Zion Episcopal Church · Photo: Tradewinds · CC BY-SA 3.0More precipitation falls on River Road than on 91% of U.S. towns: 53 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 89°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 79% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Garden planting can start around March 22; autumn frost returns near November 15.
A year in River Road at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about River Road’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with River Road’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in River Road feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 237 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 22 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Washington Wwtp 4w, NC, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts River Road’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 Washington Wwtp 4w, NC, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 53 inches a year; September is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 105 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in River Road
62% 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 Washington Wwtp 4w, NC.
Living with River Road’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
237 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 22 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 15.
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 River Road from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →River Road and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around River Road yet.
Climates most like River Road’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Road, NC | 35° | 89° | 53" | 1.2" |
| Jonesboro, GA | 34° | 90° | 52" | 0.8" |
| Seneca, SC | 32° | 89° | 54" | 2.2" |
| Oxford, AL | 33° | 90° | 54" | 1.2" |
| Wynne, AR | 32° | 91° | 53" | 2.0" |
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 River Road averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 River Road compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with River Road’s place among North Carolina’s.
River Road weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at River Road’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Washington Wwtp 4w, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 35° | 3.8" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 50° |
| February | 57° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 38° – 55° |
| March | 64° | 42° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| April | 73° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 80° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| June | 86° | 68° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| July | 89° | 72° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 70° | 6.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 76° – 82° |
| September | 82° | 65° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| October | 74° | 54° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| November | 64° | 44° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| December | 57° | 38° | 3.7" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 36° – 59° |
| Year | 72° | 53° | 53.0" | 1.2" | 105 | 1 |
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 59°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where River Road’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 River Road’s center.
- Snow: Washington Wwtp 4w, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Washington Wwtp 4w, NC, 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 River Road’s climate
What is the weather like in River Road?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in River Road in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 47 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does River Road get?
About 1.2 inches in a normal winter at Washington Wwtp 4w, NC, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in River Road?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 72°. About 39 days a year reach 90° (Washington Wwtp 4w, NC).
When is the first and last frost in River Road?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 22 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 237 frost-free days, at Washington Wwtp 4w, NC.
What growing zone is River Road in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit River Road?
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 River Road getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in River Road.
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.