Afternoon heat in Barbecue beats that of 78% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 32°. Seasons differ by 59°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 74% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 10 to October 30.
A year in Barbecue at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Barbecue’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Barbecue’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Barbecue feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 203 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sanford 8 Ne, NC, 15 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Barbecue’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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ft Bragg Wtp, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Barbecue
66% 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 Sanford 8 Ne, NC.
Living with Barbecue’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
203 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Barbecue from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Barbecue and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Barbecue yet.
Climates most like Barbecue’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbecue, NC | 32° | 90° | 47" | 1.1" |
| Anderson, SC | 33° | 90° | 48" | 0.9" |
| Rockmart, GA | 32° | 90° | 50" | 0.7" |
| Walnut Ridge, AR | 28° | 90° | 49" | 0.9" |
| Newport News, VA | 32° | 89° | 48" | 2.7" |
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 Barbecue averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
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 Barbecue compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Barbecue’s place among North Carolina’s.
Barbecue weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Barbecue’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ft Bragg Wtp, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 32° | 3.5" | 0.9" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 48° |
| February | 57° | 34° | 3.0" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 37° – 54° |
| March | 64° | 40° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| April | 74° | 48° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 80° | 57° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 68° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| September | 83° | 62° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 50° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 56° | 34° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 35° – 56° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 46.8" | 1.1" | 103 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Barbecue’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 Barbecue’s center.
- Snow: Ft Bragg Wtp, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sanford 8 Ne, NC, 15 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 Barbecue’s climate
What is the weather like in Barbecue?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Barbecue in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 79 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Barbecue get?
About 1.1 inches in a normal winter at Ft Bragg Wtp, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Barbecue?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 54 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Sanford 8 Ne, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Barbecue?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 203 frost-free days, at Sanford 8 Ne, NC.
What growing zone is Barbecue 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 Barbecue?
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 Barbecue 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 Barbecue.
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.