.6 | – | March 24 |
| Ocracoke | 63.0°F | 85°F | 40°F | 58.3 | 2 | March 1 |
| Beech Mountain | 45.8°F | 69°F | 20°F | 57.8 | 67 | May 6 |
| Frisco | 64.4°F | 87°F | 40°F | 61.6 | – | March 1 |
| Columbia | 60.8°F | 88°F | 33°F | 55.3 | – | March 29 |
| Robbinsville | 55.0°F | 83°F | 26°F | 63.6 | – | April 13 |
| Hot Springs | 58.0°F | 87°F | 29°F | 46.7 | 6 | April 11 |
| Hayesville | 55.5°F | 84°F | 24°F | – | – | April 21 |
| Aurora | 63.3°F | 89°F | 36°F | 51.6 | 0 | March 8 |
| Jackson | 59.0°F | 89°F | 29°F | 50.9 | 5 | April 5 |
| Fairfield | 60.2°F | 89°F | 29°F | 54.1 | – | April 7 |
| Jackson Springs | 61.5°F | 90°F | 33°F | 48.1 | 3 | March 25 |
| Danbury | 57.8°F | 87°F | 29°F | 47.4 | 9 | April 11 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
What are North Carolina's all-time weather records?
The official state records, reviewed by NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee: from 110°F to −34°F.
| Record | Value | Where | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest temperature | 110°F | Fayetteville | August 21, 1983 |
| Lowest temperature | −34°F | Mount Mitchell | January 21, 1985 |
| Most precipitation in 24 hours | 22.22 in | Altapass | July 15, 1916 |
| Most snow in 24 hours | 36 in | Mt. Mitchell | March 13, 1993 |
| Deepest snow on the ground | 50 in | Mount Mitchell (tied 5 times; the latest shown) | March 14, 1993 |
Source: NOAA NCEI State Climate Extremes Committee records.
Which large cities in North Carolina have no climate record of their own?
These 4 cities of 50,000 or more have no NOAA record with 1991-2020 normals under their own name; each page compares the nearest records, with their distance and elevation.
- Huntersville67,087 people
- Kannapolis60,521 people
- Wake Forest56,764 people
- Mooresville52,884 people
Which other NOAA stations in North Carolina keep normals?
56 stations in North Carolina that are not a town's own record keep 1991-2020 normals too: reservoirs and dams, parks and forests, research farms, remote sites and the second stations of towns (those are shown on the town's page). Each with its normal yearly mean:
- Arcola59.8°F
- Asheville (13 mi S)55.4°F
- Asheville (8 mi SSW)54.5°F
- Asheville station57.3°F
- Burlington Fire Station #560.5°F
- Candler (1 mi W)55.1°F
- Cane Creek Reservoir58.6°F
- Cape Hatteras Airport64.8°F
- Cataloochee52.7°F
- Cedar Island66.6°F
- Celo (2 mi S)52.2°F
- Chatham Water Treatment Plant60.4°F
- Clayton (3 mi E)60.6°F
- Coweeta Experiment Station56.6°F
- Durham (11 mi W)59.1°F
- Elizabeth City station62.3°F
- Enka56.0°F
- Falls Lake58.1°F
- Fayetteville (PWC)61.9°F
- Flat Springs (1 mi E)52.2°F
- Gastonia station61.8°F
- Goldsboro Agricultural (1 mi N)60.7°F
- Grandfather Mountain47.5°F
- Greensboro Water Treatment Plant59.8°F
- Henderson (4 mi NNE)59.7°F
- Hofmann Forest60.4°F
- Kinston (7 mi SE)61.2°F
- Lake Toxaway (2 mi SW)54.3°F
- Laurinburg station63.7°F
- Lewiston61.1°F
- Longwood62.6°F
- Lumber River State Park61.6°F
- Lumberton station62.5°F
- Monroe (2 mi SE)60.9°F
- Moores Creek National Battlefield62.7°F
- Mount Mitchell42.9°F
- New Hill59.2°F
- New River McAf63.6°F
- North Fork 256.2°F
- Perrytown63.0°F
- Pfafftown57.6°F
- Pisgah Forest (3 mi NE)55.6°F
- Raleigh (4 mi SW)61.8°F
- Raleigh State University61.1°F
- Reelsboro63.3°F
- Roanoke Rapids station59.5°F
- Rocky Mount (8 mi ESE)59.9°F
- Salisbury (9 mi WNW)58.6°F
- Swanquarter Ferry63.1°F
- Tapoco56.8°F
- Transou50.4°F
- Vale Agricultural (2 mi SW)57.7°F
- Waterville 258.0°F
- West Kerr Scott Resv57.8°F
- Willard (4 mi SW)61.6°F
- Wilmington (7 mi N)62.4°F
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station.
Next
- Frost dates in North CarolinaLast spring and first autumn frost at every station
- Every stateCompare the statewide normals
- Cedar Island66.6°F a year, 59.5 in of precipitation
- Mount Mitchell42.9°F a year, 81.1 in of precipitation
- Lake Toxaway (2 mi SW)54.3°F a year, 96.3 in of precipitation
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