Alston House · Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Afternoon heat in Gulf beats that of 80% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 30°. Precipitation peaks in September and eases off in February. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 73% of U.S. towns. If you like long walks, April, May, September and October offer highs of 73–83°.
A year in Gulf at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gulf’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gulf’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Gulf feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 203 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sanford 8 Ne, NC, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gulf’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 Sanford 8 Ne, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gulf
66% 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 Sanford 8 Ne, NC.
Living with Gulf’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
203 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gulf from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gulf and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gulf yet.
Climates most like Gulf’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf, NC | 30° | 91° | 45" | 2.4" |
| Clinton, SC | 32° | 91° | 46" | 1.3" |
| Colonial Heights, VA | 29° | 90° | 47" | 3.5" |
| Blytheville, AR | 31° | 90° | 50" | 2.9" |
| Kennett, MO | 29° | 90° | 51" | 2.9" |
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 Gulf averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 78% 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 Gulf compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gulf’s place among North Carolina’s.
Gulf weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gulf’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sanford 8 Ne, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 30° | 3.4" | 1.8" | 9 | 37° – 48° |
| February | 56° | 33° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 8 | 36° – 54° |
| March | 64° | 39° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 45° – 60° |
| April | 73° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 56° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 63° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 91° | 69° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 75° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 61° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 73° | 49° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 58° – 66° |
| November | 63° | 38° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 55° | 33° | 3.4" | 0.5" | 9 | 34° – 55° |
| Year | 72° | 49° | 45.4" | 2.4" | 102 |
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 Gulf’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 Gulf’s center.
- Snow: Sanford 8 Ne, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sanford 8 Ne, NC, 13 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 Gulf’s climate
What is the weather like in Gulf?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gulf in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 79 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Gulf get?
About 2.4 inches in a normal winter at Sanford 8 Ne, NC, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Gulf?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 69°. About 54 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Sanford 8 Ne, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Gulf?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 203 frost-free days, at Sanford 8 Ne, NC.
What growing zone is Gulf 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 Gulf?
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 Gulf getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gulf.
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.