Hatteras, NC climate
Hatteras has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 39°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Hatteras feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Hatteras weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 39° | 4.7" | 1.4" | 9 | 1 | 41° – 53° |
| February | 56° | 41° | 3.9" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| March | 61° | 46° | 4.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| April | 69° | 54° | 3.7" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| May | 77° | 62° | 4.4" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 65° – 75° |
| June | 84° | 71° | 4.6" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| July | 87° | 75° | 5.5" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 86° | 74° | 6.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 70° | 7.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| October | 74° | 60° | 5.0" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| November | 65° | 50° | 4.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| December | 59° | 44° | 4.4" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 63° |
| Year | 71° | 57° | 58.5" | 1.7" | 108 | 1 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Hatteras
Hatteras gets 59 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 108 days a year.
About 290 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 4 and the first one by December 22. That leaves about 290 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 94% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Hatteras
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Hatteras, 50% of that work is heating and 50% is cooling.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How Hatteras compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Hatteras averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°). The shift is smaller than in 79% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Hatteras’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 40° to 63°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Common questions about Hatteras’s climate
What is the coldest month in Hatteras?
January, with a typical high of 55° and a low of 39°.
What is the hottest month in Hatteras?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 75°. About 8 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Hatteras get?
About 2 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Hatteras?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by December 22, and the last spring frost by March 4.
What is the rainiest month in Hatteras?
September, with 7.0 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 59 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Hatteras itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ocracoke, NC (19 mi, snow) and Cape Hatteras Airport, NC (4 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.