Highlands, NC climate
Highlands has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Highlands feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Highlands 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 | 43° | 25° | 7.7" | 2.6" | 14 | 3 | 26° – 39° |
| February | 46° | 27° | 6.7" | 2.0" | 14 | 2 | 28° – 44° |
| March | 53° | 32° | 7.1" | 1.8" | 14 | 1 | 35° – 51° |
| April | 62° | 39° | 6.6" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 47° | 6.1" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| June | 74° | 54° | 6.6" | 0 | 15 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| July | 76° | 58° | 6.5" | 0 | 17 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| August | 75° | 57° | 6.2" | 0 | 16 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| September | 70° | 52° | 6.2" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| October | 62° | 42° | 7.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 48° – 55° |
| November | 53° | 32° | 7.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 37° – 48° |
| December | 46° | 28° | 7.9" | 3.5" | 14 | 2 | 27° – 46° |
| Year | 61° | 41° | 81.5" | 10.2" | 163 | 7 |
“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 Highlands
Highlands gets 82 inches of rain and melted snow a year. December is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 163 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 7 days of the year.
About 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first one by October 15. That leaves about 167 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 64% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Highlands
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Highlands, 96% of that work is heating and 4% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
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 Highlands 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 Highlands averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.3°). The shift is smaller than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Highlands’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 27° to 46°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Highlands’s climate
What is the coldest month in Highlands?
January, with a typical high of 43° and a low of 25°.
What is the hottest month in Highlands?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 58°.
How much snow does Highlands get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Highlands?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 15, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in Highlands?
December, with 7.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 82 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Highlands itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Highlands, NC (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.