Oak Ridge Military Academy Historic District · Photo: Ceh2624 · CC BY-SA 3.0Weather without surprises: Oak Ridge keeps close to the norm for U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 29°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 71% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.4° rise. Plan time outside for April, May, September and October, when highs sit at 71–80°.
A year in Oak Ridge at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oak Ridge’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oak Ridge’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Oak Ridge 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 30 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Piedmont Triad International Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oak Ridge’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Piedmont Triad International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Oak Ridge
69% 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 Piedmont Triad International Airport.
Living with Oak Ridge’s 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 30 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: April, May, September and October. 4.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oak Ridge from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oak Ridge and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Oak Ridge in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Oak Ridge’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge, NC | 29° | 88° | 45" | 7.1" |
| Fruitland, MD | 27° | 89° | 46" | 8.0" |
| Bon Air, VA | 28° | 89° | 47" | 8.8" |
| Washington, DC | 27° | 89° | 44" | 5.8" |
| Greeneville, TN | 28° | 87° | 47" | 7.7" |
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 Ridge averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Ridge compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oak Ridge’s place among North Carolina’s.
Oak Ridge weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oak Ridge’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Piedmont Triad International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 29° | 3.6" | 2.9" | 10 | 2 | 33° – 46° |
| February | 53° | 31° | 2.9" | 2.0" | 10 | 1 | 34° – 50° |
| March | 61° | 38° | 3.9" | 0.9" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| April | 71° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| May | 78° | 55° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| July | 88° | 68° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| August | 86° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| September | 80° | 60° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| October | 71° | 47° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| November | 61° | 37° | 3.3" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| December | 52° | 32° | 3.4" | 1.2" | 9 | 1 | 33° – 52° |
| Year | 70° | 48° | 45.2" | 7.1" | 116 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 52°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Oak Ridge’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 Ridge’s center.
- Snow: Piedmont Triad International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Piedmont Triad International Airport, 6 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 Ridge’s climate
What is the weather like in Oak Ridge?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oak Ridge in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 68 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Oak Ridge get?
About 7.1 inches in a normal winter at Piedmont Triad International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Oak Ridge?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 68°. About 33 days a year reach 90° (Piedmont Triad International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Oak Ridge?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 30 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 220 frost-free days, at Piedmont Triad International Airport.
What growing zone is Oak Ridge in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Oak Ridge?
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 Oak Ridge getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oak Ridge.
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.