Climate

Climate in Durham, United States

GCI planning model, separate from the NASA reference below: Durham, United States has a humid subtropical climate. The annual average temperature is about 19.3°C, with around 1311 hours of sunshine; the national rainfall baseline is roughly 1199 mm across 135 rainy days a year. The warmest month is Jul (highs near 29.9°C) and the coldest is Jan (lows near 8.7°C). These are deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast or measured station data. Temperature and sunshine follow the city's latitude; rainfall and the climate zone come from a country-level baseline that every city in the country shares (refined by region in the United States, Canada and Australia), so they do not show local differences. Check current conditions with an official meteorological service before travel.

Climate zone
Humid Subtropical
Comfort score
83/100

What these numbers represent

GCI scores and planning amounts are modelled or editorial indicators, not measured city statistics or official estimates. Country assumptions are not local observations. Institutional references explain context; they do not supply these scores.

Source-backed temperature context is available in the NASA POWER climate reference. It is gridded reanalysis, not a weather-station measurement, and does not validate GCI's other scores.

Content and provenance reviewed 2026-10-17; this is not a new observation date. For GCI models, data year means model edition, not a measurement period. Source-backed datasets state their own periods. Read the data categories and limitations.

NASA POWER climate reference

NASA POWER / MERRA-2 gridded temperature climatology at the Durham city-centre coordinate, January 2001 to December 2025. Not a station observation, current weather or an official GCI score. The grid can include surroundings beyond the city and does not resolve neighbourhood conditions.

Annual mean: 15.39 °C. Source period: 2001–2025. Retrieved 2026-10-17.

Durham: monthly mean temperature, NASA POWER grid, 2001–2025
MonthMean temperature (°C)
JAN3.42
FEB5.24
MAR9.53
APR15.21
MAY20.03
JUN24.69
JUL26.70
AUG25.83
SEP22.19
OCT15.96
NOV9.69
DEC5.66

The GCI planning-model tables below are retained separately. Their temperatures and comfort scores are not calibrated to this NASA series and must not be treated as observations or blended with it.

Source data: NASA POWER JSON · Source methodology

Climate overview

Durham, United States has a humid subtropical climate. The annual average temperature is about 19.3°C, with around 1311 hours of sunshine; the national rainfall baseline is roughly 1199 mm across 135 rainy days a year. The warmest month is Jul (highs near 29.9°C) and the coldest is Jan (lows near 8.7°C). These are deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast or measured station data. Temperature and sunshine follow the city's latitude; rainfall and the climate zone come from a country-level baseline that every city in the country shares (refined by region in the United States, Canada and Australia), so they do not show local differences. Check current conditions with an official meteorological service before travel.

Data year 2025; last updated 2026-10-17.

Climate zone

Köppen-style classification derived deterministically from latitude and a country-level precipitation baseline.

Climate zone

Durham is classified as Humid Subtropical. The classification combines the city’s own temperature range, which follows its latitude, with a rainfall pattern taken at country level for United States — so cities in the same country usually share a zone.

GCI planning-model temperatures

Annual averages and seasonal extremes.

Average temperatures

  • Annual average19.3°C
  • Warmest monthJul (29.9°C)
  • Coldest monthJan (8.7°C)
  • Comfort score83/100

Rainfall overview

A country-level precipitation baseline and how it is distributed across the year.

Rainfall overview

The rainfall baseline for United States is about 1199 mm a year over roughly 135 rainy days, with the wettest month Jul and the driest Jan. This figure is not specific to Durham: every city in United States carries the same baseline, so it will not show the difference between, say, a dry inland city and a wet coastal one. Use an official meteorological service for local rainfall.

Sunshine overview

Estimated annual sunshine and its seasonal pattern.

Sunshine overview

Durham sees an estimated 1311 hours of sunshine a year, concentrated in the warmer months around Jul.

Monthly climate table

Month-by-month estimates. Temperature and sunshine follow the city’s latitude; the rainfall and rainy-day columns distribute the country-level baseline.

Monthly climate table

Durham monthly climate table
MonthHighLowRainRainy DaysSunshine
Jan17.7°C8.7°C77 mm9105 h
Feb18.5°C9.5°C77 mm9109 h
Mar20.8°C11.8°C97 mm11102 h
Apr23.8°C14.8°C97 mm11115 h
May26.9°C17.9°C113 mm13105 h
Jun29.1°C20.1°C118 mm13113 h
Jul29.9°C20.9°C128 mm14103 h
Aug29.1°C20.1°C123 mm14100 h
Sep26.9°C17.9°C113 mm13105 h
Oct23.8°C14.8°C92 mm10125 h
Nov20.8°C11.8°C82 mm9120 h
Dec18.5°C9.5°C82 mm9109 h

Best months to visit

Months with the mildest temperatures and lower rainfall, by the deterministic comfort heuristic. Not a tourism ranking.

Best months to visit

By temperature and rainfall, the most comfortable months in Durham are Oct, Nov, Apr. Conditions vary year to year — verify with a current forecast before booking.

Seasonal summary

Average conditions by season.

Seasonal summary

  • Winter

    18°C / 9°C

    236 mm rain

  • Spring

    24°C / 15°C

    307 mm rain

  • Summer

    29°C / 20°C

    369 mm rain

  • Autumn

    24°C / 15°C

    287 mm rain

Climate comfort score

A 0–100 composite of temperature balance, rainfall, sunshine, seasonality, and winter/summer extremes; higher means more comfortable. Used consistently across the platform.

Climate comfort score

Durham has a climate comfort score of 83/100, a very comfortable year-round climate by this measure. The score weights mild temperatures most, then rainfall balance, sunshine, low seasonality, and the absence of extreme winter cold or summer heat.

Continue exploring

Continue researching this city across the platform's other planning surfaces.

Continue exploring

Related guides

Keep exploring Durham across the rest of the dataset — its full profile, travel guides and nearby nature.

Durham city profileFull intelligence profile with quick answers, FAQs and every indexed dimension.Weekend trips from DurhamCurated nearby getaways and day trips within easy reach.Nature near DurhamVerified parks, lakes, coasts and uplands within ~170 km.Durham visual guideA visual orientation to the city and its surroundings.