Bailey gets more rain and snow than 80% of U.S. towns: 49 inches of precipitation a year
Sunny July days climb to about 90°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 76% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.0° rise. The heating season runs December to February: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Bailey at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bailey’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bailey’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Bailey feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 236 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 22 and the first by November 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wilson 3 Sw, NC, 11 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bailey’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wilson 3 Sw, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bailey
62% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Wilson 3 Sw, NC.
Living with Bailey’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
236 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 22 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bailey from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (28%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bailey and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bailey yet.
Climates most like Bailey’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bailey, NC | 31° | 90° | 49" | 1.9" |
| Boiling Springs, SC | 31° | 89° | 49" | 1.2" |
| Blytheville, AR | 31° | 90° | 50" | 2.9" |
| Kennett, MO | 29° | 90° | 51" | 2.9" |
| Rockmart, GA | 32° | 90° | 50" | 0.7" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bailey averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 76% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Bailey compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bailey’s place among North Carolina’s.
Bailey weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bailey’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wilson 3 Sw, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 31° | 3.6" | 0.8" | 11 | 0 | 36° – 47° |
| February | 55° | 33° | 3.1" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 35° – 53° |
| March | 63° | 39° | 4.2" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| April | 73° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| May | 80° | 56° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| September | 82° | 62° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 49° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 39° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 55° | 34° | 3.5" | 0.6" | 11 | 0 | 34° – 56° |
| Year | 72° | 49° | 48.8" | 1.9" | 120 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Bailey’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Bailey’s center.
- Snow: Wilson 3 Sw, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wilson 3 Sw, NC, 11 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Bailey’s climate
What is the weather like in Bailey?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bailey in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 60 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Bailey get?
About 1.9 inches in a normal winter at Wilson 3 Sw, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bailey?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 51 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Wilson 3 Sw, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Bailey?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 22 and the first fall frost by November 12, about 236 frost-free days, at Wilson 3 Sw, NC.
What growing zone is Bailey in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bailey?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bailey getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bailey.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.