Balfour sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 57 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 84°. Precipitation peaks in August and eases off in February. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 70% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Balfour at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Balfour’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Balfour’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Balfour feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 192 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hendersonville 1 Ne, NC, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Balfour’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hendersonville 1 Ne, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 57 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Balfour
82% 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 Hendersonville 1 Ne, NC.
Living with Balfour’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
192 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 14 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Balfour from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 33%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Balfour and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Balfour in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Balfour’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balfour, NC | 28° | 84° | 57" | 6.7" |
| Signal Mountain, TN | 29° | 85° | 62" | 4.3" |
| London, KY | 25° | 86° | 53" | 5.7" |
| Fort Payne, AL | 31° | 86° | 60" | 5.0" |
| Washougal, WA | 36° | 81° | 53" | 4.2" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Balfour averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 79% 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 Balfour compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Balfour’s place among North Carolina’s.
Balfour weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Balfour’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hendersonville 1 Ne, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 28° | 4.9" | 2.9" | 10 | 0 | 30° – 44° |
| February | 52° | 31° | 4.1" | 0.6" | 9 | 0 | 33° – 49° |
| March | 59° | 37° | 4.8" | 1.0" | 11 | 0 | 41° – 56° |
| April | 68° | 43° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| May | 75° | 52° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 60° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 64° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 82° | 63° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 77° | 57° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| October | 68° | 45° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| November | 58° | 35° | 4.5" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| December | 50° | 31° | 4.9" | 2.1" | 10 | 1 | 31° – 51° |
| Year | 67° | 45° | 57.0" | 6.7" | 121 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 51°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Balfour’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 Balfour’s center.
- Snow: Hendersonville 1 Ne, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hendersonville 1 Ne, NC, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Balfour’s climate
What is the weather like in Balfour?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Balfour in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 88 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Balfour get?
About 6.7 inches in a normal winter at Hendersonville 1 Ne, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Balfour?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 64°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Hendersonville 1 Ne, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Balfour?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 192 frost-free days, at Hendersonville 1 Ne, NC.
What growing zone is Balfour in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Balfour?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Balfour getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Balfour.
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.