Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0Elk Park sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
Midwinter brings lows of about 23°. The wettest month is July; the driest is February. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 81% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 30; in half of years the first frost comes by October 12.
A year in Elk Park at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elk Park’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elk Park’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Elk Park feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Roan Mtn 3sw, TN, 6 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elk Park’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 49 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 Elk Park
93% 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 Roan Mtn 3sw, TN.
Living with Elk Park’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 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 12.
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 Elk Park from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elk Park and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elk Park yet.
Climates most like Elk Park’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Park, NC | 23° | 77° | 49" | 31" |
| Eastham, MA | 25° | 77° | 45" | 25" |
| South Kingstown, RI | 24° | 80° | 47" | 35" |
| Springs, NY | 24° | 80° | 44" | 27" |
| Hazleton, PA | 16° | 78° | 51" | 42" |
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 Elk Park averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Elk Park compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elk Park’s place among North Carolina’s.
Elk Park weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elk Park’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° | 4.0" | 6.9" | 14 | 24° – 39° |
| February | 44° | 25° | 3.3" | 11.4" | 11 | 25° – 44° |
| March | 51° | 31° | 4.1" | 4.8" | 13 | 33° – 51° |
| April | 61° | 39° | 4.2" | 0.8" | 12 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 74° | 55° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 77° | 59° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 64° – 71° |
| August | 76° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 71° | 52° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 42° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 49° – 56° |
| November | 52° | 32° | 3.5" | 1.6" | 10 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 44° | 27° | 3.9" | 5.8" | 13 | 24° – 47° |
| Year | 60° | 41° | 49.1" | 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 24° to 47°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Elk Park’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 Elk Park’s center.
- Snow: Banner Elk, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Roan Mtn 3sw, TN, 6 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft lower; 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 Elk Park’s climate
What is the weather like in Elk Park?
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 56% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elk Park in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 125 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Elk Park get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Banner Elk, NC, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Elk Park?
July, with a typical high of 77°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Roan Mtn 3sw, TN.
When is the first and last frost in Elk Park?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 165 frost-free days, at Roan Mtn 3sw, TN.
What growing zone is Elk Park 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 Elk Park?
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 Elk Park getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elk Park.
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.