Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Precipitation in Southern Shores tops that of 83% of U.S. towns: 50 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 35°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 79% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.1°, most of all in December. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to February, which average under 50°.
A year in Southern Shores at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Southern Shores’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Southern Shores’ place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Southern Shores feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 266 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 15 and the first by December 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Manteo Airport, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Southern Shores’ center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 Manteo Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 87 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Southern Shores
63% 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 Manteo Airport.
Living with Southern Shores’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
266 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 15 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Southern Shores from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Southern Shores and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Southern Shores yet.
Climates most like Southern Shores’, 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 Shores, NC | 35° | 87° | 50" | 1.1" |
| North Myrtle Beach, SC | 37° | 88° | 52" | 0.5" |
| Marietta, GA | 33° | 88° | 53" | 0.5" |
| Seymour, TN | 29° | 88° | 52" | 4.6" |
| Boaz, AL | 32° | 88° | 57" | 0.9" |
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 Southern Shores averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Shores compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Southern Shores’ place among North Carolina’s.
Southern Shores weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Southern Shores’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Manteo Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 35° | 3.9" | 0.7" | 8 | 0 | 37° – 50° |
| February | 53° | 36° | 3.2" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 34° – 52° |
| March | 59° | 41° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| April | 68° | 50° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| May | 75° | 59° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| June | 83° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 87° | 72° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 71° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 81° |
| September | 80° | 67° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 78° |
| October | 72° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| November | 62° | 46° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| December | 55° | 39° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 36° – 58° |
| Year | 69° | 53° | 49.5" | 1.1" | 87 | 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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Southern Shores’ 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 Shores’ center.
- Snow: Manteo Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Manteo Airport, 14 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 Shores’ climate
What is the weather like in Southern Shores?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Southern Shores in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 28 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Southern Shores get?
About 1.1 inches in a normal winter at Manteo Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Southern Shores?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 72°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (Manteo Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Southern Shores?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 15 and the first fall frost by December 6, about 266 frost-free days, at Manteo Airport.
What growing zone is Southern Shores in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Southern Shores?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Southern Shores getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Southern Shores.
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.