Photo: Chris Currivan · CC BY-SA 3.0Wet weather: 53 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Sunset Beach, more than in 92% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 37°. Precipitation peaks in August and eases off in April. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 84% of U.S. towns. From March to May and September to November, highs of 65–83° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Sunset Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sunset Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sunset Beach’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Sunset Beach feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 231 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Longwood, NC, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sunset Beach’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 53 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain falls on about 127 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Longwood, NC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sunset Beach
59% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 Longwood, NC.
Living with Sunset Beach’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
231 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 26 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November. 11 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sunset Beach from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sunset Beach and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sunset Beach yet.
Climates most like Sunset Beach’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Beach, NC | 37° | 88° | 53" | 0.5" |
| Decatur, GA | 33° | 89° | 53" | 0.5" |
| Easley, SC | 32° | 89° | 52" | 1.0" |
| Anniston, AL | 33° | 89° | 56" | 0.1" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
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 Sunset Beach averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Sunset Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sunset Beach’s place among North Carolina’s.
Sunset Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sunset Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Longwood, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| February | 59° | 39° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 57° |
| March | 65° | 44° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| April | 72° | 53° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 79° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| June | 85° | 70° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| July | 88° | 73° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| August | 87° | 72° | 6.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| September | 83° | 68° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 75° | 56° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| November | 66° | 46° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| December | 59° | 39° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 60° |
| Year | 73° | 55° | 53.4" | 0.5" | 127 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 60°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Sunset Beach’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 Sunset Beach’s center.
- Snow: Longwood, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Longwood, 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 Sunset Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in Sunset Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sunset Beach in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 55 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Sunset Beach get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Longwood, NC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Sunset Beach?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 73°. About 32 days a year reach 90° (Longwood, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Sunset Beach?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 231 frost-free days, at Longwood, NC.
What growing zone is Sunset Beach in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sunset Beach?
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 Sunset Beach getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sunset Beach.
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.