Photo: User: (WT-shared) Haem85 at wts wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 3.0Swansboro’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Swansboro at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Swansboro’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Swansboro’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Swansboro feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 240 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 23 and the first by November 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New River Mcaf, NC, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Swansboro’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 58 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and April 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 Swansboro
55% 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 New River Mcaf, NC.
Living with Swansboro’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
240 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 23 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Swansboro from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (84%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Swansboro and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Swansboro yet.
Climates most like Swansboro’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swansboro, NC | 35° | 89° | 58" | 0.6" |
| Albertville, AL | 32° | 88° | 57" | 0.9" |
| Toccoa, GA | 33° | 89° | 57" | 1.4" |
| Berea, SC | 32° | 89° | 56" | 1.9" |
| Kosciusko, MS | 34° | 91° | 58" | 1.3" |
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 Swansboro averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 Swansboro compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Swansboro’s place among North Carolina’s.
Swansboro weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Swansboro’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° | 4.1" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| February | 58° | 37° | 3.6" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 39° – 57° |
| March | 65° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| April | 73° | 52° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 79° | 60° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 86° | 69° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| July | 89° | 72° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 71° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 77° – 82° |
| September | 83° | 66° | 7.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| October | 75° | 55° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| November | 66° | 45° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| December | 59° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 61° |
| Year | 73° | 54° | 57.9" | 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 Swansboro’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 Swansboro’s center.
- Snow: New River Mcaf, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New River Mcaf, NC, 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 Swansboro’s climate
What is the weather like in Swansboro?
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 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Swansboro in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 43 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Swansboro 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 Swansboro?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 72°. About 44 days a year reach 90° (New River Mcaf, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Swansboro?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 23 and the first fall frost by November 16, about 240 frost-free days, at New River Mcaf, NC.
What growing zone is Swansboro 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 Swansboro?
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 Swansboro getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Swansboro.
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.