Raleigh, NC

Climate overview — based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals from RALEIGH STATE UNIV, NC US.

Cfa Humid subtropical climate 8b USDA hardiness Zone 8b

Year-round temperatures (°F)

30° 50° 70° 90° J F M A M J J A S O N D
Avg high Avg low

Climate summary

Raleigh has an annual average temperature of 61.1°F with about 49.4 inches of precipitation per year and 4.5 inches of snow. The warmest month is July (average high 90.6°F), and the coldest is January (average low 31.6°F). September is typically the wettest month (5.72 in) and February the driest (2.88 in). Snow typically falls from December through February.

Pleasant months
1 / 12
avg high 65–80°F, low ≥ 50°F
Annual swing
38.7°F
warmest to coldest month
Heating need
2,976
Cooling need
1,572

Best time to visit Raleigh

Full guide →

Climate change signal

All-time records →

24 of 366 (6.6%) of Raleigh's all-time daily heat records have been set since 2015. If records were spread evenly across the station's history, only about 5% would fall in any given decade.

1890s
27
1900s
27
1910s
15
1920s
23
1930s
47
1940s
24
1950s
59
1960s
13
1970s
31
1980s
26
1990s
13
2000s
22
2010s
28
2020s
11

Bars: number of all-time daily heat records still standing that were set in each decade.

Monthly averages

Month Avg High Avg Low Avg Temp Precipitation Snow Rainy days
January 51.7°F 31.6°F 41.7°F 3.65 in 2.5 in 8
February 55.2°F 33.2°F 44.2°F 2.88 in 0.8 in 8
March 62.6°F 40.1°F 51.3°F 4.17 in 0.1 in 8
April 72.3°F 48.8°F 60.6°F 3.63 in 7
May 80.2°F 57.9°F 69.0°F 3.99 in 8
June 87.2°F 66.1°F 76.6°F 4.87 in 9
July 90.6°F 70.3°F 80.4°F 4.65 in 9
August 88.7°F 68.8°F 78.7°F 4.71 in 8
September 82.4°F 62.9°F 72.7°F 5.72 in 7
October 72.5°F 50.9°F 61.7°F 3.90 in 6
November 62.1°F 40.9°F 51.5°F 3.51 in 0.1 in 6
December 54.7°F 34.9°F 44.8°F 3.68 in 1.0 in 8

Climate twins of Raleigh

Why these? →

The most climatically similar US cities at least 140 miles away (by monthly temperature + precipitation pattern).

Frost dates
Last spring / first fall frost
All-time records
Hottest, coldest, wettest
Planting calendar
What to plant, and when

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