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Climate in Elroy · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Elroy’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.

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#60Mildest winters  of 287 in NC
Less snow than 76% of U.S. towns#124Least snow  of 286 in NC
All NC rankings →

A year in Elroy at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan54°33°
Feb57°35°
Mar64°40° Last frost ~Mar 15
Apr74°49° 1 day 90°+
May81°58° 6 days 90°+
Jun87°66° 14 days 90°+
Jul90°71° 20 days 90°+
Aug88°69° 14 days 90°+
Sep83°63° 5 days 90°+Wettest
Oct74°51° 1 day 90°+
Nov now64°41° First frost ~Nov 18
Dec57°35°

What stands out about Elroy’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elroy’s place in North Carolina beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Elroy feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
56° / 34°
Snow is rare
Spring
73° / 49°
Last frost around Mar 15
Summer
88° / 69°
61 days reach 90°
Fall
74° / 51°
First frost around Nov 18
Best months to be outsideMarAprMaySepOctNovHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

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, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

42
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
18th fewest of 287 in North Carolina
Fewer freezing nights than 82% of U.S. towns
0
nights at or below 0°
None in a normal year
61
days that reach 90°
13th most of 287 in North Carolina
More 90° days than 80% of U.S. towns
3
days that reach 100°
5th most of 287 in North Carolina
More 100° days than 84% of U.S. towns
8bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 8b

The 2023 USDA map puts Elroy’s center in zone 8b: 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°

13
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

20
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

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.

51"
Rain + melted snow a year
68th wettest of 287 in North Carolina
Wetter than 87% of U.S. towns
2.0"
Snow in a normal winter
124th least snowy of 286 in North Carolina
Less snow than 76% of U.S. towns
2 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
140th fewest of 274 in North Carolina
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 70% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

6.4"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

1"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Elroy

56% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.

2,657 heating degree daysLess heating than 81% of U.S. towns
2,082 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 85% of U.S. towns

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 here

Living with Elroy’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

250 frost-free days in zone 8b. 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.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November. 2.2 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elroy from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Elroy and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elroy yet.

Climates most like Elroy’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Elroy, NC33°90°51"2.0"
Panthersville, GA33°90°51"2.2"
Clemson University, SC33°90°50"2.2"
Forrest City, AR32°91°52"1.9"
Ripley, TN31°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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Elroy averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).

+1.1°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 70% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.7°now 45°, was 43°
Spring+0.9°now 61°, was 60°
Summer+1.0°now 79°, was 78°
Fall+0.8°now 63°, was 62°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Elroy compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elroy’s place among North Carolina’s.

Summer heat90° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns61st hottest of 287 in North Carolina
Winter cold33° January low
Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns60th mildest of 287 in North Carolina
Precipitation51" a year
Wetter than 87% of U.S. towns68th wettest of 287 in North Carolina
Snow2.0" a winter
Less snow than 76% of U.S. towns124th least snowy of 286 in North Carolina
Hot days61 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 80% of U.S. towns13th most of 287 in North Carolina
Freezing nights42 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 82% of U.S. towns18th fewest of 287 in North Carolina
Growing season250 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 90% of U.S. towns6th longest of 287 in North Carolina
Month by month

Elroy weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elroy’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Goldsboro 4 Se, NC. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January54°33°3.6"1.3"12138° – 49°
February57°35°3.2"0.0"10037° – 55°
March64°40°3.8"0.0"11046° – 60°
April74°49°3.6"0.0"9057° – 67°
May81°58°4.2"0.0"10064° – 75°
June87°66°4.8"0.0"10073° – 81°
July90°71°5.8"0.0"13076° – 83°
August88°69°6.0"0.0"11076° – 82°
September83°63°6.4"0.0"10069° – 79°
October74°51°3.3"0.0"7059° – 68°
November64°41°3.3"0.0"8047° – 58°
December57°35°3.4"0.7"10035° – 58°
Year73°51°51.4"2.0"1212
Year to year

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 58°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Elroy’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 Elroy’s center.
  • Snow: Goldsboro 4 Se, NC.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Goldsboro 4 Se, NC, 2.5 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 Elroy’s climate

What is the weather like in Elroy?

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 78% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Elroy 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 Elroy 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 Elroy?

July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 71°. About 61 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Goldsboro 4 Se, NC).

When is the first and last frost in Elroy?

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 Elroy in?

Zone 8b 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 Elroy?

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 Elroy getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 70% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elroy.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.