More precipitation falls on Carolina Shores than on 91% of U.S. towns: 53 inches a year
Nights in January average 37°. August is the wettest month, April the driest. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 84% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to February, which average under 50°.
A year in Carolina Shores at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Carolina Shores’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Carolina Shores’ place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Carolina Shores feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 231 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Longwood, NC, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Carolina Shores’ 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 53 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain falls on about 127 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Longwood, NC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Carolina Shores
59% 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 Longwood, NC.
Living with Carolina Shores’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
231 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November. 5.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Carolina Shores from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Carolina Shores and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Carolina Shores yet.
Climates most like Carolina Shores’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Shores, NC | 37° | 88° | 53" | 0.5" |
| Decatur, GA | 33° | 89° | 53" | 0.5" |
| Easley, SC | 32° | 89° | 52" | 1.0" |
| Anniston, AL | 33° | 89° | 56" | 0.1" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
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 Carolina Shores averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Carolina Shores compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Carolina Shores’ place among North Carolina’s.
Carolina Shores weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Carolina Shores’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Longwood, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| February | 59° | 39° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 57° |
| March | 65° | 45° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| April | 72° | 53° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 79° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| June | 85° | 70° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| July | 88° | 73° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 72° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| September | 83° | 67° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 75° | 56° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| November | 66° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| December | 59° | 39° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 60° |
| Year | 73° | 55° | 53.2" | 0.5" | 127 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 60°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Carolina Shores’ 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 Carolina Shores’ center.
- Snow: Longwood, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Longwood, NC, 7 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 Carolina Shores’ climate
What is the weather like in Carolina Shores?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Carolina Shores in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 55 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Carolina Shores get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Longwood, NC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Carolina Shores?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 73°. About 32 days a year reach 90° (Longwood, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Carolina Shores?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 231 frost-free days, at Longwood, NC.
What growing zone is Carolina Shores 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 Carolina Shores?
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 Carolina Shores getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Carolina Shores.
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.