Photo: Ak1047 · CC BY-SA 4.0Burlington’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Burlington at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Burlington’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Burlington’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Burlington feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 226 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Burlington Fire Stn #5, NC, 1.6 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Burlington’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 Graham 2 Ene, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Burlington
67% 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 Burlington Fire Stn #5, NC.
Living with Burlington’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
226 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 29 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 6.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Burlington from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Burlington and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Burlington in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Burlington’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, NC | 30° | 89° | 45" | 1.8" |
| Newport, TN | 28° | 88° | 47" | 3.3" |
| Poquoson, VA | 32° | 88° | 48" | 2.7" |
| Boiling Springs, SC | 31° | 89° | 49" | 1.2" |
| Pikeville, KY | 27° | 88° | 47" | 1.4" |
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 Burlington averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 61% 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 Burlington compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Burlington’s place among North Carolina’s.
Burlington weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Burlington’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Graham 2 Ene, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 30° | 3.6" | 1.1" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 46° |
| February | 54° | 32° | 2.9" | 0.4" | 9 | 1 | 34° – 50° |
| March | 62° | 38° | 4.1" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| April | 72° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| May | 78° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 67° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 60° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| October | 72° | 48° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| November | 61° | 38° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| December | 53° | 33° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 34° – 54° |
| Year | 70° | 48° | 44.9" | 1.8" | 116 | 2 |
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 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Burlington’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 Burlington’s center.
- Snow: Graham 2 Ene, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Burlington Fire Stn #5, NC, 1.6 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Burlington’s climate
What is the weather like in Burlington?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Burlington in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 72 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Burlington get?
About 1.8 inches in a normal winter at Graham 2 Ene, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Burlington?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 50 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Burlington Fire Stn #5, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Burlington?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 226 frost-free days, at Burlington Fire Stn #5, NC.
What growing zone is Burlington in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Burlington?
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 Burlington getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Burlington.
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.