Lewis-Thornburg Farm · Photo: James Conder · CC BY-SA 3.0Denton’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Denton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Denton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Denton’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Denton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 207 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Asheboro 2 W, NC, 16 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Denton’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 45 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 87 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.8" in a normal year at Albemarle, NC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Denton
72% 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 Asheboro 2 W, NC.
Living with Denton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
207 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 5 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 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Denton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Denton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Denton yet.
Climates most like Denton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denton, NC | 30° | 89° | 45" | 0.8" |
| Emporia, VA | 29° | 90° | 48" | 1.4" |
| Rockmart, GA | 32° | 90° | 50" | 0.7" |
| Newport, TN | 28° | 88° | 47" | 3.3" |
| Anderson, SC | 33° | 90° | 48" | 0.9" |
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 Denton averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 74% 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 Denton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Denton’s place among North Carolina’s.
Denton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Denton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Albemarle, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 30° | 3.7" | 0.4" | 8 | 35° – 47° |
| February | 55° | 33° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 35° – 52° |
| March | 63° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.4" | 8 | 45° – 60° |
| April | 72° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 55° – 63° |
| May | 79° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 63° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 67° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 74° – 83° |
| September | 81° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 68° – 76° |
| October | 72° | 48° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 57° – 65° |
| November | 62° | 38° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 45° – 55° |
| December | 54° | 33° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 34° – 54° |
| Year | 71° | 49° | 45.4" | 0.8" | 87 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Denton’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 Denton’s center.
- Snow: Albemarle, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Asheboro 2 W, NC, 16 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Denton’s climate
What is the weather like in Denton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Denton in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 65 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Denton get?
About 0.8 inches in a normal winter at Albemarle, NC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Denton?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 33 days a year reach 90° (Asheboro 2 W, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Denton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 207 frost-free days, at Asheboro 2 W, NC.
What growing zone is Denton in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Denton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Denton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Denton.
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.