Winston-Salem, NC Climate & Monthly Averages
Winston-Salem has a humid subtropical climate. July is the hottest month, averaging 90° by day; January is the coldest at 48°.
Winston-Salem's climate is a story of contrasts
Winston-Salem runs one of the wider annual swings in our dataset: 22°C separates the average July from the average January. Afternoons reach 90°F (32°C) at the peak of summer and 48°F (9°C) at the depth of winter, with 122 days of measurable precipitation through the year.
July
90° by day 70° at nightJanuary
48° by day 31° at nightThe two ends of the year
June is the brightest month at 11.7 hours of sun a day, against an annual average of 9.1. January sits at the other end of the year: 48°F (9°C) by day, 31°F (0°C) at night. At its warmest, in July, Winston-Salem runs to 90°F (32°C) in the afternoon and back to 70°F (21°C) by dawn. Three of the twelve months pair mild highs with fewer than twelve wet days; the longest unbroken run is April through May.
Snow falls on roughly 3 days a year, mostly December through March. Average lows drop to freezing in one month of the year, January. Days and nights are about 11°C apart on average - wider than roughly 79% of the cities we track. Across the gridded 2015-2024 daily record, the highest daily maximum for this location was 101°F (38°C) and the lowest daily minimum -3°F (-20°C).
More climate facts for Winston-Salem
- Hottest month: July - highs near 90°F (32°C)
- Coldest month: January - highs near 48°F (9°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 101°F (38°C) high · -3°F (-20°C) low
- Wettest month: September (10 rainy days) · Sunniest: June (11.7 h sun/day)
- Climate type: humid subtropical
- Annual swing: 22°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 11°C
- Snow: about 3 days a year
- Months averaging 30°C or hotter: 2
- Average humidity: 69%
Four distinct parts of the year in Winston-Salem
Spring (March through May)
Through spring, Winston-Salem settles into easy warmth: 70°F (21°C) by day, 49°F (9°C) after dark, and rain falls on around 30 of the 90 days.
Summer (June through August)
Summer in Winston-Salem sits firmly in the heat, with daytime highs averaging 87°F (31°C) and nights around 68°F (20°C); rain falls on around 37 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 11.4 hours of sun a day. With the moisture factored in, afternoons feel hotter than the reading suggests - the humidity and dew point converter shows why.
Fall (September through November)
Through fall, Winston-Salem brings comfortable warmth: 70°F (21°C) by day, 52°F (11°C) after dark, and expect showers on roughly 24 days across the season.
Winter (December through February)
Winter is brisk and cold here - highs near 51°F (11°C), nights near 34°F (1°C), and expect showers on roughly 30 days across the season, plus about 2 snowy days.
Winston-Salem temperature extremes in the 2015–2024 dataset
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need another precipitation unit? Use the rainfall converter.
Choosing a season in Winston-Salem
Best time to visit Winston-Salem
Aim for March to May and September to November if you get the choice: warm days, manageable rainfall and plenty of daylight line up, and highs average 70°F (21°C) against roughly 9 wet days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in March.
What to pack
Pack for Winston-Salem with lightweight, breathable clothing and serious sun protection, a warm jacket and layers for the cooler season and a compact umbrella or rain shell. July nights average 70°F (21°C), so evenings rarely match the afternoons.
Monthly highs, lows and seasonal change
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 31° | 10 | 3.9 in | 6.5 h/day | 10.0 h | 32% | 70% |
| February | 54° | 35° | 11 | 3.9 in | 7.0 h/day | 10.8 h | 38% | 69% |
| March | 61° | 40° | 10 | 3.4 in | 8.2 h/day | 11.9 h | 34% | 65% |
| April | 70° | 48° | 9 | 3.7 in | 10.0 h/day | 13.1 h | 30% | 63% |
| May | 79° | 58° | 11 | 4.0 in | 10.6 h/day | 14.1 h | 35% | 67% |
| June | 86° | 65° | 11 | 3.0 in | 11.7 h/day | 14.6 h | 36% | 66% |
| July | 90° | 70° | 13 | 3.8 in | 11.7 h/day | 14.4 h | 42% | 69% |
| August | 86° | 68° | 14 | 4.2 in | 10.9 h/day | 13.5 h | 44% | 74% |
| September | 81° | 63° | 10 | 4.8 in | 9.5 h/day | 12.4 h | 34% | 74% |
| October | 71° | 52° | 7 | 3.3 in | 8.8 h/day | 11.2 h | 22% | 73% |
| November | 60° | 41° | 7 | 3.4 in | 7.6 h/day | 10.2 h | 24% | 69% |
| December | 52° | 36° | 9 | 4.2 in | 6.3 h/day | 9.7 h | 30% | 73% |
Winston-Salem from the coldest month to the hottest
Each card shows the average high and low. The bar places that month between Winston-Salem's coldest night and warmest afternoon.
January
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 6.5 h
- Daylight
- 10.0 h
- Snow
- 1 day
February
- Rain
- 11 days
- Sunshine
- 7.0 h
- Daylight
- 10.8 h
March
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 8.2 h
- Daylight
- 11.9 h
April
- Rain
- 9 days
- Sunshine
- 10.0 h
- Daylight
- 13.1 h
May
- Rain
- 11 days
- Sunshine
- 10.6 h
- Daylight
- 14.1 h
June
- Rain
- 11 days
- Sunshine
- 11.7 h
- Daylight
- 14.6 h
July
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 11.7 h
- Daylight
- 14.4 h
August
- Rain
- 14 days
- Sunshine
- 10.9 h
- Daylight
- 13.5 h
September
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 9.5 h
- Daylight
- 12.4 h
October
- Rain
- 7 days
- Sunshine
- 8.8 h
- Daylight
- 11.2 h
November
- Rain
- 7 days
- Sunshine
- 7.6 h
- Daylight
- 10.2 h
December
- Rain
- 9 days
- Sunshine
- 6.3 h
- Daylight
- 9.7 h
Looking for warmer alternatives? Browse warm places by month, or compare Winston-Salem's coolest part of the year: January, December, February.
Where Winston-Salem sits among other climates
- 28% of the year's precipitation falls in its wettest three months - more evenly spread than almost every other city we track.
These comparisons use the same ten-year window for every city in the dataset.