Photo: Fvman · Public domainMore precipitation falls on Fuquay-Varina than on 76% of U.S. towns: 48 inches a year
Expect July afternoons of about 90°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 76% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.0° rise. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings suit April, May, September and October, with highs of 73–82°.
A year in Fuquay-Varina at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fuquay-Varina’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fuquay-Varina’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Fuquay-Varina feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 226 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cary, NC, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fuquay-Varina’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Apex, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fuquay-Varina
69% 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 Cary, NC.
Living with Fuquay-Varina’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
226 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fuquay-Varina from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fuquay-Varina and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Fuquay-Varina in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fuquay-Varina’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuquay-Varina, NC | 31° | 90° | 48" | 4.8" |
| Five Forks, SC | 33° | 90° | 49" | 3.9" |
| Williamsburg, VA | 30° | 89° | 49" | 4.3" |
| Caruthersville, MO | 30° | 90° | 50" | 6.6" |
| Acworth, GA | 32° | 89° | 51" | 3.8" |
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 Fuquay-Varina averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Fuquay-Varina compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fuquay-Varina’s place among North Carolina’s.
Fuquay-Varina weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fuquay-Varina’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Apex, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 31° | 3.6" | 2.9" | 10 | 2 | 37° – 48° |
| February | 56° | 33° | 3.0" | 1.0" | 10 | 1 | 35° – 52° |
| March | 63° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| April | 73° | 48° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 57° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| August | 88° | 68° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 61° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 73° | 49° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| November | 63° | 39° | 3.5" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| December | 55° | 34° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 34° – 55° |
| Year | 72° | 49° | 48.1" | 4.8" | 119 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Fuquay-Varina’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 Fuquay-Varina’s center.
- Snow: Apex, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cary, NC, 9 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 Fuquay-Varina’s climate
What is the weather like in Fuquay-Varina?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fuquay-Varina in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 71 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Fuquay-Varina get?
About 4.8 inches in a normal winter at Apex, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fuquay-Varina?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 33 days a year reach 90° (Cary, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Fuquay-Varina?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 226 frost-free days, at Cary, NC.
What growing zone is Fuquay-Varina in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fuquay-Varina?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fuquay-Varina getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fuquay-Varina.
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.