John H. Adams House · Photo: Lorenzo S. Winslow · Public domainHigh Point’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in High Point at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about High Point’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with High Point’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in High Point feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 220 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 30 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at High Pt, NC, 2.1 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts High Point’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 High Pt, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in High Point
65% 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 High Pt, NC.
Living with High Point’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
220 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Mar 30 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in High Point from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →High Point and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of High Point in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like High Point’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Point, NC | 30° | 88° | 46" | 1.9" |
| Newport, TN | 28° | 88° | 47" | 3.3" |
| Poquoson, VA | 32° | 88° | 48" | 2.7" |
| Pikeville, KY | 27° | 88° | 47" | 1.4" |
| Sikeston, MO | 28° | 90° | 49" | 3.1" |
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 High Point averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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. In a city of 121,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How High Point compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with High Point’s place among North Carolina’s.
High Point weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at High Point’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from High Pt, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 30° | 3.7" | 1.3" | 11 | 0 | 34° – 46° |
| February | 54° | 32° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 34° – 51° |
| March | 61° | 38° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| April | 71° | 47° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| May | 78° | 56° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 68° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 81° |
| August | 87° | 67° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 60° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| October | 71° | 48° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| November | 61° | 38° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| December | 52° | 32° | 3.5" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 33° – 53° |
| Year | 70° | 48° | 46.2" | 1.9" | 116 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where High Point’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 High Point’s center.
- Snow: High Pt, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: High Pt, NC, 2.1 miles from the city’s center point, 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 High Point’s climate
What is the weather like in High Point?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, 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 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in High Point in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 69 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does High Point get?
About 1.9 inches in a normal winter at High Pt, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in High Point?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 68°. About 45 days a year reach 90° (High Pt, NC).
When is the first and last frost in High Point?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 30 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 220 frost-free days, at High Pt, NC.
What growing zone is High Point 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 High Point?
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 High Point getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in High Point.
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.