Photo: Nyttend · Public domainCrossnore has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 23° on average. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 97% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. From May to September, highs of 68–77° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Crossnore at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Crossnore’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Crossnore’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Crossnore feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Banner Elk, NC, 10 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Crossnore’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 31 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Banner Elk, NC, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 60 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 152 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Crossnore
96% 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 Banner Elk, NC.
Living with Crossnore’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Crossnore from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Crossnore and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Crossnore yet.
Climates most like Crossnore’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crossnore, NC | 23° | 77° | 60" | 31" |
| Hazleton, PA | 16° | 78° | 51" | 42" |
| Sandwich, MA | 23° | 81° | 50" | 37" |
| Black Diamond, WA | 34° | 76° | 55" | 18" |
| South Kingstown, RI | 24° | 80° | 47" | 35" |
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 Crossnore averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 69% 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 Crossnore compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Crossnore’s place among North Carolina’s.
Crossnore weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Crossnore’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Banner Elk, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 23° | 4.8" | 6.9" | 14 | 25° – 39° |
| February | 44° | 26° | 3.8" | 11.4" | 11 | 26° – 44° |
| March | 51° | 32° | 5.1" | 4.8" | 13 | 33° – 51° |
| April | 61° | 39° | 5.4" | 0.8" | 12 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 74° | 55° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 77° | 59° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 15 | 64° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 58° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 52° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 42° | 4.5" | 0.1" | 9 | 48° – 56° |
| November | 52° | 32° | 4.5" | 1.6" | 10 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 44° | 27° | 4.6" | 5.8" | 13 | 25° – 47° |
| Year | 60° | 41° | 59.5" | 31.4" | 152 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Crossnore’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 Crossnore’s center.
- Snow: Banner Elk, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Banner Elk, NC, 10 miles from the town’s center, 290 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 Crossnore’s climate
What is the weather like in Crossnore?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Crossnore in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 127 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Crossnore get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Banner Elk, NC, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Crossnore?
July, with a typical high of 77°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Banner Elk, NC.
When is the first and last frost in Crossnore?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 167 frost-free days, at Banner Elk, NC.
What growing zone is Crossnore in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Crossnore?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Crossnore getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Crossnore.
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.