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Climate in Asheville, North Carolina: Monthly Weather Averages

By the AverageClimate Editorial Team · Last updated: October 2026

Asheville sits at 2,238 feet above sea level, and its climate, as recorded at the Asheville, NC station, runs to a yearly mean of 57.3°F. The warmest month is July, averaging 75.3°F with typical highs of 85.9°F; the coldest is January, averaging 38.2°F with lows around 28.7°F. Across a normal year the city receives 40.6 in of precipitation and 11.5 in of snow. The full month-by-month picture below comes from the official 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals — the 30-year averages the National Weather Service itself uses — so it describes the Asheville climate you should actually plan around, whether you are timing a visit, weighing a move, or just settling an argument about which month is best.

Asheville climate month by month

The table below is the complete 1991–2020 normals profile for Asheville: average high, average low and mean temperature, rainfall, and snowfall for every month. Read down the Mean column to feel the year's rhythm — Asheville's temperature range runs from 38.2°F in January to 75.3°F in July.

How to read the colors:below freezingcoldcoolmildwarmhot. Bands are colored by each cell's own temperature, so a whole year reads at a glance.

Asheville through the seasons

Winter in Asheville averages highs of 47.7–51.6°F and lows of 28.7–31.7°F, a seasonal mean of 40.3°F. The three months together bring 9.4 in of precipitation — about 23% of the city's yearly total — with December the wettest of the three at 3.28 in. Snowfall averages 8.7 in over the season, most of it in January (3.8 in). It is a genuinely cold season — heavy coats, freezing nights, and the year's most changeable weather — without being locked below freezing around the clock.

Spring in Asheville averages highs of 58.8–76.3°F and lows of 37.8–54.0°F, a seasonal mean of 56.9°F. The three months together bring 10.7 in of precipitation — about 26% of the city's yearly total — with April the wettest of the three at 3.69 in. Snowfall averages 2.3 in over the season, most of it in March (2.0 in). The season is a transition: the average temperature climbs 16.8°F from March to May, and by late spring Asheville is firmly into warm territory, with May rainfall of 3.48 in to plan around.

Summer in Asheville averages highs of 82.6–85.9°F and lows of 61.3–64.7°F, a seasonal mean of 73.8°F. The three months together bring 11.2 in of precipitation — about 27% of the city's yearly total — with July the wettest of the three at 4.13 in. It is a warm, usable summer: afternoons are hot enough for swimming and lake or coast time, while evenings usually cool off comfortably.

Fall in Asheville averages highs of 58.6–78.7°F and lows of 37.1–58.0°F, a seasonal mean of 58.1°F. The three months together bring 9.3 in of precipitation — about 23% of the city's yearly total — with September the wettest of the three at 3.67 in. Snowfall averages 0.5 in over the season, most of it in November (0.5 in). Temperatures ease off through the season — the monthly mean drops 20.5°F from September to November — and fall is when Asheville's weather turns crisp and dry, while nights stay mostly frost-free into December.

Best and worst months to visit Asheville

Ranking every month by its normals — mild mean temperatures score best, heavy rain and snow count against — the most comfortable months to visit Asheville are:

JuneAugustSeptember

June leads the list: average highs of 82.6°F, lows of 61.3°F, and 3.42 in of rain, with snow a non-factor at 0.0 in. The other picks, August and September, offer the same balance in Asheville's mild stretch of the year. At the other end, January is usually the month to avoid — the least comfortable mix of temperature and rainfall, with a mean temperature of 38.2°F and 3.28 in of precipitation plus 3.8 in of snow.

How Asheville compares

Across the 114 cities in our dataset, the typical city averages 57.8°F for the year and 35.7 in of precipitation. Asheville runs 0.5°F cooler than that typical city and wetter by 5.0 in a year, ranking #55 of 114 for annual warmth and #50 of 114 for precipitation (wettest first). Its year-round temperature swing — warmest month minus coldest — is 37.1°F, which puts it in the moderate, clearly seasonal camp.

Within North Carolina, Asheville is the coolest of the cities we track. See the North Carolina climate overview for the full state comparison, including Charlotte (warmest, 61.4°F yearly mean) and Asheville (coolest, 57.3°F).

Planning notes for Asheville

For anyone relocating: average overnight lows drop below freezing in 3 months (January, February, December), so heating, winter tires, and pipe protection are real seasonal concerns; highs reach the 80s on average in 3 months, but 90°F average highs never arrive; days and nights differ by 21.0°F on average — a big desert-style swing that rewards dressing in layers year-round; 7 months of the year average between 55°F and 80°F, the band most people find comfortable without heating or cooling. Those four facts, all straight from the normals table above, shape everything from a Asheville wardrobe to its utility bills.

Asheville climate FAQ

Source: 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) — ncei.noaa.gov. Station: Asheville, NC (USW00013872), elevation 2,238 ft. Figures checked October 2026.