Wet weather: 54 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Montreat, more than in 92% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 26°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 91% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.0° above 1901–2000. Garden chairs stay out from April to October, the months with highs of 65–80°.
A year in Montreat at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Montreat’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Montreat’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Montreat feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 171 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Celo 2 S, NC, 14 miles from the town’s center, 480 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Montreat’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 N Fk 2, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 54 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Montreat
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Celo 2 S, NC.
Living with Montreat’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
171 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September and October. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Montreat from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Montreat and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Montreat yet.
Climates most like Montreat’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreat, NC | 26° | 80° | 54" | 2.1" |
| Estacada, OR | 35° | 81° | 54" | 1.1" |
| Battle Ground, WA | 35° | 80° | 58" | 1.4" |
| Brigantine, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 10" |
| Crossville, TN | 27° | 84° | 59" | 14" |
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 Montreat averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 77% 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 Montreat compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Montreat’s place among North Carolina’s.
Montreat weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Montreat’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from N Fk 2, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 26° | 4.5" | 1.5" | 11 | 0 | 28° – 41° |
| February | 48° | 29° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 30° – 48° |
| March | 55° | 35° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 37° – 55° |
| April | 65° | 43° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| May | 72° | 51° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 77° | 58° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 80° | 62° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 61° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 55° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 45° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 59° |
| November | 55° | 35° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 47° | 29° | 4.4" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 28° – 50° |
| Year | 64° | 44° | 53.7" | 2.1" | 140 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 50°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Montreat’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 Montreat’s center.
- Snow: N Fk 2, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Celo 2 S, NC, 14 miles from the town’s center, 480 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 Montreat’s climate
What is the weather like in Montreat?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Montreat in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 117 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Montreat get?
About 2.1 inches in a normal winter at N Fk 2, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Montreat?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 62°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Celo 2 S, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Montreat?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 171 frost-free days, at Celo 2 S, NC.
What growing zone is Montreat in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Montreat?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Montreat getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Montreat.
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.