Portsmouth Village · Photo: National Park Service · Public domainOcracoke sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 59 inches a year
January mornings start at about 39°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 87% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.9° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Garden chairs stay out from March to May and September to November, the months with highs of 62–83°.
A year in Ocracoke at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ocracoke’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ocracoke’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Ocracoke feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 293 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 1 and the first by December 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ocracoke, NC, 2.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ocracoke’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. 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 Ocracoke, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 59 inches a year; September is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 108 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ocracoke
58% of the work is heating. 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 Ocracoke, NC.
Living with Ocracoke’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
293 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 1 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November. 16 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ocracoke and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ocracoke yet.
Climates most like Ocracoke’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocracoke, NC | 39° | 88° | 59" | 1.7" |
| Gainesville, GA | 33° | 88° | 56" | 1.6" |
| North Myrtle Beach, SC | 37° | 88° | 52" | 0.5" |
| Albertville, AL | 32° | 88° | 57" | 0.9" |
| Kosciusko, MS | 34° | 91° | 58" | 1.3" |
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 Ocracoke averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 87% 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 Ocracoke compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ocracoke’s place among North Carolina’s.
Ocracoke weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ocracoke’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ocracoke, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 39° | 4.7" | 1.4" | 9 | 1 | 41° – 53° |
| February | 57° | 40° | 3.9" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 57° |
| March | 62° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| April | 70° | 54° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| May | 78° | 62° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 85° | 70° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| July | 88° | 74° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 73° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| September | 83° | 70° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| October | 75° | 60° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| November | 65° | 50° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| December | 59° | 43° | 4.3" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 64° |
| Year | 72° | 57° | 58.6" | 1.7" | 108 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 40° to 64°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Ocracoke’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 Ocracoke’s center.
- Snow: Ocracoke, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ocracoke, NC, 2.4 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 Ocracoke’s climate
What is the weather like in Ocracoke?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 39°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ocracoke in winter?
January nights average 39°. About 18 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Ocracoke get?
About 1.7 inches in a normal winter at Ocracoke, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ocracoke?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 74°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Ocracoke, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Ocracoke?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 1 and the first fall frost by December 20, about 293 frost-free days, at Ocracoke, NC.
What growing zone is Ocracoke in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ocracoke?
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 Ocracoke getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ocracoke.
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.