Sugar Mountain, NC climate
Sugar Mountain has chilly, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Sugar Mountain feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Sugar Mountain 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 22° | 4.7" | 6.9" | 14 | 22° – 37° |
| February | 41° | 24° | 3.7" | 11.4" | 11 | 23° – 42° |
| March | 48° | 30° | 4.8" | 4.8" | 13 | 30° – 48° |
| April | 57° | 37° | 5.1" | 0.8" | 12 | 42° – 52° |
| May | 64° | 46° | 5.3" | 0 | 14 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 70° | 54° | 5.3" | 0 | 14 | 58° – 66° |
| July | 74° | 57° | 5.6" | 0 | 15 | 62° – 69° |
| August | 72° | 56° | 5.0" | 0 | 14 | 61° – 69° |
| September | 68° | 50° | 5.1" | 0 | 12 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 40° | 4.2" | 0.1" | 9 | 46° – 54° |
| November | 49° | 31° | 4.1" | 1.6" | 10 | 34° – 46° |
| December | 42° | 26° | 4.5" | 5.8" | 13 | 23° – 45° |
| Year | 57° | 39° | 57.2" | 31.4" | 152 |
“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 Sugar Mountain
Sugar Mountain gets 57 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 152 days a year.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first one by October 13. That leaves about 160 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 71% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Sugar Mountain
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Sugar Mountain, 98% of that work is heating and 2% 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.
Sugar Mountain and its neighbors
Sugar Mountain borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.7°. Grandfather Village has the coldest January nights (21°) and Seven Devils the hottest July afternoons (74°). Sugar Mountain’s January low is 22° and its July high 74°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Sugar Mountain 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 Sugar Mountain averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°). The shift is smaller than in 58% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Sugar Mountain’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 23° to 45°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Sugar Mountain’s climate
What is the coldest month in Sugar Mountain?
January, with a typical high of 38° and a low of 22°.
What is the hottest month in Sugar Mountain?
July, with a typical high of 74° and a low of 57°.
How much snow does Sugar Mountain get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Sugar Mountain?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 13, and the last spring frost by May 5.
What is the rainiest month in Sugar Mountain?
July, with 5.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 57 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Sugar Mountain itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Banner Elk, NC (2 mi, snow) and Grandfather Mtn, NC (3 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.