Photo: Property of PLCMC · CC BY-SA 2.0Summer arrives in force in Matthews, hotter than in 78% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 31°. The wettest month is June; the driest is February. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 74% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around March 31; autumn frost returns near November 5.
A year in Matthews at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Matthews’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Matthews’ place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Matthews 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 31 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Monroe Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Matthews’ 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Monroe 2 Se, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Matthews
64% 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 Monroe Airport.
Living with Matthews’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
220 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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: March, April, May, September and October. 4.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Matthews from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Matthews and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Matthews in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Matthews’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthews, NC | 31° | 90° | 44" | 2.1" |
| Colonial Heights, VA | 29° | 90° | 47" | 3.5" |
| Thomson, GA | 35° | 91° | 46" | 0.5" |
| Newport, TN | 28° | 88° | 47" | 3.3" |
| Blytheville, AR | 31° | 90° | 50" | 2.9" |
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 Matthews averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Matthews compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Matthews’ place among North Carolina’s.
Matthews weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Matthews’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Monroe 2 Se, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 31° | 3.6" | 1.1" | 10 | 1 | 36° – 48° |
| February | 57° | 34° | 3.1" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 54° |
| March | 64° | 40° | 3.8" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 61° |
| April | 73° | 48° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 57° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 68° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 61° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 49° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 39° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| December | 55° | 34° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 35° – 55° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 43.8" | 2.1" | 102 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Matthews’ 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 Matthews’ center.
- Snow: Monroe 2 Se, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Monroe Airport, 9 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 Matthews’ climate
What is the weather like in Matthews?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Matthews in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 57 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Matthews get?
About 2.1 inches in a normal winter at Monroe 2 Se, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Matthews?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 51 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Monroe Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Matthews?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 220 frost-free days, at Monroe Airport.
What growing zone is Matthews 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 Matthews?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Matthews getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Matthews.
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.