Sanford weather in September

In September, Sanford sees average daytime highs of 81°F and overnight lows near 64°F, with 4.8 in of rain across 10.1 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 85°F in the first days to 78°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in September, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of September to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Sanford's 7th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sanford's year-round climate.

Daytime high
81°
4th warmest
Overnight low
64°
9th coldest
Rainfall
4.8 in
10.1 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
6:04 AM – 6:18 PM
Cloud cover
56%
7th clearest
Wind
6 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.48 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Sanford is human settlement in Lee County, North Carolina, United States of America.

Density
418/km²
people per km²

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

Temperature in September

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 85°F in the first days to 78°F by the end.

A typical September day in Sanford reaches about 81°F in the afternoon and slips back to 64°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 73°F and 89°F. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 6°F cooler than August and about 9°F warmer than October.

40°60°80°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18568
28568
38568
48567
58467
68467
78467
88466
98366
108366
118366
128265
138265
148265
158265
168164
178164
188164
198063
208063
218063
228062
237962
247962
257961
267861
277861
287860
297860
307760

How September really feels in Sanford

Once humidity and wind are folded in, September averages 0 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
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

September sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Sanford weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 4th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan52° / 34°3.691.19.92.9
Feb55° / 36°3.191.110.73.7
Mar63° / 43°4.010.40.411.75.6
Apr72° / 52°3.48.7012.96.9
May79° / 60°3.410.1013.86.6
Jun86° / 68°4.212.2014.34.7
Jul89° / 72°4.314.7014.23.7
Aug87° / 70°4.512.9013.34.4
Sep81° / 64°4.810.1012.26.2
Oct72° / 53°3.17.2011.17.3
Nov62° / 42°3.27.80.110.15.8
Dec55° / 37°3.58.90.59.63.6

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 34% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 48%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15149
25149
35149
45149
55149
65248
75248
85248
95347
105248
115347
125347
135248
145347
155248
165248
175149
185149
195149
205050
215050
225050
235050
245050
255248
265248
275248
285248
295248
305347

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Sanford gets around 4.8 in of rain over 10.1 wet days in September, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 32% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
136
236
336
435
535
634
734
833
932
1032
1132
1231
1331
1431
1531
1631
1732
1832
1932
2033
2133
2233
2333
2433
2532
2631
2731
2830
2930
3029

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, September lands in the muggy band about 28% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 46% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
13111934321
24122033311
34122132301
45132131291
56132230280
67132330270
77142329260
88142429250
99142429230
1010152429220
1111152429210
1212152429200
1313152429190
1414162329180
1515162329170
1615172329160
1716172229150
1817172230140
1918182230130
2018182229120
2119182229120
2221192128110
2322192128100
242319212790
252519212690
262619212580
272820212480
282920212270
293120212170
303220212070

Wind in September

Winds average 6 mph in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min at the start of September to 11 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 66 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 5:53 AM to 6:16 AM, and sunset from 6:40 PM to 5:57 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.85:536:40
212.75:546:39
312.75:546:37
412.75:556:36
512.65:566:34
612.65:576:33
712.65:576:31
812.55:586:30
912.55:596:28
1012.46:006:27
1112.46:016:25
1212.46:016:24
1312.36:026:22
1412.36:036:21
1512.36:046:19
1612.26:046:18
1712.26:056:16
1812.16:066:15
1912.16:076:13
2012.16:086:12
2112.06:086:10
2212.06:096:09
2312.06:106:07
2411.96:116:06
2511.96:116:04
2611.86:126:03
2711.86:136:01
2811.86:146:00
2911.76:155:58
3011.76:165:57

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 4.48 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.28 kWh/m² to a high of 6.18 kWh/m² in June across the year — September's 4.48 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.0Bright
25.0Bright
34.9Bright
44.9Bright
54.9Bright
64.8Bright
74.8Bright
84.8Bright
94.7Bright
104.7Bright
114.7Bright
124.6Bright
134.6Bright
144.5Bright
154.5Bright
164.5Bright
174.4Bright
184.4Bright
194.3Bright
204.3Bright
214.3Bright
224.2Bright
234.2Bright
244.2Bright
254.2Bright
264.1Bright
274.1Bright
284.1Bright
294.1Bright
304.0Bright
Planning a trip in September

Is September a good time to visit Sanford?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
6.7
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

September is a reasonable time to visit Sanford for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Sanford in September

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

In September, Sanford sees daytime highs around 81°F and nights near 64°F. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

UV index in Sanford in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sanford peaks around July 13 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 13UV 9Dec 20UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Sanford in September

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Sanford is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1918 µg/m³Dec 188 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb11Good
Mar14Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Sanford?

Sanford sits at 35.5°N, 79.2°W, 358 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Fuquay-Varina, 22 mi away.

Topography around Sanford

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Sanford has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 253 ft around an average of 384 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 466 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,227 ft.

The land around Sanford is covered by trees (73%) within 2 miles, trees (78%) within 10 miles, and trees (77%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
253 ft
10 miles
466 ft
50 miles
1,227 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
September weather nearby: Fuquay-Varina 22 mi · Holly Springs 23 mi · Apex 25 mi · Fort Bragg 25 mi · Pinehurst 25 mi · Carrboro 30 mi · Chapel Hill 30 mi · Morrisville 31 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 Sanford (35.4799°, -79.1803°, elevation 358 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).