Photo: Alanteitleman · CC BY-SA 4.0More precipitation falls on Hamilton than on 85% of U.S. towns: 50 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 89°. Seasons differ by 58°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 74% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from April to May and September to November, when afternoons reach 63–82°.
A year in Hamilton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hamilton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hamilton’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Hamilton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 239 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 20 and the first by November 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Williamston 1 E, NC, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hamilton’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 14°. 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 50 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 122 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Williamston 1 E, NC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Hamilton
63% 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 Williamston 1 E, NC.
Living with Hamilton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
239 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 20 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September, October and November. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hamilton from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hamilton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hamilton yet.
Climates most like Hamilton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton, NC | 31° | 89° | 50" | 0.5" |
| Cedartown, GA | 32° | 89° | 51" | 0.4" |
| Valley Falls, SC | 31° | 90° | 50" | 0.8" |
| Goodlettsville, TN | 29° | 90° | 52" | 1.2" |
| Jacksonville, AL | 32° | 90° | 53" | 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 Hamilton averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 70% 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 Hamilton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hamilton’s place among North Carolina’s.
Hamilton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hamilton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Williamston 1 E, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 31° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 36° – 48° |
| February | 56° | 34° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 35° – 53° |
| March | 63° | 39° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| April | 72° | 48° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 79° | 57° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 89° | 69° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 88° | 68° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 81° |
| September | 82° | 62° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 50° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 55° | 34° | 3.4" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 34° – 57° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 50.4" | 0.5" | 122 | 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 57°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Hamilton’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 Hamilton’s center.
- Snow: Williamston 1 E, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Williamston 1 E, NC, 12 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 Hamilton’s climate
What is the weather like in Hamilton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 31°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hamilton in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 53 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Hamilton get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Williamston 1 E, NC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Hamilton?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 38 days a year reach 90° (Williamston 1 E, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Hamilton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 20 and the first fall frost by November 12, about 239 frost-free days, at Williamston 1 E, NC.
What growing zone is Hamilton in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hamilton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Hamilton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hamilton.
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.