Spruce Pine, NC climate
Spruce Pine has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Spruce Pine feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Spruce Pine 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 | 46° | 25° | 4.6" | 4.2" | 10 | 3 | 29° – 41° |
| February | 49° | 28° | 3.7" | 2.3" | 10 | 2 | 29° – 48° |
| March | 56° | 34° | 4.7" | 3.3" | 11 | 1 | 37° – 55° |
| April | 66° | 42° | 5.2" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| May | 73° | 49° | 5.1" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 57° | 4.8" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 5.4" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| August | 81° | 60° | 5.4" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 75° | 54° | 5.0" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| October | 66° | 43° | 4.5" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| November | 56° | 34° | 4.5" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| December | 48° | 28° | 4.4" | 2.2" | 10 | 1 | 28° – 49° |
| Year | 65° | 43° | 57.4" | 12.7" | 125 | 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 Spruce Pine
Spruce Pine gets 57 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 125 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 7 days of the year.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first one by October 20. That leaves about 177 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 51% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Spruce Pine
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Spruce Pine, 91% of that work is heating and 9% 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 Spruce Pine 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 Spruce Pine averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°). The shift is smaller than in 62% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Spruce Pine’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 28° to 49°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Spruce Pine’s climate
What is the coldest month in Spruce Pine?
January, with a typical high of 46° and a low of 25°.
What is the hottest month in Spruce Pine?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 2 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Spruce Pine get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Spruce Pine?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 20, and the last spring frost by April 26.
What is the rainiest month in Spruce Pine?
August, with 5.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 57 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Spruce Pine itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Celo 2 S, NC (9 mi, snow) and Spruce Pine 2 Ne, 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.