Chapel Hill weather in July

In July, Chapel Hill sees average daytime highs of 88°F and overnight lows near 71°F, with 4.3 in of rain across 14.9 wet days and about 14.2 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 88°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in July, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 24 min at the start of July to 13 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, July is Chapel Hill's 12th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chapel Hill's year-round climate.

Daytime high
88°
1st warmest
Overnight low
71°
12th coldest
Rainfall
4.3 in
14.9 wet days
Daylight
14 h 12 min
5:15 AM – 7:28 PM
Cloud cover
60%
12th clearest
Wind
5 mph
11th windiest
Solar energy
5.96 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.9
out of 10

Chapel Hill is town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States.

Density
1,078/km²
people per km²
Founded
1793

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in July

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 88°F through the month.

A typical July day in Chapel Hill reaches about 88°F in the afternoon and slips back to 71°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 82°F and 95°F. Set against its neighbours, July runs about 3°F warmer than June and about 2°F warmer than August.

60°70°80°90°100°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18870
28871
38871
48871
58871
68871
78971
88971
98971
108971
118971
128972
138972
148972
158972
168972
178972
188972
198972
208972
218972
228972
238872
248872
258872
268872
278872
288872
298872
308871
318871

How July really feels in Chapel Hill

Once humidity and wind are folded in, July averages 31 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in July is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Chapel Hill weather by month

How July compares with the rest of the year at a glance. July is the 1st-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan50° / 33°3.69.41.49.82.4
Feb54° / 35°3.28.91.310.63.3
Mar62° / 42°4.310.50.511.75.2
Apr71° / 51°3.59.3012.96.7
May78° / 60°3.410.6013.96.6
Jun85° / 68°3.912014.45.0
Jul88° / 71°4.314.9014.23.9
Aug86° / 70°3.911.6013.44.7
Sep81° / 64°4.49.4012.26.4
Oct71° / 53°3.17.5011.17.1
Nov61° / 42°3.37.70.110.15.5
Dec53° / 36°3.59.20.69.63.2

Cloud cover in July

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in July, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 23% of July, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 52%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15050
25050
35050
45050
55050
65050
75050
85149
95050
105050
114951
124951
134852
144852
154753
164753
174753
184654
194654
204654
214654
224654
234654
244555
254753
264753
274654
284852
294852
304852
314852

Chance of precipitation in July

Any precipitation

Chapel Hill gets around 4.3 in of rain over 14.9 wet days in July. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 47% and peaks near 50% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
145
245
346
446
546
646
746
846
945
1045
1145
1245
1345
1445
1546
1646
1747
1847
1948
2048
2149
2249
2349
2450
2550
2649
2749
2848
2948
3047
3146

Humidity in July

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of July feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, July lands in the oppressive band about 48% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 82% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1291538360
2291538370
3281437380
4281437390
5281437400
6181436400
7181436410
8171436420
9171336420
10171336430
11161336440
12161336440
13161336450
14151235460
15151235470
16151135480
17141134500
18141133510
19141033520
20141032521
21141031531
22131031541
23131030551
24131029561
25131029561
26141029551
27141029551
28141129541
29141130540
30141230530
31141231520

Wind in July

Winds average 5 mph in July.

Across July, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 5 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in July

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 24 min at the start of July to 13 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 30 minutes over July. Sunrise moves from 5:07 AM to 5:26 AM, and sunset from 7:32 PM to 7:18 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.45:077:32
214.45:087:32
314.45:087:32
414.45:097:32
514.45:097:32
614.45:107:31
714.45:107:31
814.35:117:31
914.35:117:31
1014.35:127:31
1114.35:127:30
1214.35:137:30
1314.35:137:30
1414.35:147:29
1514.25:157:29
1614.25:157:28
1714.25:167:28
1814.25:177:27
1914.25:177:27
2014.15:187:26
2114.15:197:26
2214.15:207:25
2314.15:207:24
2414.05:217:24
2514.05:227:23
2614.05:227:22
2714.05:237:22
2813.95:247:21
2913.95:257:20
3013.95:267:19
3113.95:267:18

Solar energy in July

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in July, about 5.96 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.24 kWh/m² to a high of 6.15 kWh/m² in June across the year — July's 5.96 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.2Intense
26.2Intense
36.2Intense
46.2Intense
56.2Intense
66.2Intense
76.2Intense
86.2Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.0Intense
166.0Intense
176.0Intense
186.0Bright
196.0Bright
205.9Bright
215.9Bright
225.9Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.7Bright
275.7Bright
285.7Bright
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
315.6Bright
Planning a trip in July

Is July a good time to visit Chapel Hill?

Our two travel scores rate July for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

3.9
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
5.9
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

July is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Chapel Hill.

What to pack for Chapel Hill in July

From July's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In July, Chapel Hill sees daytime highs around 88°F and nights near 71°F. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 15 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Chapel Hill in July

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in July peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Chapel Hill peaks around July 14 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 14UV 9Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Chapel Hill in July

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where July falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Chapel Hill is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1718 µg/m³Nov 238 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb10Good
Mar12Moderate
Apr12Moderate
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct9Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Chapel Hill?

Chapel Hill sits at 35.9°N, 79.1°W, 486 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Carrboro, 1.2 mi away.

Topography around Chapel Hill

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Chapel Hill.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Chapel Hill has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 354 ft around an average of 433 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 696 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,227 ft.

The land around Chapel Hill is covered by trees (81%) within 2 miles, trees (83%) within 10 miles, and trees (79%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
354 ft
10 miles
696 ft
50 miles
1,227 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
July weather nearby: Carrboro 1.2 mi · Durham 11 mi · Morrisville 14 mi · Apex 17 mi · Cary 17 mi · Holly Springs 22 mi · West Raleigh 24 mi · Burlington 25 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Chapel Hill (35.9132°, -79.0558°, elevation 486 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).