Photo: Harrison Keely · CC BY 4.0Wet weather: 56 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Sylva, more than in 95% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 26°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 57° apart. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 67% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around April 19; autumn frost returns near October 22.
A year in Sylva at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sylva’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sylva’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Sylva feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 184 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 19 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cullowhee, NC, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sylva’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cullowhee, NC, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 56 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 136 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sylva
82% 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 Cullowhee, NC.
Living with Sylva’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
184 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 19 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sylva from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sylva and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sylva yet.
Climates most like Sylva’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylva, NC | 26° | 84° | 56" | 4.3" |
| Lebanon, KY | 25° | 87° | 52" | 3.3" |
| Fort Payne, AL | 31° | 86° | 60" | 5.0" |
| Manchester, TN | 28° | 88° | 58" | 2.8" |
| Wayne, PA | 24° | 86° | 49" | 7.6" |
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 Sylva averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Sylva compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sylva’s place among North Carolina’s.
Sylva weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sylva’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cullowhee, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 26° | 5.1" | 1.3" | 11 | 1 | 29° – 43° |
| February | 52° | 29° | 4.8" | 0.7" | 11 | 0 | 32° – 49° |
| March | 59° | 35° | 5.2" | 0.7" | 12 | 0 | 40° – 55° |
| April | 69° | 41° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| May | 76° | 49° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 57° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 84° | 61° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| August | 83° | 60° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 77° | 54° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 68° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 58° | 33° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 50° | 29° | 5.7" | 1.5" | 11 | 1 | 29° – 50° |
| Year | 67° | 43° | 56.4" | 4.3" | 136 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Sylva’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 Sylva’s center.
- Snow: Cullowhee, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cullowhee, NC, 5 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 Sylva’s climate
What is the weather like in Sylva?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sylva in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 101 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Sylva get?
About 4.3 inches in a normal winter at Cullowhee, NC, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sylva?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 61°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Cullowhee, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Sylva?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 19 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 184 frost-free days, at Cullowhee, NC.
What growing zone is Sylva in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sylva?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Sylva getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sylva.
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.