Roanoke Canal · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0More precipitation falls on Roanoke Rapids than on 79% of U.S. towns: 49 inches a year
Nights in January average 30°. September is the wettest month, February the driest. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 76% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from December to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Roanoke Rapids at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Roanoke Rapids’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Roanoke Rapids’ place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Roanoke Rapids feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 222 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Roanoke Rapids, NC, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Roanoke Rapids’ 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Jackson, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 104 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Roanoke Rapids
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 Roanoke Rapids, NC.
Living with Roanoke Rapids’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
222 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 7.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Roanoke Rapids from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Roanoke Rapids and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Roanoke Rapids in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Roanoke Rapids’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke Rapids, NC | 30° | 90° | 49" | 5.0" |
| Caruthersville, MO | 30° | 90° | 50" | 6.6" |
| Nashville, TN | 29° | 90° | 52" | 4.7" |
| Blytheville, AR | 31° | 90° | 50" | 2.9" |
| Welcome, SC | 32° | 89° | 50" | 3.9" |
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 Roanoke Rapids averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Roanoke Rapids compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Roanoke Rapids’ place among North Carolina’s.
Roanoke Rapids weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Roanoke Rapids’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Jackson, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 30° | 3.7" | 2.8" | 10 | 2 | 35° – 46° |
| February | 54° | 32° | 2.9" | 0.8" | 8 | 2 | 33° – 51° |
| March | 62° | 37° | 4.2" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| April | 72° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| May | 79° | 56° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| September | 82° | 61° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 72° | 49° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| November | 62° | 39° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| December | 54° | 33° | 3.5" | 1.1" | 9 | 2 | 34° – 54° |
| Year | 71° | 48° | 48.6" | 5.0" | 104 | 6 |
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 54°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Roanoke Rapids’ 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 Roanoke Rapids’ center.
- Snow: Jackson, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Roanoke Rapids, NC, 2.6 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 Roanoke Rapids’ climate
What is the weather like in Roanoke Rapids?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Roanoke Rapids in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 70 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Roanoke Rapids get?
About 5.0 inches in a normal winter at Jackson, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 6 days a year.
How hot does it get in Roanoke Rapids?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 46 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Roanoke Rapids, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Roanoke Rapids?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 222 frost-free days, at Roanoke Rapids, NC.
What growing zone is Roanoke Rapids 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 Roanoke Rapids?
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 Roanoke Rapids getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Roanoke Rapids.
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.