Palmer Fire School · Photo: North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources · Public domainHardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Lake Lure: 57 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 89°. Temperatures cover 60° across the year, low to high. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 72% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, April, May, September and October bring highs of 72–82°.
A year in Lake Lure at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Lure’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Lure’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Lake Lure feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 207 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lake Lure 2, NC, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Lure’s center in zone 8a: 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lake Lure 2, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 57 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Lure
73% 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 Lake Lure 2, NC.
Living with Lake Lure’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
207 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 5 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. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Lure from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Lure and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake Lure yet.
Climates most like Lake Lure’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Lure, NC | 29° | 89° | 57" | 3.1" |
| Medina, TN | 29° | 89° | 56" | 3.0" |
| Mena, AR | 29° | 90° | 58" | 4.0" |
| Harvest, AL | 30° | 89° | 58" | 1.1" |
| Ripley, MS | 31° | 90° | 58" | 1.6" |
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 Lake Lure averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Lake Lure compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Lure’s place among North Carolina’s.
Lake Lure weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Lure’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lake Lure 2, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 29° | 4.8" | 1.6" | 8 | 1 | 32° – 46° |
| February | 55° | 32° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 51° |
| March | 63° | 38° | 4.9" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 60° |
| April | 72° | 46° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| May | 79° | 54° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| June | 86° | 63° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 66° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| August | 87° | 66° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| September | 82° | 59° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| October | 72° | 48° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| November | 62° | 37° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| December | 53° | 32° | 5.1" | 1.4" | 8 | 0 | 33° – 53° |
| Year | 71° | 47° | 57.2" | 3.1" | 106 | 1 |
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°. October is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Lake Lure’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 Lake Lure’s center.
- Snow: Lake Lure 2, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lake Lure 2, NC, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower; 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 Lake Lure’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Lure?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Lure in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 83 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Lake Lure get?
About 3.1 inches in a normal winter at Lake Lure 2, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lake Lure?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 66°. About 45 days a year reach 90° (Lake Lure 2, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Lure?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 207 frost-free days, at Lake Lure 2, NC.
What growing zone is Lake Lure in?
Zone 8a 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 Lake Lure?
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 Lake Lure getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Lure.
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.