Christ Episcopal Church · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainNeither notably warm, cold, wet nor dry, Walnut Cove sits near the middle of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 89°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in July and the lightest in February. Its July heat outdoes that of 71% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in Walnut Cove at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Walnut Cove’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Walnut Cove’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Walnut Cove feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 202 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Danbury, NC, 10 miles from the town’s center, 320 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Walnut Cove’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at King, NC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 128 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Walnut Cove
75% 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 Danbury, NC.
Living with Walnut Cove’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
202 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Walnut Cove from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Walnut Cove and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Walnut Cove yet.
Climates most like Walnut Cove’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walnut Cove, NC | 29° | 89° | 45" | 6.2" |
| Washington, DC | 27° | 89° | 44" | 5.8" |
| Hillcrest Heights, MD | 27° | 88° | 45" | 5.8" |
| Manchester, VA | 28° | 89° | 47" | 8.8" |
| Fayetteville, AR | 26° | 89° | 47" | 6.5" |
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 Walnut Cove averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Walnut Cove compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Walnut Cove’s place among North Carolina’s.
Walnut Cove weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Walnut Cove’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from King, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 29° | 3.5" | 2.5" | 9 | 2 | 32° – 45° |
| February | 53° | 31° | 2.9" | 1.8" | 10 | 1 | 34° – 50° |
| March | 61° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.6" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 58° |
| April | 71° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| May | 78° | 55° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 63° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 75° – 80° |
| August | 87° | 66° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 60° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| October | 71° | 47° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| November | 61° | 37° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| December | 52° | 31° | 3.5" | 1.3" | 11 | 1 | 33° – 52° |
| Year | 70° | 47° | 44.6" | 6.2" | 128 | 4 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 52°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Walnut Cove’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 Walnut Cove’s center.
- Snow: King, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Danbury, NC, 10 miles from the town’s center, 320 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 Walnut Cove’s climate
What is the weather like in Walnut Cove?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Walnut Cove in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 101 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Walnut Cove get?
About 6.2 inches in a normal winter at King, NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in Walnut Cove?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 34 days a year reach 90° (Danbury, NC).
When is the first and last frost in Walnut Cove?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 202 frost-free days, at Danbury, NC.
What growing zone is Walnut Cove in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Walnut Cove?
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 Walnut Cove getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Walnut Cove.
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.