Photo: Brian Stansberry (photographer) · CC BY 4.0More precipitation falls on Rutherfordton than on 89% of U.S. towns: 52 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 30°. Only 60° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 76% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 11, with the first autumn frost due around October 27.
A year in Rutherfordton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rutherfordton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rutherfordton’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Rutherfordton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 198 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Forest City 8 W, NC, 4 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rutherfordton’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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Forest City 6 Sw, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; December is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 125 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rutherfordton
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 Forest City 8 W, NC.
Living with Rutherfordton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
198 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rutherfordton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rutherfordton and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Rutherfordton in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rutherfordton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherfordton, NC | 30° | 90° | 52" | 4.5" |
| Nashville, TN | 29° | 90° | 52" | 4.7" |
| Jonesboro, AR | 30° | 90° | 51" | 3.9" |
| Kennett, MO | 29° | 90° | 51" | 2.9" |
| Franklin, VA | 29° | 90° | 49" | 4.1" |
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 Rutherfordton averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Rutherfordton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rutherfordton’s place among North Carolina’s.
Rutherfordton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rutherfordton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Forest City 6 Sw, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 30° | 4.3" | 2.4" | 12 | 2 | 34° – 47° |
| February | 56° | 33° | 3.7" | 0.8" | 10 | 0 | 36° – 52° |
| March | 63° | 39° | 4.5" | 0.8" | 12 | 1 | 44° – 61° |
| April | 73° | 46° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| May | 80° | 55° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| June | 86° | 64° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 90° | 67° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| September | 82° | 60° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| October | 73° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| November | 62° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| December | 54° | 32° | 4.8" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 34° – 53° |
| Year | 72° | 48° | 52.0" | 4.5" | 125 | 3 |
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°. October is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Rutherfordton’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 Rutherfordton’s center.
- Snow: Forest City 6 Sw, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Forest City 8 W, NC, 4 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower; 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 Rutherfordton’s climate
What is the weather like in Rutherfordton?
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 Rutherfordton in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 99 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Rutherfordton get?
About 4.5 inches in a normal winter at Forest City 6 Sw, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rutherfordton?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 67°. About 45 days a year reach 90° (Forest City 8 W, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Rutherfordton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 198 frost-free days, at Forest City 8 W, NC.
What growing zone is Rutherfordton 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 Rutherfordton?
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 Rutherfordton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rutherfordton.
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.