Mount Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church · Photo: Cecouchman · CC BY-SA 3.0Wet weather: 55 inches of rain and melted snow a year in James City, more than in 94% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 35°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 80% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to February, which average under 50°.
A year in James City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about James City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with James City’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in James City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 237 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 23 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New Bern Craven Co Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts James City’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 55 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain falls on about 126 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.8" in a normal year at Cherry Point Mcas, NC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in James City
59% 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 New Bern Craven Co Airport.
Living with James City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
237 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 23 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November. 2.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in James City from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →James City and its neighbors
Brices Creek has the coldest January nights next door (34°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like James City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James City, NC | 35° | 89° | 55" | 0.8" |
| Guntersville, AL | 32° | 89° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Berea, SC | 32° | 89° | 56" | 1.9" |
| Kosciusko, MS | 34° | 91° | 58" | 1.3" |
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 James City averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 61% 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 James City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with James City’s place among North Carolina’s.
James City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at James City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cherry Point Mcas, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 35° | 3.9" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| February | 58° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 56° |
| March | 65° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| April | 73° | 51° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 80° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 86° | 68° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| July | 89° | 72° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 71° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 77° – 81° |
| September | 83° | 66° | 7.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| October | 75° | 55° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| November | 65° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 37° – 60° |
| Year | 73° | 53° | 55.4" | 0.8" | 126 | 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 James City’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 James City’s center.
- Snow: Cherry Point Mcas, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New Bern Craven Co Airport, 3 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 James City’s climate
What is the weather like in James City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in James City in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 47 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does James City get?
About 0.8 inches in a normal winter at Cherry Point Mcas, NC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in James City?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 72°. About 48 days a year reach 90° (New Bern Craven Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in James City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 23 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 237 frost-free days, at New Bern Craven Co Airport.
What growing zone is James City 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 James City?
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 James City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in James City.
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.