Photo: Gerry D · CC BY-SA 3.0Summer arrives in force in Fairmont, hotter than in 84% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 34°. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 79% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. The outdoor season runs from March to May and October to November, with highs of 66–82°.
A year in Fairmont at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fairmont’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fairmont’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Fairmont feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 234 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 24 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lumberton, NC, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fairmont’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 49 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 90 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.8" in a normal year at Dillon, SC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Fairmont
59% 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 Lumberton, NC.
Living with Fairmont’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
234 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 24 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fairmont from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fairmont and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fairmont yet.
Climates most like Fairmont’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairmont, NC | 34° | 91° | 49" | 0.8" |
| Jackson, GA | 33° | 91° | 49" | 0.6" |
| Homeland Park, SC | 33° | 90° | 48" | 0.9" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
| Lanett, AL | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.1" |
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 Fairmont averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 79% 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 Fairmont compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fairmont’s place among North Carolina’s.
Fairmont weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fairmont’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dillon, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 34° | 3.4" | 0.7" | 8 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| February | 59° | 36° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 40° – 57° |
| March | 67° | 42° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 63° |
| April | 75° | 50° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 67° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| July | 91° | 71° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 70° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| September | 84° | 64° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 52° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| November | 66° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 36° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 37° – 59° |
| Year | 74° | 52° | 48.6" | 0.8" | 90 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Fairmont’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 Fairmont’s center.
- Snow: Dillon, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lumberton, NC, 10 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 Fairmont’s climate
What is the weather like in Fairmont?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fairmont in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 55 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Fairmont get?
About 0.8 inches in a normal winter at Dillon, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Fairmont?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 71°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Lumberton, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Fairmont?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 24 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 234 frost-free days, at Lumberton, NC.
What growing zone is Fairmont in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fairmont?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fairmont getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fairmont.
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.