Climate · Wrightsville Beach

Wrightsville Beach, NC climate

Wrightsville Beach has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
89°
334th coolest of 773 North Carolina towns
January low
36°
34th mildest of 773 North Carolina towns
Rain + melted snow
58 in
65th wettest of 773 North Carolina towns
Snow a winter
0.9 in
199th least snowy of 763 North Carolina towns
A normal year

What a year in Wrightsville Beach feels like

Winter

59° / 38°
Typical high / low · Snow is rare

Spring

73° / 52°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Mar 19

Summer

88° / 72°
Typical high / low · 45 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

75° / 56°
Typical high / low · First frost around Nov 20
Best months to be outsideMarAprMaySepOctNovHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Wrightsville Beach 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°36°3.9" 0.7"101 40° – 52°
February59°38°3.5" 0.2"100 40° – 58°
March65°44°3.9" 0100 49° – 62°
April73°52°3.4" 080 59° – 68°
May80°61°4.2" 0100 66° – 76°
June86°70°5.3" 0110 73° – 82°
July89°73°6.4" 0130 78° – 84°
August88°72°7.2" 0140 77° – 82°
September83°67°8.2" 0110 72° – 79°
October75°56°4.7" 080 61° – 71°
November66°45°3.7" 090 51° – 61°
December60°39°3.7" 0100 38° – 61°
Year73°54°58.1"0.9"1221

“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 Wrightsville Beach

Wrightsville Beach gets 58 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.

58 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 97% of U.S. towns
0.9 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 86% 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
8.2"

Snowfall by month

About 0.9" in a normal year, so most winters see none.
Frost & the growing season

About 247 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 19 and the first one by November 20. That leaves about 247 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 90% of U.S. towns.

37
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
0
nights below 0° in a normal year
45
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 Wrightsville Beach

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Wrightsville Beach, 52% of that work is heating and 48% is cooling.

52%heating
2,326 heating degree daysLess heating than 91% of U.S. towns
2,133 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 90% 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 Wrightsville Beach compares

Summer heat89° July high
Hotter than 75% of U.S. towns334th coolest of 773 North Carolina towns
Winter cold36° January low
Milder than 90% of U.S. towns34th mildest of 773 North Carolina towns
Precipitation58" a year
Wetter than 97% of U.S. towns65th wettest of 773 North Carolina towns
Snow0.9" a winter
Less snow than 86% of U.S. towns199th least snowy of 763 North Carolina towns
Growing season247 frost-free days
Longer than 90% of U.S. towns46th longest of 773 North Carolina towns

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 Wrightsville Beach averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°). The shift is smaller than in 68% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.3° now 48°, was 47°
🌷 Spring+0.9° now 63°, was 62°
☀️ Summer+1.1° now 80°, was 78°
🍂 Fall+0.7° now 66°, was 65°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Wrightsville Beach’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 38° to 61°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Wrightsville Beach’s climate

What is the coldest month in Wrightsville Beach?

January, with a typical high of 57° and a low of 36°.

What is the hottest month in Wrightsville Beach?

July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 73°. About 45 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Wrightsville Beach get?

Almost none. A normal year brings 0.9 inches.

When is the first frost in Wrightsville Beach?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 20, and the last spring frost by March 19.

What is the rainiest month in Wrightsville Beach?

September, with 8.2 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 58 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Wrightsville Beach itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Wilmington Intl Airport, NC (7 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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