July in Prospect runs hotter than in 83% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 33°. In January, nights here are milder than in 77% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.0° above 1901–2000. The outdoor season runs from March to May and September to November, with highs of 65–84°.
A year in Prospect at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Prospect’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Prospect’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Prospect feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 228 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 25 and the first by November 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Laurinburg Maxton Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Prospect’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 46 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 90 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Red Springs 1 Se, NC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Prospect
56% 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 Laurinburg Maxton Airport.
Living with Prospect’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
228 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 25 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Prospect from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (28%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Prospect and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Prospect yet.
Climates most like Prospect’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prospect, NC | 33° | 91° | 46" | 0.4" |
| Thomson, GA | 35° | 91° | 46" | 0.5" |
| Laurens, SC | 32° | 91° | 47" | 1.3" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
| Lanett, AL | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.1" |
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 Prospect averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Prospect compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Prospect’s place among North Carolina’s.
Prospect weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Prospect’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Red Springs 1 Se, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 33° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 39° – 50° |
| February | 58° | 35° | 3.1" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| March | 66° | 41° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 62° |
| April | 75° | 49° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| July | 91° | 71° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 89° | 69° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| September | 84° | 63° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| October | 75° | 51° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 65° | 41° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| December | 57° | 35° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 36° – 58° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 46.4" | 0.4" | 90 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Prospect’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 Prospect’s center.
- Snow: Red Springs 1 Se, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Laurinburg Maxton Airport, 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 Prospect’s climate
What is the weather like in Prospect?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Prospect in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 58 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Prospect get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Red Springs 1 Se, NC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Prospect?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 71°. About 67 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Laurinburg Maxton Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Prospect?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 25 and the first fall frost by November 8, about 228 frost-free days, at Laurinburg Maxton Airport.
What growing zone is Prospect 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 Prospect?
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 Prospect getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Prospect.
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.