Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Raleigh
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 84° on average. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in January. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 91% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 13; autumn frost returns near September 27.
A year in Raleigh at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Raleigh’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Raleigh’s place in North Dakota beside it.
What a year in Raleigh feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Flasher, ND, 9 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Raleigh’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Shields, ND, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 67 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Raleigh
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Flasher, ND.
Living with Raleigh’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 13 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 52% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Raleigh from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Raleigh and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Raleigh yet.
Climates most like Raleigh’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh, ND | 4° | 84° | 18" | 47" |
| Havre, MT | 6° | 85° | 13" | 41" |
| Huron, SD | 6° | 86° | 23" | 44" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Moorhead, MN | 0° | 82° | 25" | 51" |
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 Raleigh averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A smaller shift than in 57% 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 Raleigh compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Raleigh’s place among North Dakota’s.
Raleigh weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Raleigh’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Shields, ND. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 4° | 0.4" | 8.2" | 4 | 3° – 28° |
| February | 29° | 8° | 0.5" | 6.9" | 4 | −1° – 31° |
| March | 41° | 19° | 0.8" | 8.4" | 4 | 18° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 30° | 1.5" | 2.7" | 6 | 35° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.7" | 0.6" | 8 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 77° | 51° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 84° | 57° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 62° – 78° |
| August | 83° | 55° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 63° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 45° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 32° | 1.5" | 2.5" | 5 | 37° – 49° |
| November | 40° | 19° | 0.6" | 7.8" | 3 | 16° – 40° |
| December | 28° | 9° | 0.5" | 9.8" | 4 | 6° – 27° |
| Year | 55° | 31° | 17.9" | 46.9" | 67 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 31°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Raleigh’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 Raleigh’s center.
- Snow: Shields, ND.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Flasher, ND, 9 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower; 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 Raleigh’s climate
What is the weather like in Raleigh?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 151 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 61% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Raleigh in winter?
January nights average 4°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 39 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How much snow does Raleigh get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Shields, ND, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Raleigh?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 57°. About 19 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Flasher, ND).
When is the first and last frost in Raleigh?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 135 frost-free days, at Flasher, ND.
What growing zone is Raleigh in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Raleigh?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Raleigh getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Raleigh.
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.