Coolmore Plantation · Photo: Thomas T. Waterman, Photographer · Public domainWet weather: 49 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Tarboro, more than in 79% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 90°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 76% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with December up the most. Plan time outside for April, May, September and October, when highs sit at 72–82°.
A year in Tarboro at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tarboro’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tarboro’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Tarboro feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 226 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 30 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tarboro 1 S, NC, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tarboro’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Tarboro 1 S, NC, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Tarboro
66% 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 Tarboro 1 S, NC.
Living with Tarboro’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
226 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 3.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tarboro from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tarboro and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tarboro yet.
Climates most like Tarboro’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarboro, NC | 31° | 90° | 49" | 4.8" |
| Five Forks, SC | 33° | 90° | 49" | 3.9" |
| Caruthersville, MO | 30° | 90° | 50" | 6.6" |
| Acworth, GA | 32° | 89° | 51" | 3.8" |
| Blytheville, AR | 31° | 90° | 50" | 2.9" |
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 Tarboro averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 81% 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 Tarboro compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tarboro’s place among North Carolina’s.
Tarboro weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tarboro’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Tarboro 1 S, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 31° | 3.6" | 1.9" | 10 | 1 | 36° – 48° |
| February | 56° | 33° | 3.0" | 0.9" | 10 | 0 | 35° – 52° |
| March | 63° | 39° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 59° |
| April | 72° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| May | 79° | 56° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| September | 82° | 62° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 50° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 34° | 3.4" | 1.9" | 10 | 1 | 34° – 56° |
| Year | 72° | 49° | 48.7" | 4.8" | 113 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 56°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Tarboro’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 Tarboro’s center.
- Snow: Tarboro 1 S, NC (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tarboro 1 S, NC, 1.8 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 Tarboro’s climate
What is the weather like in Tarboro?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tarboro in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 70 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Tarboro get?
About 4.8 inches in a normal winter at Tarboro 1 S, NC, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Tarboro?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 43 days a year reach 90° (Tarboro 1 S, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Tarboro?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 30 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 226 frost-free days, at Tarboro 1 S, NC.
What growing zone is Tarboro in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tarboro?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Tarboro getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tarboro.
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.