For weather, Emma is about as ordinary as U.S. towns get
Deep winter brings January lows near 27°. Only 58° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. In January, nights here are milder than in 68% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Emma at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Emma’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Emma’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Emma feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 205 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Asheville, NC, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Emma’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 12 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Asheville, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; July is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 130 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Emma
78% 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 Asheville, NC.
Living with Emma’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
205 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 6 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, June, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Emma from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 30%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Emma and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Emma in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Emma’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emma, NC | 27° | 85° | 46" | 12" |
| Forked River, NJ | 26° | 85° | 46" | 10" |
| Timberlake, VA | 26° | 86° | 45" | 12" |
| Ocean City, MD | 30° | 86° | 46" | 10" |
| Manorhaven, NY | 26° | 85° | 47" | 19" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Emma averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 81% 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 Emma compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Emma’s place among North Carolina’s.
Emma weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Emma’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Asheville, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 27° | 3.7" | 3.8" | 12 | 3 | 30° – 43° |
| February | 52° | 30° | 3.1" | 2.2" | 11 | 2 | 32° – 49° |
| March | 59° | 36° | 3.9" | 2.0" | 12 | 1 | 41° – 56° |
| April | 69° | 43° | 3.9" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| May | 76° | 51° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| June | 82° | 59° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| July | 85° | 63° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 71° – 77° |
| August | 84° | 62° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 78° | 56° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| October | 69° | 45° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| November | 59° | 34° | 3.3" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| December | 50° | 30° | 3.7" | 2.7" | 10 | 2 | 30° – 51° |
| Year | 67° | 45° | 45.5" | 11.5" | 130 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 51°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Emma’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 Emma’s center.
- Snow: Asheville, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Asheville, NC, 2.2 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 Emma’s climate
What is the weather like in Emma?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Emma in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 77 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Emma get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Asheville, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Emma?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 63°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Asheville, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Emma?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 205 frost-free days, at Asheville, NC.
What growing zone is Emma in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Emma?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Emma getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Emma.
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.