Photo: ADeveria · Public domainDudley gets more rain and snow than 87% of U.S. towns: 51 inches of precipitation a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 90° on average. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 77% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.0° higher. Homes need heating from December to February, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Dudley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dudley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dudley’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Dudley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 250 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 15 and the first by November 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Goldsboro 4 Se, NC, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dudley’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 Goldsboro 4 Se, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 51 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 121 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dudley
56% 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 Goldsboro 4 Se, NC.
Living with Dudley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
250 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 15 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dudley from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (42%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dudley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dudley yet.
Climates most like Dudley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dudley, NC | 33° | 90° | 51" | 2.0" |
| Panthersville, GA | 33° | 90° | 51" | 2.2" |
| Clemson University, SC | 33° | 90° | 50" | 2.2" |
| Osceola, AR | 31° | 91° | 53" | 1.8" |
| Ripley, TN | 31° | 90° | 53" | 2.4" |
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 Dudley averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 77% 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 Dudley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dudley’s place among North Carolina’s.
Dudley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dudley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Goldsboro 4 Se, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 33° | 3.6" | 1.3" | 12 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| February | 57° | 35° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 55° |
| March | 64° | 40° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 60° |
| April | 73° | 49° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 80° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 90° | 70° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 69° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| September | 82° | 63° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| October | 74° | 51° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 64° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 35° | 3.5" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 35° – 57° |
| Year | 72° | 51° | 51.1" | 2.0" | 121 | 2 |
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 Dudley’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 Dudley’s center.
- Snow: Goldsboro 4 Se, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Goldsboro 4 Se, 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 Dudley’s climate
What is the weather like in Dudley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dudley in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 42 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Dudley get?
About 2.0 inches in a normal winter at Goldsboro 4 Se, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dudley?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 70°. About 61 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Goldsboro 4 Se, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Dudley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 15 and the first fall frost by November 18, about 250 frost-free days, at Goldsboro 4 Se, NC.
What growing zone is Dudley in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dudley?
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 Dudley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dudley.
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.