Photo: Mojo Hand · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Black Mountain: 57 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 82°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 81% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.0°, most of all in December. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Black Mountain at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Black Mountain’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Black Mountain’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Black Mountain feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Black Mtn 2 W, NC, 2.0 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Black Mountain’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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at N Fk 2, 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 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Black Mountain
84% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Black Mtn 2 W, NC.
Living with Black Mountain’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 19 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September and October. 5.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Black Mountain from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Black Mountain and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Black Mountain yet.
Climates most like Black Mountain’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Mountain, NC | 27° | 82° | 57" | 2.1" |
| Signal Mountain, TN | 29° | 85° | 62" | 4.3" |
| Sweet Home, OR | 35° | 82° | 55" | 0.1" |
| Battle Ground, WA | 35° | 80° | 58" | 1.4" |
| Berea, KY | 25° | 86° | 50" | 1.3" |
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 Black Mountain averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 78% 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 Black Mountain compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Black Mountain’s place among North Carolina’s.
Black Mountain weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Black Mountain’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from N Fk 2, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 27° | 4.8" | 1.5" | 11 | 0 | 29° – 42° |
| February | 50° | 30° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 31° – 49° |
| March | 57° | 36° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| April | 66° | 43° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| May | 73° | 51° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| June | 79° | 58° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 62° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 81° | 61° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 55° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 59° |
| November | 57° | 35° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 49° | 30° | 4.8" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 29° – 50° |
| Year | 65° | 44° | 57.0" | 2.1" | 140 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 50°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Black Mountain’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 Black Mountain’s center.
- Snow: N Fk 2, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Black Mtn 2 W, NC, 2.0 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Black Mountain’s climate
What is the weather like in Black Mountain?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Black Mountain in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 102 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Black Mountain get?
About 2.1 inches in a normal winter at N Fk 2, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Black Mountain?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 62°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Black Mtn 2 W, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Black Mountain?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 23, about 184 frost-free days, at Black Mtn 2 W, NC.
What growing zone is Black Mountain 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 Black Mountain?
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 Black Mountain getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Black Mountain.
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.