Cove Creek High School · Photo: Crimson henry · CC BY-SA 3.0Afternoon heat in Cove Creek trails that of 91% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 24°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 80% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.0° above 1901–2000. The heating season runs November to March: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Cove Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cove Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cove Creek’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Cove Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Boone 1 Se, NC, 9 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cove Creek’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 48 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Flat Springs 1e, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 170 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cove Creek
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Boone 1 Se, NC.
Living with Cove Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
163 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 2 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cove Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cove Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cove Creek yet.
Climates most like Cove Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cove Creek, NC | 24° | 80° | 49" | 48" |
| Sandwich, MA | 23° | 81° | 50" | 37" |
| Tiverton, RI | 23° | 81° | 48" | 38" |
| North Stonington, CT | 20° | 82° | 47" | 38" |
| Mount Carmel, PA | 18° | 80° | 49" | 48" |
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 Cove Creek averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Cove Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cove Creek’s place among North Carolina’s.
Cove Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cove Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Flat Springs 1e, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 24° | 3.9" | 12.6" | 17 | 11 | 26° – 40° |
| February | 47° | 26° | 3.1" | 11.2" | 15 | 8 | 27° – 46° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 4.0" | 8.6" | 15 | 5 | 35° – 52° |
| April | 64° | 39° | 4.4" | 0.9" | 14 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 46° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 80° | 59° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 65° | 40° | 3.4" | 1.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 55° | 31° | 3.5" | 3.2" | 11 | 2 | 37° – 48° |
| December | 46° | 27° | 3.8" | 10.7" | 16 | 6 | 26° – 48° |
| Year | 63° | 41° | 48.9" | 48.2" | 170 | 32 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 48°. October is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cove Creek’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 Cove Creek’s center.
- Snow: Flat Springs 1e, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Boone 1 Se, NC, 9 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft higher; 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 Cove Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Cove Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cove Creek in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 127 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Cove Creek get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter at Flat Springs 1e, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 32 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cove Creek?
July, with a typical high of 80°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Boone 1 Se, NC.
When is the first and last frost in Cove Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 163 frost-free days, at Boone 1 Se, NC.
What growing zone is Cove Creek in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cove Creek?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cove Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cove Creek.
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.