Chapel Hill, NC Climate


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Chapel Hill, NC has a moderate climate with mild temperatures throughout the year. The summers are typically hot and humid, with average high temperatures in the mid-80s and low temperatures around 70 degrees. Winters are cold but not too harsh, with average highs in the upper 40s and lows in the low 30s. Rainfall is also fairly common throughout the year, with an average of 44 inches annually. Overall Chapel Hill is a pleasant place to live with moderate weather conditions year round.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina gets 46 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Chapel Hill averages 4 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 216 sunny days per year in Chapel Hill. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Chapel Hill gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 114 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.


Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 89 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 29
Rain: averages 46 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 4 inches of snow a year


Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Chapel Hill is 7.5 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in North Carolina.

7 Summer - 6.6 Winter
May, September and October are the most pleasant months in Chapel Hill, while January and July are the least comfortable months.

  ClimateChapel Hill, North CarolinaUnited States
  46.3 in.38.1 in.
  3.8 in.27.8 in.
  113.5 days106.2 days
  216 days205 days
  88.8°85.8°
  29.3°21.7°
  7.57
  4.54.3
  486 ft.2443 ft.
Climate
YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Chapel Hill with an average high temperature of 88.8°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in North Carolina. In Chapel Hill, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Chapel Hill are May, September and October.
In Chapel Hill, there are 36.9 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in North Carolina.
January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Chapel Hill with an average of 29.3°. This is about average compared to other places in North Carolina.
In Chapel Hill, there are 70.6 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is about average compared to other places in North Carolina.
In Chapel Hill, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in North Carolina.
Humidity in Chapel Hill can be uncomfortable during the summer, but comfortable for most of the year. The most uncomfortably humid months are July, August and June. The humid season runs from June-September and the most comfortable months are October-May.
August is the wettest month in Chapel Hill with 4.6 inches of rain, and the driest month is April with 3.3 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 28% of yearly precipitation and 23% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 46.3 inches in Chapel Hill means that it is drier than most places in North Carolina.
July is the rainiest month in Chapel Hill with 10.9 days of rain, and October is the driest month with only 7.6 rainy days. There are 113.5 rainy days annually in Chapel Hill, which is rainier than most places in North Carolina. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 27% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 21% chance of a rainy day.
An annual snowfall of 3.8 inches in Chapel Hill means that it is snowier than most places in North Carolina. January is the snowiest month in Chapel Hill with 1.9 inches of snow, and 2 months of the year have significant snowfall.
Reviews for Chapel Hill
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Between my wife and I, we've lived in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, and Chapel Hill, and it's Chapel Hill we prefer. Franklin Street is always lively with an eclectic mix of  More

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I am not sure if Bert has actually been to the Triangle, but for starters, Durham, as Chapel Hill residents know and envy, is and has been for 5 yrs now a vibrant  More

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someone told me they live in the hills/mountains right near chapel hill, and the summers are much cooler there, while the town itself is easily accessible. is this  More

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