Cape Hatteras Light Station · Photo: Henryhartley · CC BY-SA 3.0Buxton’s winters are milder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 86°
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 39°.
A year in Buxton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Buxton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Buxton’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Buxton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 290 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 4 and the first by December 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cape Hatteras Airport, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Buxton’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. 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 58 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and April the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Buxton
50% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Cape Hatteras Airport.
Living with Buxton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
290 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September, October and November. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Buxton from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Buxton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Buxton yet.
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 Buxton averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
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 Buxton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Buxton’s place among North Carolina’s.
Buxton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Buxton’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 39° | 4.6" | 40° – 53° |
| February | 55° | 41° | 4.0" | 38° – 55° |
| March | 60° | 46° | 4.3" | 48° – 59° |
| April | 68° | 54° | 3.8" | 57° – 68° |
| May | 75° | 62° | 4.3" | 64° – 74° |
| June | 83° | 71° | 4.7" | 71° – 80° |
| July | 86° | 75° | 5.5" | 78° – 82° |
| August | 86° | 74° | 6.4" | 77° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 70° | 6.9" | 73° – 81° |
| October | 74° | 61° | 5.0" | 63° – 73° |
| November | 64° | 51° | 4.5" | 52° – 62° |
| December | 58° | 44° | 4.4" | 40° – 63° |
| Year | 70° | 57° | 58.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 40° to 63°. July is the most reliable, staying within 4°.
Where Buxton’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 Buxton’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cape Hatteras Airport, 4 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 Buxton’s climate
What is the weather like in Buxton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 39°. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Buxton in winter?
January nights average 39°. About 17 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How hot does it get in Buxton?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 75°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Cape Hatteras Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Buxton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 4 and the first fall frost by December 22, about 290 frost-free days, at Cape Hatteras Airport.
What growing zone is Buxton in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Buxton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Buxton 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 Buxton.
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.