Mast Farm · Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0Valle Crucis has cooler summers than 90% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 24°. Precipitation peaks in July and eases off in February. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 78% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Valle Crucis at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Valle Crucis’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Valle Crucis’ place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Valle Crucis feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Boone 1 Se, NC, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Valle Crucis’ center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 48 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Flat Springs 1e, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 170 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Valle Crucis
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Boone 1 Se, NC.
Living with Valle Crucis’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
163 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 6.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Valle Crucis from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Valle Crucis and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Valle Crucis yet.
Climates most like Valle Crucis’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valle Crucis, NC | 24° | 80° | 48" | 48" |
| Sandwich, MA | 23° | 81° | 50" | 37" |
| Tiverton, RI | 23° | 81° | 48" | 38" |
| North Stonington, CT | 20° | 82° | 47" | 38" |
| East Moriches, NY | 24° | 82° | 46" | 32" |
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 Valle Crucis averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
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 Valle Crucis compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Valle Crucis’ place among North Carolina’s.
Valle Crucis weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Valle Crucis’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Flat Springs 1e, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 24° | 3.8" | 12.6" | 17 | 11 | 26° – 40° |
| February | 47° | 26° | 3.1" | 11.2" | 15 | 8 | 27° – 46° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 3.9" | 8.6" | 15 | 5 | 35° – 52° |
| April | 64° | 39° | 4.3" | 0.9" | 14 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 47° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| July | 80° | 59° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 58° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 51° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 65° | 41° | 3.4" | 1.0" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 55° | 31° | 3.4" | 3.2" | 11 | 2 | 37° – 49° |
| December | 46° | 27° | 3.7" | 10.7" | 16 | 6 | 26° – 48° |
| Year | 63° | 41° | 48.4" | 48.2" | 170 | 32 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 48°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Valle Crucis’ 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 Valle Crucis’ center.
- Snow: Flat Springs 1e, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Boone 1 Se, NC, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher; 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 Valle Crucis’ climate
What is the weather like in Valle Crucis?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Valle Crucis in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 127 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Valle Crucis get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter at Flat Springs 1e, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 32 days a year.
How hot does it get in Valle Crucis?
July, with a typical high of 80°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Boone 1 Se, NC.
When is the first and last frost in Valle Crucis?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 163 frost-free days, at Boone 1 Se, NC.
What growing zone is Valle Crucis in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Valle Crucis?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Valle Crucis 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 Valle Crucis.
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.