Home › North Carolina › Wilmington

Climate in Wilmington, North Carolina: Monthly Weather Averages

By the AverageClimate Editorial Team · Last updated: October 2026

Wilmington sits at 33 feet above sea level, and its climate, as recorded at the Wilmington International Airport, NC station, runs to a yearly mean of 64.4°F. The warmest month is July, averaging 81.5°F with typical highs of 90.0°F; the coldest is January, averaging 46.8°F with lows around 36.3°F. Across a normal year the city receives 60.1 in of precipitation and 0.9 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 Wilmington 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.

Wilmington climate month by month

The table below is the complete 1991–2020 normals profile for Wilmington: average high, average low and mean temperature, rainfall, and snowfall for every month. Read down the Mean column to feel the year's rhythm — Wilmington's temperature range runs from 46.8°F in January to 81.5°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.

Wilmington through the seasons

Winter in Wilmington averages highs of 57.2–60.3°F and lows of 36.3–39.1°F, a seasonal mean of 48.6°F. The three months together bring 11.0 in of precipitation — about 18% of the city's yearly total — with January the wettest of the three at 3.81 in. Snowfall averages 0.9 in over the season, most of it in January (0.7 in). Winters here are cool rather than harsh: chilly mornings, mild afternoons, and only occasional brushes with freezing weather.

Spring in Wilmington averages highs of 66.5–81.1°F and lows of 44.1–61.1°F, a seasonal mean of 63.3°F. The three months together bring 11.6 in of precipitation — about 19% of the city's yearly total — with May the wettest of the three at 4.54 in. The season is a transition: the average temperature climbs 15.8°F from March to May, and by late spring Wilmington is firmly into warm territory, with May rainfall of 4.54 in to plan around.

Summer in Wilmington averages highs of 87.0–90.0°F and lows of 69.3–73.0°F, a seasonal mean of 79.9°F. The three months together bring 20.7 in of precipitation — about 34% of the city's yearly total — with August the wettest of the three at 8.16 in. Summers are hot in the classic sense — most afternoons reach the 90s, and shade, water, and air conditioning shape the daily routine.

Fall in Wilmington averages highs of 67.4–83.9°F and lows of 44.8–66.7°F, a seasonal mean of 65.8°F. The three months together bring 16.9 in of precipitation — about 28% of the city's yearly total — with September the wettest of the three at 8.69 in. Temperatures ease off through the season — the monthly mean drops 19.2°F from September to November — and fall is when Wilmington's weather turns cooler and wetter, while nights stay mostly frost-free into December.

Best and worst months to visit Wilmington

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

AprilMayOctober

April leads the list: average highs of 74.6°F, lows of 52.6°F, and 3.07 in of rain, with snow a non-factor at 0.0 in. The other picks, May and October, offer the same balance in Wilmington's shoulder seasons. At the other end, January is usually the month to avoid — the least comfortable mix of temperature and rainfall, with a mean temperature of 46.8°F and 3.81 in of precipitation.

How Wilmington compares

Across the 124 cities in our dataset, the typical city averages 57.9°F for the year and 36.3 in of precipitation. Wilmington runs 6.5°F warmer than that typical city and wetter by 23.8 in a year, ranking #31 of 124 for annual warmth and #8 of 124 for precipitation (wettest first). Its year-round temperature swing — warmest month minus coldest — is 34.7°F, which puts it in the moderate, clearly seasonal camp.

Within North Carolina, Wilmington is the warmest of the cities we track. See the North Carolina climate overview for the full state comparison, including Wilmington (warmest, 64.4°F yearly mean) and Asheville (coolest, 57.3°F).

Planning notes for Wilmington

For anyone relocating: average lows never drop below freezing in any month, so hard freezes are events, not seasons; 1 month averages highs of 90°F or more, making air conditioning a core cost of summer life; 8 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 Wilmington wardrobe to its utility bills.

Wilmington climate FAQ

Source: 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) — ncei.noaa.gov. Station: Wilmington International Airport, NC (USW00013748), elevation 33 ft. Figures checked October 2026.