WeatherJourney.com

Winston-Salem weather by month: averages, rainfall & climate trends

Winston-Salem swings through a wide annual range, with 38.8°F between the monthly means of its warmest and coldest months. No season stands out as markedly wetter. Precipitation arrives fairly evenly year-round. Winston-Salem weather by month: average temperatures, rainfall, extremes and how the climate has changed since 1940.

Today vs average

+1.1°Fhigh near average

69° / 42°Today
68° / 46°Average
see today in detail →

How it's changed

+3.0°Faverage temperature, 2016–2025 vs 1940–1949average temperature vs 1940–4949frost days a year now (2016–2025) · 61 in the 1940sfrost days a year · 61 in the 1940s74days above 86°F a year now (2016–2025) · 34 in the 1940sdays above 86°F · 34 in the 1940s+3.0°F vs the 1940s · see how it's changed →
Weather by montha typical year, averaged over the full recordJanuary, rain 3.7 incheshigh 48°low 31°February, rain 3.5 incheshigh 52°low 33°March, rain 4.2 incheshigh 60°low 40°April, rain 3.5 incheshigh 70°low 49°May, rain 3.7 incheshigh 78°low 58°June, rain 3.5 incheshigh 84°low 65°July, rain 4.2 incheshigh 87°low 69°August, rain 4.2 incheshigh 85°low 68°September, rain 3.9 incheshigh 80°low 62°October, rain 3.1 incheshigh 70°low 50°November, rain 3.3 incheshigh 60°low 40°December, rain 3.5 incheshigh 51°low 34°wettest month August, 4.2 inches · 44.4 inches a yearsee month by month →

Right now

What it's doing today vs the historical average for this date.
Clear

Right now

67.5°

64°feels like
33%humidity
37°dew point
6 mphfrom N
UV index4.6
sunrise07:33sunset18:37day length11h 04m
TodayClear69°42°
ThuClear71°44°
FriClear68°47°
SatClear65°45°
SunClear66°44°
MonClear70°47°
TueClear73°50°

On this date: October 21

Today (forecast)
69° / 42°
Average for October 21
68° / 46°

High near average · +1.1°F

  • Highest since 1940: 80.3° · 1993
  • Lowest since 1940: 26.4° · 1972
  • One year ago: 76° / 42°

Every October 21 in history, coldest to hottest

▲ Daily highs▼ Daily lows

Dots show daily highs (top) and lows (bottom) for each October 21 on record (n = 87). Outlined dots are today's forecast.

Area we sample

Each city's history comes from one ERA5 grid cell, about 28 km across, shown by the dashed box. Near mountains or coasts, conditions can vary across the cell.

Location & data

Historical weather for Winston-Salem is sampled from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at 36.10°N, 80.24°W, with daily records since 1940.

Coordinates
36.10°N, 80.24°W
Time zone
America/New York
Period
1940–2026
Data source
ERA5 (ECMWF)

Last 30 days

18 of the last 31 days were warmer than the historical average for that date. Average difference: +1.9°F.

Each bar is one day, from morning low to afternoon high. Warm-colored bars are days whose mean ran above average; cool bars ran below. The dot inside the bar is the daily mean. The shaded band is the typical 10–90% range expected for that date. Average = the day's mean temperature averaged across every year of record (1940–2026) for that calendar date.

This date over the years

One dot per year, showing the mean temperature on this calendar date. Dots are warmer or cooler than the long-term average (dashed line); the shaded band is the typical 10–90% range, and the highlighted dot is today's forecast. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Weather by month

Average temperatures and rainfall for each month: a typical year, from the full record.

Climate overview

The warmest month is July, with typical afternoon highs of 87.1°F and nights around 69.3°F. On about 75 nights a year, the temperature never drops below 68°F. At the other extreme, January brings afternoon highs of about 48.2°F and typical overnight lows of 31.1°F. Frost shows up on around 50 mornings a year.

In total, Winston-Salem averages about 44.4 inches of precipitation a year; August is usually the wettest month (4.2 inches) and October the driest (3.1 inches).

Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Winston-Salem has risen by 3.0°F between its first decade and its last. The count of days past 86°F has risen from roughly 35 a year to 75 between the record's first and last decades.

Climate graph (climograph)

July is the warmest month, January the coolest: a yearly swing of 39°F. Wettest month: August (~4.2 in). Whole year averages ~44.4 inches of rain.

Bars = average monthly rainfall (right axis). Lines = average daily high and low (left axis). Average = each month's value averaged across every year of record (1940–2026).

Rainy days by month

About 102 rainy days a year: most in July (~12), fewest in October (~6).

Bars = average number of days with ≥ 0.08 in per month. Hover for the monthly rainfall total.

Monthly wind

Average daily peak wind at 10 m, by month.

Monthly solar energy

Average daily incoming solar energy in megajoules per square metre: the record's own proxy for how sunny the month is.

Winston-Salem month by month: what to expect

Typical conditions for each month, averaged across the full record (since 1940). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset. Highest and Lowest are the most extreme values in the ERA5 dataset (modelled since 1940), so they can differ from official weather-station readings.

MonthAvg highAvg lowRainRainy daysDaylightHighestLowest
January48.2°31.1°3.7 in89.8 h74.5° (1975)−5.0° (1985)
February52.2°33.3°3.5 in810.7 h81.1° (2017)1.4° (1979)
March60.3°39.7°4.2 in911.7 h85.8° (1986)5.1° (1993)
April70.2°48.9°3.5 in812.9 h93.2° (1981)22.8° (1972)
May77.6°57.5°3.7 in913.9 h94.9° (2022)33.7° (1963)
June84.4°65.4°3.5 in1014.4 h103.5° (2012)44.6° (1966)
July87.1°69.3°4.2 in1214.2 h102.8° (1983)51.3° (1988)
August85.3°68.0°4.2 in1113.4 h105.6° (1988)48.9° (1986)
September79.6°61.7°3.9 in812.2 h97.8° (1954)38.1° (1967)
October70.0°50.0°3.1 in611.1 h95.9° (2019)20.3° (1962)
November59.7°40.3°3.3 in610.0 h83.5° (2023)9.8° (1970)
December50.7°33.6°3.5 in89.6 h76.0° (2007)1.7° (1983)

How it's changed

Year-by-year signals from 1940 to today.

Climate stripes

Annual mean shifted from 1940–1949 to 2016–2025 by +3.0°F.

Each vertical stripe is one year. Color encodes how much that year's annual mean differed from the long-term average. Average = each year's annual mean compared to the average of all years (1940–2026). cooler ← → warmer

Annual mean temperature

Long-term trend: +0.33°F per decade.

One point per year, showing the temperature averaged across the whole year. The dashed line is the least-squares long-term trend. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Seasonal warming

Mar–May is warming fastest: +0.40°F per decade.

Each faint line is one three-month period's average per year; the bold dashed line is its long-term trend. Different parts of the year often warm at different rates. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Hot days vs frost days

Days ≥ 86°F per year: 34.4 early in the record → 73.8 recently. Frost days: 61 → 49.

Thin lines are raw yearly counts; thick lines are the smoothed trend that removes year-to-year noise. The hot-day threshold is auto-picked per city so the line actually moves. Average = a centered 5-year rolling average to smooth weather noise.

Yearly hot & cold extremes

Hottest day since 1940 in 1988, coldest in 1985: 105.6°F / −5.0°F.

One point per year: the single hottest and coldest day recorded that year.

Annual rainfall

~44.4 in/year on average. Last decade: +4% vs that average. Long-term trend: +0.13 in per decade.

One bar per year of total rainfall. Dashed line is the long-term average. Average = the average annual rainfall across every year of record (1940–2026).

Day-by-day grid

Each tiny square is one calendar day across the full record, about 30,000 days per city. Use the mode switch above the chart: Anomaly colors each day by how far it ran from the historical average for that date (red = warmer, blue = cooler), Daily mean temp shows the absolute mean temperature for the day (useful to see seasons and heatwaves), and Precipitation shows daily rainfall (useful to spot wet/dry seasons and droughts). Average = the long-term average for that calendar date (1940–2026).

Frequently asked questions about Winston-Salem

Which is the warmest month in Winston-Salem?
On long-term average, the warmest month in Winston-Salem is July (mean daily temperature of about 77.3°F) and the coolest is January (about 38.5°F).
How does today's temperature in Winston-Salem compare to the historical average?
On October 21, 2026, Winston-Salem is forecast to reach a high of 69.4°F and a low of 42.4°F. The long-term average for this date (the full record since 1940) is a high of 68.3°F and a low of 46.1°F, so today's high is 1.1°F warmer than that average.
How much has Winston-Salem warmed since 1940?
Comparing the first decade of the record (1940–1949) with the most recent (2016–2025), the annual mean temperature in Winston-Salem is about 3.0°F warmer.
How much does it rain in Winston-Salem?
Winston-Salem receives about 44.4 inches of precipitation per year on long-term average, with August typically the wettest month.
What is the average temperature in Winston-Salem?
Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Winston-Salem is about 58.4°F. The warmest month is July and the coolest is January.
What are the average temperatures in Winston-Salem by month?
Average daily highs and lows for each month in Winston-Salem (°F, full record since 1940): January 48°/31°, February 52°/33°, March 60°/40°, April 70°/49°, May 78°/58°, June 84°/65°, July 87°/69°, August 85°/68°, September 80°/62°, October 70°/50°, November 60°/40°, December 51°/34°.
What is the weather like in Winston-Salem in summer?
Summer in Winston-Salem (June to August) is wet and warm. Expect 84–87°F by day and 65–69°F at night, with July the warmest month. Rain falls on about 11 days a month, adding up to around 4.0 inches.
What is the weather like in Winston-Salem in winter?
Winter in Winston-Salem (December to February) is on the cool side. Daytime highs sit at 48–52°F and nights at 31–34°F; January is the coldest month. Rain is steady at around 3.6 inches a month, spread over roughly 8 days.
What is the weather like in Winston-Salem in spring?
In spring, March through May, Winston-Salem is mild. It warms from 60°F by day and 40°F at night in March to 78°F and 58°F in May. Rain falls on about 9 days a month, adding up to around 3.8 inches.
What is the weather like in Winston-Salem in autumn?
In autumn, September through November, Winston-Salem is mild. September still brings 80°F afternoons and 62°F nights, November only 60°F and 40°F. Rain is steady at around 3.4 inches a month, spread over roughly 7 days.
How many days a year does it rain in Winston-Salem?
On long-term average, Winston-Salem has about 102 days a year with at least 0.08 inches of rain or snow. The annual total is roughly 44.4 inches.

Weather in nearby cities