Biltmore Estate · Photo: Blake Lewis · CC BY-SA 2.0Biltmore Forest’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Biltmore Forest at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Biltmore Forest’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Biltmore Forest’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Biltmore Forest feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bent Creek, NC, 4 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Biltmore Forest’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Fletcher 3 W, NC, falls mostly in January and December. 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 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Biltmore Forest
86% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Bent Creek, NC.
Living with Biltmore Forest’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September and October. 2.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Biltmore Forest from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Biltmore Forest and its neighbors
Asheville the hottest July afternoons (85°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Biltmore Forest’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biltmore Forest, NC | 27° | 84° | 47" | 9.1" |
| Mystic Island, NJ | 27° | 84° | 46" | 10" |
| Waynesboro, VA | 25° | 85° | 43" | 11" |
| Ocean City, MD | 30° | 86° | 46" | 10" |
| Oyster Bay, NY | 25° | 84° | 46" | 19" |
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 Biltmore Forest averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 77% 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 Biltmore Forest compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Biltmore Forest’s place among North Carolina’s.
Biltmore Forest weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Biltmore Forest’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fletcher 3 W, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 27° | 3.9" | 3.1" | 9 | 2 | 29° – 43° |
| February | 51° | 30° | 3.2" | 1.3" | 9 | 1 | 32° – 49° |
| March | 58° | 35° | 4.0" | 1.6" | 11 | 1 | 40° – 56° |
| April | 68° | 43° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| May | 75° | 51° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| July | 84° | 63° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 70° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 56° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| October | 68° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| November | 58° | 34° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| December | 50° | 30° | 3.8" | 3.1" | 10 | 1 | 30° – 50° |
| Year | 67° | 44° | 46.6" | 9.1" | 121 | 4 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 50°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Biltmore Forest’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 Biltmore Forest’s center.
- Snow: Fletcher 3 W, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bent Creek, NC, 4 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Biltmore Forest’s climate
What is the weather like in Biltmore Forest?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Biltmore Forest in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 108 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Biltmore Forest get?
About 9.1 inches in a normal winter at Fletcher 3 W, NC, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in Biltmore Forest?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 63°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Bent Creek, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Biltmore Forest?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 175 frost-free days, at Bent Creek, NC.
What growing zone is Biltmore Forest in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Biltmore Forest?
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 Biltmore Forest getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Biltmore Forest.
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.