Harmony Hall · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0White Oak gets more rain and snow than 82% of U.S. towns: 49 inches of precipitation a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 91°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 82% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.9°, most of all in December. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from December to February, when means dip under 50°.
A year in White Oak at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about White Oak’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with White Oak’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in White Oak 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 29 and the first by November 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elizabethtown, NC, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts White Oak’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Fayetteville (pwc), NC, falls mostly in January. 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 112 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in White Oak
61% 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 Elizabethtown, NC.
Living with White Oak’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
226 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 29 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in White Oak from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →White Oak and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around White Oak yet.
Climates most like White Oak’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Oak, NC | 33° | 91° | 49" | 1.2" |
| Covington, GA | 33° | 91° | 50" | 1.3" |
| Centerville, SC | 33° | 90° | 49" | 0.9" |
| Stuttgart, AR | 33° | 91° | 50" | 3.3" |
| Lanett, AL | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.1" |
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 White Oak averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 White Oak compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with White Oak’s place among North Carolina’s.
White Oak weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at White Oak’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fayetteville (pwc), NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 33° | 3.4" | 0.6" | 11 | 1 | 39° – 50° |
| February | 58° | 36° | 3.2" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 56° |
| March | 66° | 41° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 62° |
| April | 75° | 49° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 88° | 67° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| July | 91° | 71° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 69° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| September | 84° | 64° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| October | 75° | 52° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| November | 65° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 36° | 3.5" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 36° – 58° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 49.4" | 1.2" | 112 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where White Oak’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 White Oak’s center.
- Snow: Fayetteville (pwc), NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elizabethtown, NC, 10 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 White Oak’s climate
What is the weather like in White Oak?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in White Oak in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 62 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does White Oak get?
About 1.2 inches in a normal winter at Fayetteville (pwc), NC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in White Oak?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 71°. About 55 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Elizabethtown, NC).
When is the first and last frost in White Oak?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 8, about 226 frost-free days, at Elizabethtown, NC.
What growing zone is White Oak in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit White Oak?
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 White Oak getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in White Oak.
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.