Charlotte climate
Charlotte (North Carolina, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 16 °C60 °F, and about 1,146 mm45 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Charlotte climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1049 | −130 | 439 | 803.1 | 19 |
| Feb | 1253 | 032 | 643 | 813.2 | 14 |
| Mar | 1662 | 439 | 1050 | 953.7 | 7 |
| Apr | 2272 | 948 | 1660 | 893.5 | 1 |
| May | 2780 | 1458 | 2169 | 1024.0 | 0 |
| Jun | 3188 | 1966 | 2577 | 1074.2 | 0 |
| Jul | 3391 | 2169 | 2780 | 1124.4 | 0 |
| Aug | 3290 | 2068 | 2679 | 1094.3 | 0 |
| Sep | 2984 | 1661 | 2373 | 983.8 | 0 |
| Oct | 2373 | 1050 | 1661 | 803.1 | 0 |
| Nov | 1661 | 439 | 1050 | 863.4 | 5 |
| Dec | 1253 | 133 | 643 | 1074.2 | 14 |
| Year | 3391 | −130 | 1660 | 1,14645 | 61 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80% | 53% | 2.6 | 10:02 |
| Feb | 80% | 57% | 3.3 | 10:52 |
| Mar | 78% | 56% | 4.4 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 75% | 52% | 5.5 | 13:02 |
| May | 73% | 55% | 6.0 | 14:00 |
| Jun | 70% | 54% | 6.5 | 14:31 |
| Jul | 69% | 58% | 6.1 | 14:18 |
| Aug | 71% | 55% | 5.5 | 13:28 |
| Sep | 72% | 50% | 4.7 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 74% | 46% | 3.8 | 11:13 |
| Nov | 75% | 45% | 2.9 | 10:15 |
| Dec | 80% | 56% | 2.3 | 9:47 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Charlotte is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 33 °C91 °F and a low of 21 °C69 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 10 °C49 °F and lows −1 °C30 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 22.6 °C40.7 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,146 mm45 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is July (112 mm4.4 in), the driest is October (80 mm3.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 69% in July to 80% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 45%) are typical of November. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 2 km/h (1 mph) in August to 3 km/h (2 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 9.8 hours in December to 14.5 hours in June.
Best time to visit Charlotte
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and October: average highs of 22 °C72 °F to 27 °C80 °F with 80 mm3.1 in to 102 mm4.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 10 °C49 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Charlotte
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1049 to 12 °C53 °F, lows −130 to 1 °C33 °F, about 89 mm3.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1662 to 27 °C80 °F, lows 439 to 14 °C58 °F, about 95 mm3.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3188 to 33 °C91 °F, lows 1966 to 21 °C69 °F, about 109 mm4.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1661 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 439 to 16 °C61 °F, about 88 mm3.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Charlotte compares
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Charlotte is the 99th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 86th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Kutaisi (Georgia, Cfa), Mestre (Italy, Cfa) and Taozhou (China, Cfa).
Nearby places
- High Point 111 km · 15 °C58 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
- Winston-Salem 111 km · 14 °C58 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
- Greensboro 134 km · 15 °C58 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
- Columbia 137 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,150 mm45 in
- Fayetteville 180 km · 17 °C62 °F · 1,237 mm49 in
- Raleigh 209 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,186 mm47 in
- Roanoke 241 km · 14 °C56 °F · 1,086 mm43 in
- Athens 271 km · 17 °C62 °F · 1,261 mm50 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Charlotte?
July is the warmest month in Charlotte, with an average high of 33 °C (91 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (69 °F).
What is the coldest month in Charlotte?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 10 °C (49 °F) and an average low of -1 °C (30 °F).
When does it rain the most in Charlotte?
July is the wettest month with about 112 mm (4.4 in) of precipitation; October is the driest with about 80 mm (3.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Charlotte?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April and May and October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.