Downtown Main Street Historic District · Photo: Ceh2624 · CC BY-SA 3.0More precipitation falls on North Wilkesboro than on 88% of U.S. towns: 52 inches a year
January nights here settle around 28°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 69% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 10 to October 29.
A year in North Wilkesboro at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about North Wilkesboro’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with North Wilkesboro’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in North Wilkesboro feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 201 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at N Wilkesboro, NC, 1.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts North Wilkesboro’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at N Wilkesboro, NC, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in North Wilkesboro
77% 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 N Wilkesboro, NC.
Living with North Wilkesboro’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
201 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in North Wilkesboro from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →North Wilkesboro and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of North Wilkesboro in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like North Wilkesboro’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Wilkesboro, NC | 28° | 88° | 52" | 5.6" |
| White House, TN | 28° | 88° | 52" | 5.8" |
| Hopkinsville, KY | 27° | 89° | 52" | 5.2" |
| Jeffersonville, IN | 25° | 88° | 50" | 4.3" |
| Suffolk, VA | 30° | 89° | 50" | 4.1" |
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 North Wilkesboro averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 North Wilkesboro compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with North Wilkesboro’s place among North Carolina’s.
North Wilkesboro weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at North Wilkesboro’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from N Wilkesboro, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 28° | 4.2" | 2.0" | 10 | 2 | 31° – 44° |
| February | 53° | 30° | 3.2" | 1.4" | 10 | 2 | 34° – 49° |
| March | 61° | 37° | 4.3" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 42° – 57° |
| April | 70° | 44° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| May | 78° | 53° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| June | 85° | 62° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 88° | 66° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 73° – 79° |
| August | 86° | 65° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| September | 81° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| October | 71° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| November | 61° | 36° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| December | 52° | 30° | 4.3" | 1.9" | 11 | 2 | 31° – 51° |
| Year | 69° | 46° | 51.7" | 5.6" | 134 | 6 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 51°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where North Wilkesboro’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 North Wilkesboro’s center.
- Snow: N Wilkesboro, NC (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: N Wilkesboro, NC, 1.0 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 North Wilkesboro’s climate
What is the weather like in North Wilkesboro?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in North Wilkesboro in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 104 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does North Wilkesboro get?
About 5.6 inches in a normal winter at N Wilkesboro, NC, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 6 days a year.
How hot does it get in North Wilkesboro?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 66°. About 32 days a year reach 90° (N Wilkesboro, NC).
When is the first and last frost in North Wilkesboro?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 201 frost-free days, at N Wilkesboro, NC.
What growing zone is North Wilkesboro in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit North Wilkesboro?
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 North Wilkesboro 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 North Wilkesboro.
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.