Michael Braun House · Photo: Thomas T. Waterman, HABS Photographer · Public domainIn Granite Quarry, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 30°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 59°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 72% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from November to February, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Granite Quarry at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Granite Quarry’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Granite Quarry’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Granite Quarry feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 208 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Salisbury, NC, 5 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Granite Quarry’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Salisbury, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Granite Quarry
70% 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 Salisbury, NC.
Living with Granite Quarry’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
208 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Granite Quarry from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 29%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Granite Quarry and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Granite Quarry in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Granite Quarry’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Quarry, NC | 30° | 89° | 45" | 2.4" |
| Newport, TN | 28° | 88° | 47" | 3.3" |
| Ettrick, VA | 29° | 90° | 47" | 3.5" |
| Pikeville, KY | 27° | 88° | 47" | 1.4" |
| Washington, DC | 27° | 89° | 44" | 5.8" |
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 Granite Quarry averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Granite Quarry compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Granite Quarry’s place among North Carolina’s.
Granite Quarry weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Granite Quarry’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Salisbury, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 30° | 3.7" | 1.4" | 9 | 0 | 34° – 47° |
| February | 55° | 32° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 51° |
| March | 62° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| April | 72° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| May | 79° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 66° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 60° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| October | 72° | 47° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| November | 61° | 37° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| December | 53° | 32° | 3.5" | 0.8" | 8 | 0 | 34° – 53° |
| Year | 71° | 48° | 44.8" | 2.4" | 94 | 1 |
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 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Granite Quarry’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 Granite Quarry’s center.
- Snow: Salisbury, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Salisbury, NC, 5 miles from the town’s center, 110 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 Granite Quarry’s climate
What is the weather like in Granite Quarry?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Granite Quarry in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 71 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Granite Quarry get?
About 2.4 inches in a normal winter at Salisbury, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Granite Quarry?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 37 days a year reach 90° (Salisbury, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Granite Quarry?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 208 frost-free days, at Salisbury, NC.
What growing zone is Granite Quarry in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Granite Quarry?
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 Granite Quarry getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Granite Quarry.
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.