Mulberry Hill · Photo: C.O. Greene, Photographer · Public domainPrecipitation in Cape Colony tops that of 88% of U.S. towns: 52 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 33°. A year here swings 55° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 77% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from April to May and September to November, the months with highs of 63–81°.
A year in Cape Colony at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cape Colony’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cape Colony’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Cape Colony feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 238 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 24 and the first by November 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Edenton, NC, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cape Colony’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 Edenton, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cape Colony
61% 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 Edenton, NC.
Living with Cape Colony’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
238 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 24 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cape Colony from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cape Colony and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cape Colony yet.
Climates most like Cape Colony’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 Colony, NC | 33° | 88° | 52" | 2.3" |
| Fairburn, GA | 33° | 89° | 52" | 2.2" |
| Sans Souci, SC | 32° | 89° | 53" | 1.9" |
| Ripley, TN | 31° | 90° | 53" | 2.4" |
| Guntersville, AL | 32° | 89° | 55" | 0.7" |
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 Cape Colony averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Colony compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cape Colony’s place among North Carolina’s.
Cape Colony weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cape Colony’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Edenton, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 33° | 3.8" | 0.9" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| February | 55° | 35° | 3.3" | 0.6" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 53° |
| March | 62° | 41° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| April | 71° | 50° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 78° | 59° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| June | 85° | 67° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| July | 88° | 72° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 70° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 65° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| October | 73° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| November | 63° | 43° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| December | 55° | 37° | 3.5" | 0.8" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 57° |
| Year | 71° | 52° | 51.6" | 2.3" | 99 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 57°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Cape Colony’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 Colony’s center.
- Snow: Edenton, NC (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Edenton, NC, 1.9 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 Colony’s climate
What is the weather like in Cape Colony?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cape Colony in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 47 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Cape Colony get?
About 2.3 inches in a normal winter at Edenton, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cape Colony?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 72°. About 37 days a year reach 90° (Edenton, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Cape Colony?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 24 and the first fall frost by November 14, about 238 frost-free days, at Edenton, NC.
What growing zone is Cape Colony in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cape Colony?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cape Colony getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cape Colony.
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.