Photo: Jon Platek · CC BY-SA 3.0Rockwell has warmer summer afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 30° on average. In January, nights here are milder than in 72% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.9° rise. The heating season runs November to February: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Rockwell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rockwell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rockwell’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Rockwell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 208 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Salisbury, NC, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rockwell’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. 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 Salisbury, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rockwell
70% 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 Salisbury, NC.
Living with Rockwell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
208 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 6 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rockwell from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 30%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rockwell and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rockwell yet.
Climates most like Rockwell’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockwell, NC | 30° | 89° | 45" | 2.4" |
| Ettrick, VA | 29° | 90° | 47" | 3.5" |
| Newport, TN | 28° | 88° | 47" | 3.3" |
| Sikeston, MO | 28° | 90° | 49" | 3.1" |
| Washington, DC | 27° | 89° | 44" | 5.8" |
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 Rockwell averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Rockwell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rockwell’s place among North Carolina’s.
Rockwell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rockwell’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Salisbury, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 30° | 3.7" | 1.4" | 9 | 0 | 35° – 47° |
| February | 55° | 32° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 52° |
| March | 63° | 39° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 60° |
| April | 72° | 47° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| May | 79° | 55° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 67° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| September | 81° | 60° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| October | 72° | 48° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| November | 62° | 38° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| December | 54° | 32° | 3.6" | 0.8" | 8 | 0 | 34° – 53° |
| Year | 71° | 48° | 45.0" | 2.4" | 94 | 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 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Rockwell’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 Rockwell’s center.
- Snow: Salisbury, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Salisbury, NC, 10 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 Rockwell’s climate
What is the weather like in Rockwell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rockwell in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 71 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Rockwell get?
About 2.4 inches in a normal winter at Salisbury, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rockwell?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 37 days a year reach 90° (Salisbury, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Rockwell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 208 frost-free days, at Salisbury, NC.
What growing zone is Rockwell in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rockwell?
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 Rockwell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rockwell.
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.