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Morrisville, North Carolina (2014)Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
Climate in Morrisville · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Morrisville’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns#146Mildest winters  of 287 in NC
Less snow than 70% of U.S. towns#236Least snow  of 286 in NC
All NC rankings →

A year in Morrisville at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan52°30°
Feb55°33°
Mar63°38° Last frost ~Mar 31
Apr73°47°
May79°56° 3 days 90°+
Jun87°65° 12 days 90°+
Jul90°69° 19 days 90°+
Aug88°68° 14 days 90°+
Sep82°61° 5 days 90°+Wettest
Oct73°49°
Nov now62°38° First frost ~Nov 4
Dec54°33°

What stands out about Morrisville’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Morrisville’s place in North Carolina beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Morrisville feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
54° / 32°
2 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
72° / 47°
Last frost around Mar 31
Summer
88° / 67°
52 days reach 90°
Fall
72° / 49°
First frost around Nov 4
Best months to be outsideAprMaySepOctHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 219 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Raleigh Durham International Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

65
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
119th fewest of 287 in North Carolina
Fewer freezing nights than 75% of U.S. towns
0
nights at or below 0°
None in a normal year
52
days that reach 90°
72nd most of 287 in North Carolina
More 90° days than 76% of U.S. towns
2
days that reach 100°
24th most of 287 in North Carolina
More 100° days than 80% of U.S. towns
8aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 8a

The 2023 USDA map puts Morrisville’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

18
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

19
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 5 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Raleigh Durham International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year.

48"
Rain + melted snow a year
137th wettest of 287 in North Carolina
Wetter than 73% of U.S. towns
5.2"
Snow in a normal winter
236th least snowy of 286 in North Carolina
Less snow than 70% of U.S. towns
3 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
230th fewest of 274 in North Carolina
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 66% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.9"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

3"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Morrisville

64% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.

3,153 heating degree daysLess heating than 76% of U.S. towns
1,805 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 81% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Raleigh Durham International Airport.

Living here

Living with Morrisville’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

219 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 4.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 1.5 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Morrisville from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Morrisville and its neighbors

Durham has the coldest January nights next door (29°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Raleigh: January low 31°, July high 90°Apex: January low 30°, July high 90°Holly Springs: January low 31°, July high 90°Gorman: January low 29°, July high 90°Chapel Hill: January low 29°, July high 90°Cary: January low 31°, July high 90°Durham: January low 29°, July high 90°Morrisville: January low 30°, July high 90°MorrisvilleCaryDurham
ColderMilder29° to 31°
Durham29.3° −1.0°
Morrisville30.3°
Cary30.7° about the same

Climates most like Morrisville’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Morrisville, NC30°90°48"5.2"
Williamsburg, VA30°89°49"4.3"
Caruthersville, MO30°90°50"6.6"
Five Forks, SC33°90°49"3.9"
Blytheville, AR31°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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Morrisville averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).

+1.1°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 71% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.7°now 43°, was 41°
Spring+0.9°now 59°, was 58°
Summer+1.1°now 78°, was 76°
Fall+0.7°now 61°, was 60°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Morrisville compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Morrisville’s place among North Carolina’s.

Summer heat90° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns61st hottest of 287 in North Carolina
Winter cold30° January low
Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns146th mildest of 287 in North Carolina
Precipitation48" a year
Wetter than 73% of U.S. towns137th wettest of 287 in North Carolina
Snow5.2" a winter
Less snow than 70% of U.S. towns236th least snowy of 286 in North Carolina
Hot days52 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 76% of U.S. towns72nd most of 287 in North Carolina
Freezing nights65 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 75% of U.S. towns119th fewest of 287 in North Carolina
Growing season219 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 79% of U.S. towns159th longest of 287 in North Carolina
Month by month

Morrisville weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Morrisville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Raleigh Durham International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January52°30°3.6"2.6"10236° – 47°
February55°33°3.0"1.4"9134° – 52°
March63°38°4.2"0.3"11044° – 59°
April73°47°3.7"0.0"10055° – 65°
May79°56°3.8"0.0"10063° – 73°
June87°65°4.4"0.0"11071° – 80°
July90°69°4.8"0.0"12076° – 82°
August88°68°4.7"0.0"11074° – 83°
September82°61°4.9"0.0"9068° – 76°
October73°49°3.6"0.0"8057° – 66°
November62°38°3.4"0.1"8045° – 56°
December54°33°3.6"0.8"10034° – 55°
Year71°49°47.5"5.2"1183
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Morrisville’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 Morrisville’s center.
  • Snow: Raleigh Durham International Airport.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Raleigh Durham International Airport, 5 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 Morrisville’s climate

What is the weather like in Morrisville?

A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Morrisville in winter?

January nights average 30°. About 65 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.

How much snow does Morrisville get?

About 5.2 inches in a normal winter at Raleigh Durham International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.

How hot does it get in Morrisville?

July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 52 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Raleigh Durham International Airport).

When is the first and last frost in Morrisville?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 219 frost-free days, at Raleigh Durham International Airport.

What growing zone is Morrisville in?

Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.

What is the best time of year to visit Morrisville?

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 Morrisville getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Morrisville.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.