Photo: Gerry Dincher from Hope Mills, NC · CC BY-SA 2.0Summer arrives in force in Southern Pines, hotter than in 78% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 32°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 75% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. The outdoor season runs from March to May and September to October, with highs of 65–83°.
A year in Southern Pines at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Southern Pines’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Southern Pines’ place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Southern Pines 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 April 1 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Carthage Wtp, NC, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Southern Pines’ 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Carthage Wtp, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 89 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Southern Pines
66% 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 Carthage Wtp, NC.
Living with Southern Pines’ 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 Apr 1 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September and October. 31 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Southern Pines from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Southern Pines and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Southern Pines in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Southern Pines’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Pines, NC | 32° | 90° | 47" | 1.3" |
| Anderson, SC | 33° | 90° | 48" | 0.9" |
| Rockmart, GA | 32° | 90° | 50" | 0.7" |
| Newport News, VA | 32° | 89° | 48" | 2.7" |
| Blytheville, AR | 31° | 90° | 50" | 2.9" |
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 Southern Pines averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Southern Pines compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Southern Pines’ place among North Carolina’s.
Southern Pines weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Southern Pines’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Carthage Wtp, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 32° | 3.5" | 0.7" | 8 | 0 | 38° – 48° |
| February | 57° | 34° | 3.1" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 37° – 55° |
| March | 65° | 40° | 3.7" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 61° |
| April | 74° | 48° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| May | 81° | 57° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 68° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 62° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 74° | 50° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 55° | 34° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 35° – 57° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 46.8" | 1.3" | 89 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 57°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Southern Pines’ 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 Southern Pines’ center.
- Snow: Carthage Wtp, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Carthage Wtp, NC, 9 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 Southern Pines’ climate
What is the weather like in Southern Pines?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Southern Pines in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 62 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Southern Pines get?
About 1.3 inches in a normal winter at Carthage Wtp, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Southern Pines?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 55 days a year reach 90° (Carthage Wtp, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Southern Pines?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 219 frost-free days, at Carthage Wtp, NC.
What growing zone is Southern Pines 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 Southern Pines?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Southern Pines getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Southern Pines.
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.