Raleigh climate
Raleigh (North Carolina, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 16 °C60 °F, and about 1,186 mm47 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Raleigh climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 948 | −229 | 438 | 722.8 | 20 |
| Feb | 1152 | 031 | 542 | 742.9 | 16 |
| Mar | 1661 | 438 | 1049 | 963.8 | 9 |
| Apr | 2271 | 948 | 1560 | 903.6 | 1 |
| May | 2679 | 1457 | 2068 | 983.9 | 0 |
| Jun | 3188 | 1966 | 2577 | 1184.6 | 0 |
| Jul | 3391 | 2169 | 2780 | 1224.8 | 0 |
| Aug | 3290 | 2068 | 2679 | 1275.0 | 0 |
| Sep | 2883 | 1662 | 2272 | 1194.7 | 0 |
| Oct | 2272 | 1050 | 1661 | 873.4 | 0 |
| Nov | 1661 | 439 | 1050 | 883.5 | 6 |
| Dec | 1152 | 033 | 643 | 943.7 | 16 |
| Year | 3391 | −229 | 1660 | 1,18647 | 69 |
“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% | 52% | 2.6 | 9:59 |
| Feb | 79% | 56% | 3.3 | 10:50 |
| Mar | 78% | 54% | 4.3 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 75% | 51% | 5.5 | 13:03 |
| May | 75% | 55% | 6.1 | 14:02 |
| Jun | 72% | 56% | 6.4 | 14:34 |
| Jul | 70% | 56% | 6.2 | 14:21 |
| Aug | 73% | 54% | 5.5 | 13:30 |
| Sep | 75% | 51% | 4.6 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 77% | 45% | 3.7 | 11:12 |
| Nov | 77% | 45% | 2.9 | 10:13 |
| Dec | 81% | 54% | 2.3 | 9:45 |
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 Raleigh 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 9 °C48 °F and lows −2 °C29 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 23.3 °C41.9 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,186 mm47 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is August (127 mm5.0 in), the driest is January (72 mm2.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 70% in July to 81% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 45%) are typical of November. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 1 km/h (1 mph) in August to 2 km/h (1 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 9.7 hours in December to 14.6 hours in June.
Best time to visit Raleigh
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and October: average highs of 22 °C71 °F to 26 °C79 °F with 87 mm3.4 in to 98 mm3.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 9 °C48 °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 Raleigh
- Winter (December–February) — highs 948 to 11 °C52 °F, lows −229 to 0 °C33 °F, about 80 mm3.2 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 1661 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 438 to 14 °C57 °F, about 95 mm3.7 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 122 mm4.8 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 28 °C83 °F, lows 439 to 16 °C62 °F, about 98 mm3.9 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.
How Raleigh compares
Compared with Charlotte, about 209 km to the west, Raleigh has practically the same average temperature and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in February (0.6 °C1.1 °F cooler).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Raleigh is the 103rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 73rd 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), Taozhou (China, Cfa) and Zhangjiagang (China, Cfa).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Durham (pop. 257,636) and Cary (pop. 159,769). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Raleigh, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Fayetteville 83 km · 17 °C62 °F · 1,237 mm49 in
- Greensboro 109 km · 15 °C58 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
- High Point 125 km · 15 °C58 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
- Winston-Salem 149 km · 14 °C58 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
- Wilmington 182 km · 19 °C65 °F · 1,374 mm54 in
- Roanoke 203 km · 14 °C56 °F · 1,086 mm43 in
- Charlotte 209 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,146 mm45 in
- Richmond 224 km · 14 °C58 °F · 1,182 mm47 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Raleigh?
July is the warmest month in Raleigh, with an average high of 33 °C (91 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (69 °F).
What is the coldest month in Raleigh?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 9 °C (48 °F) and an average low of -2 °C (29 °F).
When does it rain the most in Raleigh?
August is the wettest month with about 127 mm (5.0 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 72 mm (2.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Raleigh?
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.