Wake Forest, NC climate
Wake Forest has mild winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Wake Forest feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Wake Forest 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 | 51° | 30° | 3.5" | 0.9" | 10 | 2 | 35° – 47° |
| February | 55° | 32° | 2.9" | 0.4" | 9 | 1 | 34° – 51° |
| March | 62° | 38° | 4.2" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 58° |
| April | 72° | 46° | 3.6" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 55° | 3.7" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| June | 87° | 64° | 4.4" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 68° | 4.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 4.7" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| September | 82° | 61° | 4.9" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| October | 72° | 48° | 3.5" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| November | 62° | 38° | 3.4" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 54° | 32° | 3.6" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 34° – 54° |
| Year | 71° | 48° | 47.1" | 1.7" | 109 | 3 |
“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 Wake Forest
Wake Forest gets 47 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 109 days a year.
About 213 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first one by November 4. That leaves about 213 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 79% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Wake Forest
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Wake Forest, 74% of that work is heating and 26% 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.
Wake Forest and its neighbors
Wake Forest borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.1°. Rolesville has the coldest January nights (30°) and Raleigh the hottest July afternoons (90°). Wake Forest’s January low is 30° and its July high 90°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Wake Forest 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 Wake Forest averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°). The shift is smaller than in 56% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Wake Forest’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 34° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Wake Forest’s climate
What is the coldest month in Wake Forest?
January, with a typical high of 51° and a low of 30°.
What is the hottest month in Wake Forest?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 68°. About 36 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Wake Forest get?
About 2 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Wake Forest?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 4, and the last spring frost by April 4.
What is the rainiest month in Wake Forest?
September, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 47 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Wake Forest itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Louisburg, NC (15 mi, snow) and Falls Lake, NC (8 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.