Durham (NC) Temperature by Month

Durham in North Carolina, United States of America sees significant seasonal temperature differences, with daytime highs between 10°C (50°F) in January and 32°C (90°F) in July, averaging 22°C (72°F) annually. Explore the full monthly breakdown below.

The climate in Durham is dynamic, ranging widely from chilly in winter to very warm in summer. Nights are significantly colder, with lows dropping from 21°C (70°F) in July to -2°C (28°F) in January.

The chart below illustrates the average maximum day and minimum night temperatures in Durham by month:

Low temperatures are most often recorded between 4 AM and 6 AM, while highs typically occur around 3 PM. July, the city's warmest month, sees 259 hours of sunshine.

The chart below shows the average temperature throughout the year:

Durham's average annual maximum temperature is 22°C (72°F). To put that in context, here's how it compares to a few well-known destinations:

Barcelona, Spain has an annual average of around 21°C (70°F), with warm summers and mild, fairly short winters.

Toronto, Canada averages 13°C (55°F) annually, with cold snowy winters balanced by genuinely warm summers.

Buenos Aires, Argentina averages 23°C (73°F) a year, with hot summers and mild winters, and seasons reversed compared to Europe.

Perth, Australia averages 25°C (77°F) annually, with a classic Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and mild wet winters.

Temperature alone doesn't tell the whole story, humidity plays a big role in how warm or cold it actually feels. High humidity in summer makes the heat feel more intense, particularly once temperatures climb above 25°C. In winter, the same humidity can make cold air feel sharper than the thermometer suggests.

In the cooler months, when temperatures drop below 10°C, high humidity makes the cold feel more cutting than it would in dry conditions.

In Durham, January is the coolest month, with average highs of 10°C (50°F) and humidity around 66%, considered high. In July, the warmest month, temperatures average 32°C (90°F) with 76% humidity, conditions that feel high. For a full picture, see our humidity page.

Climate temperature data is typically calculated as a 30-year average. This smooths out year-to-year variability and gives a more reliable picture of what a place is actually like, rather than what happened in any single unusual year.

The readings come from a range of sources, land-based weather stations, ocean buoys, ships, and satellites. That data is collected by weather services around the world, then pooled, quality-checked, and averaged to produce the climate records you see here.

Seasonal temperature shifts influence more than just how warm it feels, they also drive changes in rainfall, cloud cover, and wind patterns throughout the year.

Warmer air holds more moisture, which tends to mean heavier or more frequent rain during the warmer months. When temperatures drop in winter, any precipitation that does fall is more likely to come as snow or sleet, though in Durham this rarely lasts long on the ground.

For more on Durham's weather, including monthly rainfall, sunshine hours, and humidity, visit our Durham climate page.