Bethabara Historic District · Photo: Barber Photo Supply Company, Photographer · Public domainSummers, winters and rain in Winston-Salem all run close to those of most U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 88°. Only 59° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 71% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Winston-Salem at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Winston-Salem’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Winston-Salem’s place in North Carolina beside it.
What a year in Winston-Salem feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 228 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Winston Salem Rynlds Airport, 3 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Winston-Salem’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Piedmont Triad International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Winston-Salem
70% 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 Winston Salem Rynlds Airport.
Living with Winston-Salem’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
228 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 26 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. 45 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Winston-Salem from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Winston-Salem and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Winston-Salem in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Winston-Salem’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem, NC | 29° | 88° | 45" | 7.1" |
| Berlin, MD | 29° | 87° | 46" | 8.0" |
| Bailey's Crossroads, VA | 27° | 88° | 44" | 5.8" |
| Millsboro, DE | 29° | 87° | 46" | 11" |
| Washington, DC | 27° | 89° | 44" | 5.8" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Winston-Salem averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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. In a city of 257,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Winston-Salem compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Winston-Salem’s place among North Carolina’s.
Winston-Salem weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Winston-Salem’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Piedmont Triad International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 29° | 3.6" | 2.9" | 10 | 2 | 33° – 45° |
| February | 53° | 31° | 3.0" | 2.0" | 10 | 1 | 34° – 50° |
| March | 61° | 38° | 3.8" | 0.9" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 58° |
| April | 71° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| May | 78° | 55° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| June | 84° | 63° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 67° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 80° |
| August | 86° | 66° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| September | 80° | 59° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| October | 71° | 47° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| November | 60° | 37° | 3.2" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| December | 52° | 31° | 3.4" | 1.2" | 9 | 1 | 32° – 52° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 45.1" | 7.1" | 116 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 52°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Winston-Salem’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 Winston-Salem’s center.
- Snow: Piedmont Triad International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Winston Salem Rynlds Airport, 3 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Winston-Salem’s climate
What is the weather like in Winston-Salem?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Winston-Salem in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 64 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Winston-Salem get?
About 7.1 inches in a normal winter at Piedmont Triad International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Winston-Salem?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 67°. About 33 days a year reach 90° (Winston Salem Rynlds Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Winston-Salem?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 228 frost-free days, at Winston Salem Rynlds Airport.
What growing zone is Winston-Salem in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Winston-Salem?
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 Winston-Salem getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Winston-Salem.
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.