North Carolina: water temperature

At sea, 19.0 °C on average across 26 stations, from 17.1 °C (Duck Frf 17M, NC) to 22.6 °C (Frying Pan Shoals, NC). In fresh water, 15.4 °C on average across 30 stations, from 8.3 °C (W F Pigeon R Above Lake Logan Nr Hazelwood, NC) to 22.6 °C (Catawba R At Rr Bridge Ab Nc 73 At Cowans Ford, NC).

See on the map

Sea and ocean

Lakes and rivers

Where to swim, month by month

The normal sea temperature each month along the coast: pick a month to see where the water is warmest and whether you can swim.

• January 16.7 °C · up to 23.9 °C
• February 15.5 °C · up to 23.1 °C
• March 16.4 °C · up to 23.6 °C
• April 18.8 °C · up to 24.0 °C
• May 21.9 °C · up to 25.7 °C
• June 25.6 °C · up to 27.6 °C
• July 27.8 °C · up to 28.8 °C
• August 28.1 °C · up to 29.3 °C
• September 27.0 °C · up to 28.7 °C
• October 24.4 °C · up to 27.7 °C
• November 20.6 °C · up to 25.8 °C
• December 18.5 °C · up to 24.7 °C

Warmest water today

Where these numbers come from

Every value is a real reading from an instrument, at its position: a buoy, a wharf, a river or lake station. It keeps the time it was measured. A reading too far from those of nearby stations is marked with a “?”. Between stations, the map gives a satellite or model estimate, always labelled as such.

Sources: Bouées de houle CDIP, IOOS, stations côtières, NOAA CO-OPS, NOAA NDBC, USGS, eaux des États-Unis. Sources and credits

Nearby

• South Carolina 83 stations · sea 20.3 °C · fresh water 18.1 °C
• Virginia 61 stations · sea 16.9 °C · fresh water 12.2 °C
• Georgia 100 stations · sea 21.2 °C · fresh water 15.7 °C
• West Virginia 35 stations · fresh water 12.2 °C
• Kentucky 45 stations · fresh water 15.9 °C
• District of Columbia 7 stations · sea 16.2 °C · fresh water 14.2 °C