Climate · Lake Waccamaw

Lake Waccamaw, NC climate

Lake Waccamaw has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
90°
126th hottest of 773 North Carolina towns
January low
34°
120th mildest of 773 North Carolina towns
Rain + melted snow
53 in
211th wettest of 773 North Carolina towns
Snow a winter
1 in
274th least snowy of 763 North Carolina towns
A normal year

What a year in Lake Waccamaw feels like

Winter

58° / 35°
Typical high / low · Snow is rare

Spring

75° / 50°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Mar 29

Summer

89° / 69°
Typical high / low · 63 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

75° / 53°
Typical high / low · First frost around Nov 6
Best months to be outsideMarAprMaySepOctNovHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Lake Waccamaw weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January57°34°3.5" 0.5"90 40° – 51°
February60°36°3.4" 0.3"90 39° – 57°
March67°42°3.7" 090 48° – 62°
April75°50°3.3" 080 58° – 67°
May82°58°4.0" 090 66° – 75°
June87°67°4.9" 0100 73° – 82°
July90°71°6.0" 0100 77° – 83°
August89°69°6.3" 0120 77° – 83°
September84°64°6.7" 090 71° – 79°
October76°52°3.9" 070 60° – 69°
November66°42°3.4" 080 49° – 59°
December59°36°3.6" 0.4"90 37° – 59°
Year74°52°52.6"1.2"1091

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Lake Waccamaw

Lake Waccamaw gets 53 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 109 days a year.

53 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 92% of U.S. towns
1 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 85% of U.S. towns
1 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 81% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
6.7"

Snowfall by month

About 1.2" in a normal year, so most winters see none.
Frost & the growing season

About 224 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first one by November 6. That leaves about 224 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 84% of U.S. towns.

59
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
0
nights below 0° in a normal year
63
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Lake Waccamaw

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Lake Waccamaw, 62% of that work is heating and 38% is cooling.

62%heating
2,913 heating degree daysLess heating than 86% of U.S. towns
1,763 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 84% of U.S. towns

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.

Compared with other towns

How Lake Waccamaw compares

Summer heat90° July high
Hotter than 81% of U.S. towns126th hottest of 773 North Carolina towns
Winter cold34° January low
Milder than 86% of U.S. towns120th mildest of 773 North Carolina towns
Precipitation53" a year
Wetter than 92% of U.S. towns211th wettest of 773 North Carolina towns
Snow1" a winter
Less snow than 85% of U.S. towns274th least snowy of 763 North Carolina towns
Growing season224 frost-free days
Longer than 84% of U.S. towns330th longest of 773 North Carolina towns
North Carolina climate rankingsSnowiest, mildest, wettest and more in NC →

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.0°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Lake Waccamaw averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°). The shift is smaller than in 69% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.3° now 47°, was 46°
🌷 Spring+0.8° now 62°, was 61°
☀️ Summer+1.2° now 79°, was 78°
🍂 Fall+0.8° now 64°, was 63°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Lake Waccamaw’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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 37° to 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Lake Waccamaw’s climate

What is the coldest month in Lake Waccamaw?

January, with a typical high of 57° and a low of 34°.

What is the hottest month in Lake Waccamaw?

July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 71°. About 63 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Lake Waccamaw get?

About 1 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.

When is the first frost in Lake Waccamaw?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 6, and the last spring frost by March 29.

What is the rainiest month in Lake Waccamaw?

September, with 6.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 53 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Lake Waccamaw itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Whiteville 7 Nw, NC (17 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01