Photo: Gerry Dincher · CC BY-SA 2.0Shannon has warmer summer afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 33°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 58°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 76% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs December to February: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Shannon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shannon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shannon’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Shannon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 214 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Raeford, NC, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shannon’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 47 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 90 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Red Springs 1 Se, NC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Shannon
67% 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 Raeford, NC.
Living with Shannon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
214 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 3 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 3.
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 Shannon from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (31%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shannon and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Shannon yet.
Climates most like Shannon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shannon, NC | 33° | 91° | 47" | 0.4" |
| Jackson, GA | 33° | 91° | 49" | 0.6" |
| Laurens, SC | 32° | 91° | 47" | 1.3" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
| Lanett, AL | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.1" |
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 Shannon averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 76% 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 Shannon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shannon’s place among North Carolina’s.
Shannon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shannon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Red Springs 1 Se, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 33° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| February | 58° | 35° | 3.1" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 38° – 56° |
| March | 66° | 41° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| April | 75° | 49° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 89° | 69° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| September | 84° | 63° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| October | 75° | 51° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 65° | 40° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| December | 57° | 35° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 36° – 58° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 47.0" | 0.4" | 90 | 0 |
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 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Shannon’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 Shannon’s center.
- Snow: Red Springs 1 Se, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Raeford, NC, 11 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 Shannon’s climate
What is the weather like in Shannon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shannon in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 82 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Shannon get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Red Springs 1 Se, NC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Shannon?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 54 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Raeford, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Shannon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 3 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 214 frost-free days, at Raeford, NC.
What growing zone is Shannon in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shannon?
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 Shannon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shannon.
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.