Photo: Townofspringlake · CC BY-SA 4.0Spring Lake’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Spring Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Spring Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Spring Lake’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Spring Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 227 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 30 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fayetteville (pwc), NC, 12 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Spring Lake’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 14°. 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 Ft Bragg Wtp, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Spring Lake
61% 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 Fayetteville (pwc), NC.
Living with Spring Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
227 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 30 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September and October. 46 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Spring Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Spring Lake and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Spring Lake in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Spring Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Lake, NC | 32° | 91° | 47" | 1.1" |
| Laurens, SC | 32° | 91° | 47" | 1.3" |
| Jackson, GA | 33° | 91° | 49" | 0.6" |
| Stuttgart, AR | 33° | 91° | 50" | 3.3" |
| Newport News, VA | 32° | 89° | 48" | 2.7" |
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 Spring Lake averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 78% 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 Spring Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Spring Lake’s place among North Carolina’s.
Spring Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Spring Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ft Bragg Wtp, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 32° | 3.4" | 0.9" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 49° |
| February | 58° | 34° | 3.1" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 37° – 55° |
| March | 65° | 40° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 61° |
| April | 74° | 49° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 81° | 58° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 89° | 69° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 63° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| October | 74° | 51° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 64° | 40° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 35° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 36° – 57° |
| Year | 73° | 51° | 47.2" | 1.1" | 103 | 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 57°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Spring Lake’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 Spring Lake’s center.
- Snow: Ft Bragg Wtp, NC (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fayetteville (pwc), NC, 12 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Spring Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Spring Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, 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 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Spring Lake in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 63 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Spring Lake get?
About 1.1 inches in a normal winter at Ft Bragg Wtp, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Spring Lake?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 53 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Fayetteville (pwc), NC).
When is the first and last frost in Spring Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 30 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 227 frost-free days, at Fayetteville (pwc), NC.
What growing zone is Spring Lake in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Spring Lake?
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 Spring Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Spring Lake.
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.