Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Cape Carteret: 58 inches a year
July afternoons average 88°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in September and the lightest in April. Its January nights stay gentler than in 81% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to February, which average under 50°.
A year in Cape Carteret at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cape Carteret’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cape Carteret’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Cape Carteret feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 236 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Newport/morehead City Wfo, NC, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cape Carteret’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 falls on about 128 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.6" in a normal year at New River Mcaf, NC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Cape Carteret
62% 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 Newport/morehead City Wfo, NC.
Living with Cape Carteret’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
236 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 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 Nov 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cape Carteret from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cape Carteret and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Cape Carteret in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Cape Carteret’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Carteret, NC | 36° | 88° | 58" | 0.6" |
| Albertville, AL | 32° | 88° | 57" | 0.9" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Travelers Rest, SC | 32° | 88° | 60" | 1.9" |
| Kosciusko, MS | 34° | 91° | 58" | 1.3" |
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 Cape Carteret averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Cape Carteret compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cape Carteret’s place among North Carolina’s.
Cape Carteret weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cape Carteret’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from New River Mcaf, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 36° | 4.1" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| February | 59° | 38° | 3.6" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 57° |
| March | 65° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| April | 72° | 52° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 79° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 85° | 69° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| July | 88° | 73° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 71° | 7.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 77° – 82° |
| September | 83° | 67° | 7.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| October | 75° | 55° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| November | 66° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| December | 59° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 38° – 61° |
| Year | 73° | 54° | 58.0" | 0.6" | 128 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 61°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Cape Carteret’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 Cape Carteret’s center.
- Snow: New River Mcaf, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Newport/morehead City Wfo, NC, 12 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 Cape Carteret’s climate
What is the weather like in Cape Carteret?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cape Carteret in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 53 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Cape Carteret get?
About 0.6 inches in a normal winter at New River Mcaf, NC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Cape Carteret?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 73°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Newport/morehead City Wfo, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Cape Carteret?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 16, about 236 frost-free days, at Newport/morehead City Wfo, NC.
What growing zone is Cape Carteret in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cape Carteret?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cape Carteret getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cape Carteret.
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.