Photo: Brian Stansberry (photographer) · CC BY 4.0More precipitation falls on Rutherford College than on 73% of U.S. towns: 48 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 29°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 60° apart. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 71% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 31, with the first autumn frost due around November 4.
A year in Rutherford College at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rutherford College’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rutherford College’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Rutherford College feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 219 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hickory Faa Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rutherford College’s center in zone 8a: 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 48 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 117 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.3" in a normal year at Rhodhiss Hydro Plt, NC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Rutherford College
72% 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 Hickory Faa Airport.
Living with Rutherford College’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
219 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rutherford College from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rutherford College and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rutherford College in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rutherford College’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford College, NC | 29° | 88° | 48" | 0.3" |
| Emporia, VA | 29° | 90° | 48" | 1.4" |
| Fort Campbell North, KY | 28° | 89° | 53" | 0.5" |
| Pleasant View, TN | 28° | 89° | 52" | 1.3" |
| Walnut Ridge, AR | 28° | 90° | 49" | 0.9" |
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 Rutherford College averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 85% 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 Rutherford College compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rutherford College’s place among North Carolina’s.
Rutherford College weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rutherford College’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rhodhiss Hydro Plt, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 29° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 33° – 45° |
| February | 54° | 31° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 34° – 50° |
| March | 62° | 38° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 59° |
| April | 71° | 45° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| May | 79° | 54° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| June | 85° | 62° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 66° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| August | 87° | 65° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| September | 81° | 59° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| October | 72° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| November | 61° | 36° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| December | 53° | 31° | 4.0" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 33° – 51° |
| Year | 70° | 47° | 47.5" | 0.3" | 117 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 51°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Rutherford College’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 Rutherford College’s center.
- Snow: Rhodhiss Hydro Plt, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hickory Faa Airport, 8 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 Rutherford College’s climate
What is the weather like in Rutherford College?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 29°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rutherford College in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 69 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Rutherford College get?
About 0.3 inches in a normal winter at Rhodhiss Hydro Plt, NC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Rutherford College?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 66°. About 33 days a year reach 90° (Hickory Faa Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Rutherford College?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 219 frost-free days, at Hickory Faa Airport.
What growing zone is Rutherford College in?
Zone 8a 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 Rutherford College?
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 Rutherford College getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rutherford College.
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.