Latham House · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainMore precipitation falls on Plymouth than on 89% of U.S. towns: 52 inches a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 33°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 56°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 76% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from March to May and September to November, with highs of 63–82°.
A year in Plymouth at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Plymouth’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Plymouth’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Plymouth feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 221 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Plymouth 5 E, NC, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Plymouth’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Plymouth 5 E, NC, falls mostly in January. 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 136 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Plymouth
61% 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 Plymouth 5 E, NC.
Living with Plymouth’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
221 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Plymouth from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Plymouth and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Plymouth yet.
Climates most like Plymouth’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth, NC | 33° | 89° | 52" | 1.4" |
| Mountain Park, GA | 33° | 89° | 53" | 1.3" |
| Easley, SC | 32° | 89° | 52" | 1.0" |
| Ripley, TN | 31° | 90° | 53" | 2.4" |
| Guntersville, AL | 32° | 89° | 55" | 0.7" |
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 Plymouth averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 51% 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 Plymouth compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Plymouth’s place among North Carolina’s.
Plymouth weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Plymouth’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Plymouth 5 E, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 33° | 3.9" | 1.0" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 49° |
| February | 56° | 34° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 36° – 54° |
| March | 63° | 40° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| April | 72° | 49° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 79° | 57° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| June | 86° | 66° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| July | 89° | 70° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 68° | 6.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 75° – 81° |
| September | 82° | 63° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| October | 74° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| November | 64° | 42° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 36° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 34° – 58° |
| Year | 72° | 51° | 52.1" | 1.4" | 136 | 1 |
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 58°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Plymouth’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 Plymouth’s center.
- Snow: Plymouth 5 E, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Plymouth 5 E, NC, 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 Plymouth’s climate
What is the weather like in Plymouth?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Plymouth in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Plymouth get?
About 1.4 inches in a normal winter at Plymouth 5 E, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Plymouth?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 70°. About 44 days a year reach 90° (Plymouth 5 E, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Plymouth?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 221 frost-free days, at Plymouth 5 E, NC.
What growing zone is Plymouth in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Plymouth?
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 Plymouth getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Plymouth.
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.