Photo: DiscoA340 · CC BY-SA 4.0Surf City sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 59 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 89°. In January, nights here are milder than in 81% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.0°, most of all in December. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 26, with the first autumn frost due around November 13.
A year in Surf City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Surf City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Surf City’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Surf City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 233 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Surf City, NC, 2.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Surf City’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 59 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain falls on about 128 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.6" in a normal year at New River Mcaf, NC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Surf City
61% 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 Surf City, NC.
Living with Surf City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
233 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November. 2.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Surf City from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Surf City and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Surf City in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Surf City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surf City, NC | 35° | 89° | 59" | 0.6" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Oneonta, AL | 32° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Kosciusko, MS | 34° | 91° | 58" | 1.3" |
| Travelers Rest, SC | 32° | 88° | 60" | 1.9" |
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 Surf City averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Surf City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Surf City’s place among North Carolina’s.
Surf City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Surf City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from New River Mcaf, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 35° | 4.0" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| February | 59° | 38° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 58° |
| March | 65° | 43° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| April | 73° | 52° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| May | 80° | 61° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 86° | 69° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| July | 89° | 73° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 71° | 7.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 77° – 82° |
| September | 83° | 67° | 7.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 75° | 55° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| November | 66° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| December | 59° | 39° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 61° |
| Year | 73° | 54° | 58.5" | 0.6" | 128 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 61°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Surf City’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 Surf City’s center.
- Snow: New River Mcaf, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Surf City, NC, 2.0 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 Surf City’s climate
What is the weather like in Surf City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Surf City in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 61 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Surf City get?
About 0.6 inches in a normal winter at New River Mcaf, NC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Surf City?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 73°. About 23 days a year reach 90° (Surf City, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Surf City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 13, about 233 frost-free days, at Surf City, NC.
What growing zone is Surf City in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Surf City?
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 Surf City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Surf City.
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.