Photo: Doug Anderson · CC BY 2.0Oak Island’s winters are milder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 89°
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 37°.
A year in Oak Island at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oak Island’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oak Island’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Oak Island feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 239 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 24 and the first by November 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Southport 5 N, NC, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oak Island’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 56 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and April the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Oak Island
50% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Southport 5 N, NC.
Living with Oak Island’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
239 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 24 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oak Island from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oak Island and its neighbors
Boiling Spring Lakes has the coldest January nights next door (35°, 2° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Oak Island averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 76% 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 Oak Island compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oak Island’s place among North Carolina’s.
Oak Island weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oak Island’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 37° | 3.6" | 40° – 53° |
| February | 60° | 39° | 3.3" | 41° – 58° |
| March | 65° | 44° | 3.8" | 48° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 53° | 3.2" | 58° – 67° |
| May | 80° | 62° | 4.0" | 66° – 76° |
| June | 86° | 70° | 4.8" | 74° – 82° |
| July | 89° | 74° | 6.4" | 78° – 84° |
| August | 87° | 72° | 7.0" | 77° – 82° |
| September | 83° | 68° | 7.8" | 73° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 57° | 4.8" | 62° – 71° |
| November | 67° | 46° | 3.5" | 51° – 62° |
| December | 60° | 40° | 3.7" | 39° – 61° |
| Year | 73° | 55° | 55.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 61°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Oak Island’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 Oak Island’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Southport 5 N, NC, 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 Oak Island’s climate
What is the weather like in Oak Island?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 37°. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oak Island in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 51 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How hot does it get in Oak Island?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 74°. About 46 days a year reach 90° (Southport 5 N, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Oak Island?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 24 and the first fall frost by November 17, about 239 frost-free days, at Southport 5 N, NC.
What growing zone is Oak Island in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Oak Island?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Oak Island getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oak Island.
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.