Wake Forest climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Wake Forest?

Wake Forest has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 15.6 °C and it receives 1,135 mm of precipitation per year.

Q: What is the hottest day ever recorded in Wake Forest?

The hottest day measured in Wake Forest between 1940 and 2025 was 18 August 1988, reaching 40.9 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Wake Forest?

The coldest day measured in Wake Forest between 1940 and 2025 was 21 January 1985, at -20.8 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Wake Forest?

Yes. Wake Forest gets on average 16.1 cm of snow per year and has around 49 frost days.

Q: Has the climate of Wake Forest warmed?

Yes: Wake Forest warmed by +1.2 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Wake Forest?

The wettest day measured in Wake Forest between 1940 and 2025 was 8 October 2016, with 99 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Wake Forest?

The windiest day measured in Wake Forest between 1940 and 2025 was 6 September 1996, with winds reaching 61.0 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Wake Forest?

The warmest month in Wake Forest is July (25.8 °C on average); the coldest is January (4.8 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Wake Forest?

Wake Forest receives on average 1,135 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 124 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Wake Forest?

Wake Forest gets on average 9.1 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,322 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Wake Forest (United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 15.6 °C and it receives 1,135 mm of precipitation per year.

These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.

The warmest month is July (25.8 °C on average) and the coldest is January (4.8 °C). Rainfall peaks in July.

Wake Forest averages 49 frost days, 65 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 124 rainy days per year.

Wake Forest has warmed by +1.2 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.14 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The number of frost days there went from about 53 to 45 per year over the period.

The hottest day of the period reached 40.9 °C (on 18 August 1988) and the coldest -20.8 °C (on 21 January 1985).

Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.

Climate normals · ERA5

Wake ForestNorth Carolina

coords: 35.98°, -78.51°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

CfaHumid subtropicalWarmest monthJulyColdest monthJanuaryWettest monthJulyDriest monthOctober

Mean daily temperature

15.6°C

Average daily high

21.0°C

Average daily low

10.9°C

Annual rainfall

1,135mm

Sunshine / day

9.1h

Mean relative humidity

70%

Average peak wind

15.0km/h

Seasonal range

21.0°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

49 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

65 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

124 d/yr

Annual snowfall

16.1 cm

Average feels-like high

20.9 °C

Average feels-like low

9.6 °C

Average peak gust

34.9 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

76 d/yr

Solar radiation

15.8 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+1.2 °C

since 1940

+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.29 · p = < 0.001

19402025

Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).

A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.

Records for the period

Hottest day

40.9 °C

18 August 1988

Coldest day

-20.8 °C

21 January 1985

Wettest day

99 mm

8 October 2016

Windiest day

61.0 km/h

6 September 1996

Strongest gust

152.6 km/h

6 September 1996

Hottest feels-like

45.3 °C

29 June 2012

Coldest feels-like

-27.1 °C

21 January 1985

Snowiest day

27.2 cm

26 January 1966

Sunniest day

14.1 h

24 June 1944

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days	Frost days
2025	36.8 °C25 June 2025	-10.4 °C23 January 2025	16.2 °C	1,120 mm	71	53
2024	36.6 °C26 June 2024	-8.1 °C22 January 2024	16.6 °C	1,195 mm	67	36
2023	36.0 °C13 August 2023	-4.9 °C29 November 2023	17.0 °C	1,044 mm	76	30
2022	37.3 °C17 June 2022	-12.4 °C23 January 2022	16.4 °C	1,114 mm	87	55
2021	35.3 °C28 August 2021	-5.6 °C30 January 2021	16.5 °C	1,109 mm	72	35
2020	37.2 °C19 July 2020	-5.9 °C22 February 2020	17.0 °C	1,628 mm	78	28
2019	36.1 °C26 May 2019	-7.0 °C21 January 2019	17.0 °C	1,110 mm	105	35
2018	36.2 °C19 June 2018	-14.2 °C7 January 2018	16.4 °C	1,556 mm	87	42
2017	35.8 °C18 August 2017	-12.6 °C9 January 2017	16.8 °C	1,131 mm	74	34
2016	35.4 °C26 July 2016	-8.6 °C14 February 2016	16.5 °C	1,269 mm	77	44
2015	38.1 °C16 June 2015	-14.7 °C20 February 2015	16.5 °C	1,274 mm	87	46
2014	36.3 °C2 September 2014	-12.8 °C30 January 2014	15.4 °C	1,033 mm	67	58
2013	35.9 °C13 June 2013	-6.9 °C25 November 2013	15.7 °C	1,145 mm	76	49
2012	40.8 °C29 June 2012	-6.7 °C4 January 2012	16.7 °C	960 mm	67	25
2011	38.6 °C23 July 2011	-8.1 °C23 January 2011	16.6 °C	920 mm	90	44
2010	37.7 °C12 August 2010	-9.0 °C31 January 2010	16.0 °C	1,016 mm	106	70
2009	36.1 °C10 August 2009	-13.6 °C17 January 2009	15.7 °C	1,180 mm	65	49
2008	37.3 °C9 June 2008	-8.1 °C4 January 2008	16.0 °C	1,123 mm	60	40
2007	38.4 °C8 August 2007	-8.8 °C6 February 2007	16.8 °C	719 mm	96	46
2006	36.7 °C4 August 2006	-7.7 °C9 December 2006	16.2 °C	1,128 mm	63	29
2005	38.3 °C27 July 2005	-9.8 °C19 January 2005	15.9 °C	1,049 mm	74	51
2004	35.0 °C18 June 2004	-12.8 °C11 January 2004	15.7 °C	1,138 mm	49	56
2003	33.8 °C9 July 2003	-9.6 °C24 January 2003	15.1 °C	1,458 mm	46	55
2002	37.1 °C23 August 2002	-7.1 °C5 January 2002	16.0 °C	1,173 mm	71	47
2001	34.4 °C8 August 2001	-7.4 °C3 January 2001	15.9 °C	854 mm	37	45
2000	33.2 °C16 August 2000	-13.2 °C28 January 2000	15.0 °C	1,154 mm	43	57
1999	38.4 °C1 August 1999	-9.1 °C6 January 1999	16.1 °C	1,262 mm	51	45
1998	36.9 °C27 June 1998	-6.4 °C13 March 1998	16.5 °C	1,239 mm	81	25
1997	35.9 °C4 July 1997	-11.0 °C19 January 1997	15.0 °C	1,025 mm	49	38
1996	35.3 °C23 June 1996	-19.0 °C5 February 1996	14.8 °C	1,441 mm	49	65
1995	35.5 °C17 August 1995	-9.0 °C6 February 1995	15.4 °C	1,210 mm	56	56
1994	35.1 °C16 June 1994	-15.2 °C19 January 1994	15.7 °C	1,234 mm	52	34
1993	37.6 °C10 July 1993	-6.0 °C19 February 1993	15.7 °C	1,154 mm	82	51
1992	39.2 °C11 July 1992	-7.8 °C25 December 1992	15.4 °C	1,218 mm	56	42
1991	36.8 °C23 July 1991	-8.7 °C16 February 1991	16.6 °C	1,127 mm	80	42
1990	37.6 °C5 July 1990	-6.8 °C26 February 1990	17.2 °C	982 mm	85	24
1989	36.1 °C2 June 1989	-11.0 °C25 December 1989	15.3 °C	1,437 mm	60	57
1988	40.9 °C18 August 1988	-9.7 °C12 January 1988	15.2 °C	1,043 mm	70	57
1987	37.2 °C25 July 1987	-10.5 °C24 January 1987	15.6 °C	1,052 mm	86	51
1986	38.0 °C19 July 1986	-11.3 °C28 January 1986	16.2 °C	925 mm	82	53
1985	36.1 °C10 June 1985	-20.8 °C21 January 1985	16.0 °C	1,173 mm	72	60
1984	34.7 °C11 July 1984	-11.6 °C22 January 1984	15.4 °C	1,292 mm	53	56
1983	39.5 °C22 August 1983	-14.9 °C25 December 1983	15.3 °C	1,357 mm	75	50
1982	34.3 °C31 May 1982	-14.2 °C11 January 1982	15.5 °C	1,196 mm	55	50
1981	37.7 °C22 June 1981	-14.2 °C31 January 1981	15.1 °C	943 mm	72	64
1980	37.4 °C1 August 1980	-11.2 °C26 December 1980	15.3 °C	871 mm	85	52
1979	34.9 °C10 August 1979	-14.6 °C10 February 1979	14.8 °C	1,242 mm	35	61
1978	35.8 °C10 July 1978	-11.1 °C11 January 1978	14.7 °C	1,222 mm	65	74
1977	39.9 °C9 July 1977	-16.4 °C17 January 1977	15.5 °C	1,063 mm	80	68
1976	36.3 °C24 July 1976	-13.5 °C19 January 1976	15.0 °C	1,015 mm	55	59
1975	35.0 °C16 August 1975	-8.8 °C19 December 1975	15.9 °C	1,192 mm	68	49
1974	34.7 °C15 July 1974	-7.8 °C27 February 1974	15.6 °C	1,236 mm	41	42
1973	34.8 °C29 August 1973	-14.2 °C14 January 1973	15.6 °C	1,065 mm	52	49
1972	35.0 °C24 July 1972	-14.1 °C16 January 1972	14.9 °C	1,384 mm	37	48
1971	34.1 °C28 June 1971	-10.9 °C2 February 1971	15.4 °C	1,335 mm	40	53
1970	36.1 °C18 June 1970	-14.2 °C9 January 1970	15.3 °C	951 mm	72	64
1969	35.7 °C6 July 1969	-11.1 °C6 January 1969	14.5 °C	1,021 mm	55	69
1968	36.7 °C1 July 1968	-10.6 °C12 January 1968	15.2 °C	946 mm	63	73
1967	35.3 °C28 May 1967	-11.3 °C25 February 1967	15.3 °C	895 mm	49	51
1966	36.3 °C14 July 1966	-13.5 °C31 January 1966	14.7 °C	1,065 mm	59	58
1965	33.6 °C18 August 1965	-15.8 °C1 February 1965	15.1 °C	873 mm	63	62
1964	36.1 °C10 June 1964	-13.3 °C15 January 1964	15.2 °C	1,331 mm	47	48
1963	35.6 °C10 June 1963	-11.2 °C24 January 1963	14.5 °C	1,010 mm	59	71
1962	34.8 °C16 July 1962	-13.3 °C13 December 1962	14.9 °C	1,092 mm	58	57
1961	35.1 °C31 July 1961	-9.4 °C28 January 1961	15.2 °C	1,207 mm	70	48
1960	34.9 °C24 June 1960	-9.4 °C11 March 1960	14.7 °C	1,089 mm	64	73
1959	36.6 °C29 June 1959	-10.7 °C18 January 1959	15.7 °C	1,419 mm	55	52
1958	34.6 °C13 June 1958	-15.2 °C16 December 1958	14.3 °C	1,225 mm	60	59
1957	36.7 °C3 August 1957	-12.3 °C18 January 1957	16.0 °C	1,112 mm	77	34
1956	35.6 °C6 August 1956	-6.8 °C27 January 1956	15.7 °C	1,130 mm	73	46
1955	36.3 °C28 July 1955	-10.3 °C31 January 1955	15.4 °C	1,082 mm	63	64
1954	38.1 °C27 June 1954	-9.8 °C7 December 1954	15.7 °C	990 mm	84	54
1953	37.2 °C31 July 1953	-8.6 °C19 December 1953	16.5 °C	953 mm	83	34
1952	38.8 °C29 July 1952	-8.0 °C31 January 1952	15.8 °C	1,046 mm	80	44
1951	37.1 °C2 June 1951	-10.4 °C4 February 1951	15.4 °C	1,109 mm	65	54
1950	35.5 °C27 June 1950	-7.9 °C19 December 1950	15.4 °C	941 mm	44	51
1949	36.0 °C29 July 1949	-4.7 °C17 December 1949	16.2 °C	1,265 mm	48	32
1948	36.9 °C29 August 1948	-17.7 °C27 December 1948	15.5 °C	1,324 mm	61	54
1947	34.1 °C17 August 1947	-8.5 °C9 February 1947	14.8 °C	997 mm	53	65
1946	33.6 °C18 June 1946	-6.3 °C24 January 1946	15.7 °C	1,133 mm	23	36
1945	36.0 °C30 June 1945	-6.2 °C1 February 1945	15.6 °C	1,322 mm	47	38
1944	37.0 °C18 June 1944	-10.4 °C10 January 1944	15.6 °C	1,125 mm	57	38
1943	35.9 °C4 June 1943	-6.6 °C15 February 1943	15.4 °C	1,004 mm	62	46
1942	36.3 °C2 August 1942	-8.3 °C11 January 1942	15.8 °C	1,128 mm	48	43
1941	35.3 °C29 May 1941	-4.7 °C1 March 1941	15.8 °C	1,030 mm	54	45
1940	36.0 °C27 July 1940	-12.6 °C27 January 1940	14.8 °C	1,224 mm	37	44

Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.

A specific year

Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?

Year

Across the whole year

Average daily high

21.5 °C

+0.5 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

71 d/yr

Frost days (< 0 °C)

53 d/yr

Annual rainfall

1120 mm

-15 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	7.9 °C	-1.9 °C	36 mm	-54 mm
Feb	13.1 °C	+1.4 °C	90 mm	+4 mm
Mar	19.9 °C	+3.7 °C	89 mm	-14 mm
Apr	24.4 °C	+2.8 °C	91 mm	+7 mm
May	25.7 °C	0.0 °C	169 mm	+78 mm
Jun	31.3 °C	+1.8 °C	94 mm	-0 mm
Jul	32.5 °C	+1.5 °C	148 mm	+19 mm
Aug	27.6 °C	-2.4 °C	161 mm	+44 mm
Sep	26.7 °C	-0.2 °C	65 mm	-38 mm
Oct	20.8 °C	-1.0 °C	69 mm	-7 mm
Nov	17.6 °C	+1.2 °C	49 mm	-30 mm
Dec	10.6 °C	-0.8 °C	60 mm	-21 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

36.8 °C

25 Jun 2025

Coldest day

-10.4 °C

23 Jan 2025

Wettest day

47.9 mm

6 Jul 2025

Windiest day

34.2 km/h

16 Feb 2025

Strongest gust

95.4 km/h

16 Feb 2025

Hottest feels-like

43.0 °C

25 Jun 2025

Coldest feels-like

-14.7 °C

23 Jan 2025

Snowiest day

6.0 cm

19 Feb 2025

Sunniest day

14.1 h

20 Jun 2025

What was the weather like that day?

Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.

Date

Frequently asked questions

What is the climate of Wake Forest?

Wake Forest has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 15.6 °C and it receives 1,135 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Wake Forest?

The hottest day measured in Wake Forest between 1940 and 2025 was 18 August 1988, reaching 40.9 °C.

What is the coldest day in Wake Forest?

The coldest day measured in Wake Forest between 1940 and 2025 was 21 January 1985, at -20.8 °C.

Does it snow in Wake Forest?

Yes. Wake Forest gets on average 16.1 cm of snow per year and has around 49 frost days.

Has the climate of Wake Forest warmed?

Yes: Wake Forest warmed by +1.2 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Wake Forest?

The wettest day measured in Wake Forest between 1940 and 2025 was 8 October 2016, with 99 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Wake Forest?

The windiest day measured in Wake Forest between 1940 and 2025 was 6 September 1996, with winds reaching 61.0 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Wake Forest?

The warmest month in Wake Forest is July (25.8 °C on average); the coldest is January (4.8 °C).

How much does it rain in Wake Forest?

Wake Forest receives on average 1,135 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 124 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Wake Forest?

Wake Forest gets on average 9.1 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,322 hours per year over 1940-2025.

What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Wake Forest?

The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Wake Forest between 1940 and 2025 was 26 January 1966, with 27.2 cm.

Are there tropical nights in Wake Forest?

Yes: Wake Forest has on average 76 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Wake Forest?

In Wake Forest, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 45.3 °C on 29 June 2012, and the lowest was -27.1 °C on 21 January 1985.

Compare Wake Forest with another city

Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.

Nearby cities

The climate around Wake Forest

Other cities — United States

All cities in United States →