Photo: Edward Orde · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Hightsville: 58 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 90°. In January, nights here are milder than in 78% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.0° rise. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 19 to November 20.
A year in Hightsville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hightsville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hightsville’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Hightsville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 247 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 19 and the first by November 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wilmington International Airport, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hightsville’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 58 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain falls on about 119 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.2" in a normal year at Wilmington 7 N, NC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Hightsville
52% 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 Wilmington International Airport.
Living with Hightsville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
247 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 19 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hightsville from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hightsville and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Hightsville in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Hightsville’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hightsville, NC | 34° | 90° | 58" | 0.2" |
| Highland Lakes, AL | 33° | 90° | 58" | 0.0" |
| Philadelphia, MS | 34° | 91° | 57" | 0.2" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Collegedale, TN | 31° | 89° | 55" | 0.0" |
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 Hightsville averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Hightsville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hightsville’s place among North Carolina’s.
Hightsville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hightsville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wilmington 7 N, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 34° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| February | 60° | 36° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 57° |
| March | 67° | 42° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| April | 75° | 50° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 81° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 87° | 67° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| July | 90° | 71° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| August | 88° | 70° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 77° – 81° |
| September | 84° | 65° | 8.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| October | 76° | 53° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| November | 67° | 42° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 60° | 37° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 60° |
| Year | 74° | 52° | 57.9" | 0.2" | 119 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 60°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Hightsville’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 Hightsville’s center.
- Snow: Wilmington 7 N, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wilmington International Airport, 2.2 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 Hightsville’s climate
What is the weather like in Hightsville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hightsville in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 37 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Hightsville get?
About 0.2 inches in a normal winter at Wilmington 7 N, NC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Hightsville?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 71°. About 45 days a year reach 90° (Wilmington International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Hightsville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 19 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 247 frost-free days, at Wilmington International Airport.
What growing zone is Hightsville in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hightsville?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Hightsville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hightsville.
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.