Wake Forest weather in August

In August, Wake Forest sees average daytime highs of 86°F and overnight lows near 70°F, with 4.3 in of rain across 12.2 wet days and about 13.4 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 86°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in August, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 48 min at the start of August to 12 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Wake Forest's 8th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wake Forest's year-round climate.

Daytime high
86°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
70°
11th coldest
Rainfall
4.3 in
12.2 wet days
Daylight
13 h 24 min
5:37 AM – 6:59 PM
Cloud cover
58%
8th clearest
Wind
5 mph
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.35 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.6
out of 10

Wake Forest is town located in the U.S. state of North Carolina.

Density
969/km²
people per km²
Founded
1880

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

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 86°F through the month.

A typical August day in Wake Forest reaches about 86°F in the afternoon and slips back to 70°F overnight — a 16°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 80°F and 93°F. Set against its neighbours, August runs about 2°F cooler than July and about 6°F warmer than September.

60°70°80°90°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18771
28771
38771
48771
58771
68771
78771
88771
98771
108771
118771
128771
138770
148770
158770
168670
178670
188670
198670
208670
218670
228669
238669
248669
258669
268569
278569
288569
298568
308568
318568

How August really feels in Wake Forest

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 20 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
20
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

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

Wake Forest weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 2nd-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan51° / 33°3.79.31.39.82.5
Feb54° / 35°3.29.11.310.63.3
Mar62° / 42°4.210.60.511.75.2
Apr71° / 51°3.59.3012.96.7
May78° / 60°3.710.7013.96.6
Jun85° / 68°4.012.1014.44.9
Jul88° / 71°4.715.7014.23.8
Aug86° / 70°4.312.2013.44.6
Sep81° / 64°4.710012.26.4
Oct71° / 52°3.27.5011.17.1
Nov61° / 42°3.47.80.110.15.5
Dec53° / 36°3.59.20.69.63.3

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 49%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
25050
35050
45149
55248
65248
75248
85248
95248
105248
115248
125248
135347
145347
155248
165248
175248
185248
195248
205149
215149
225149
235149
245149
255050
265050
275050
285050
295050
305149
315149

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Wake Forest gets around 4.3 in of rain over 12.2 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 41% and peaks near 48% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
148
247
346
446
545
645
744
844
944
1044
1144
1244
1343
1443
1542
1642
1741
1840
1939
2038
2138
2237
2336
2436
2535
2635
2735
2835
2935
3035
3135

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, August lands in the oppressive band about 42% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 78% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1141128551
2141129541
3141129541
4141230521
5141230521
6141330511
7141331492
8141331492
9141332482
10141333472
11141333462
12141334462
13141334452
14141435442
15141435432
16141535422
17151536412
18151636402
19151637402
20151637392
21161738381
22161738371
23161738371
24171838361
25171838351
26181938341
27191937331
28192037320
292102036320
302102036310
312112135300

Wind in August

Winds average 5 mph in August, the calmest month.

Across August, 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 August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 48 min at the start of August to 12 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 60 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 5:25 AM to 5:49 AM, and sunset from 7:15 PM to 6:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.85:257:15
213.85:267:15
313.85:267:14
413.85:277:13
513.75:287:12
613.75:297:11
713.75:307:10
813.65:307:09
913.65:317:07
1013.65:327:06
1113.55:337:05
1213.55:347:04
1313.55:347:03
1413.45:357:02
1513.45:367:01
1613.45:376:59
1713.35:386:58
1813.35:386:57
1913.35:396:56
2013.25:406:54
2113.25:416:53
2213.25:426:52
2313.15:436:50
2413.15:436:49
2513.15:446:48
2613.05:456:46
2713.05:466:45
2812.95:476:43
2912.95:476:42
3012.95:486:41
3112.85:496:39

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.35 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.24 kWh/m² to a high of 6.17 kWh/m² in June across the year — August's 5.35 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.5Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.4Bright
155.4Bright
165.4Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.3Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.2Bright
235.2Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.1Bright
275.1Bright
285.1Bright
295.0Bright
305.0Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in August

Is August a good time to visit Wake Forest?

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

4.6
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

August is a reasonable time to visit Wake Forest for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Wake Forest in August

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

In August, Wake Forest sees daytime highs around 86°F and nights near 70°F. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Wake Forest in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Wake Forest 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
Mar5High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7High
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Wake Forest in August

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Wake Forest 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 Wake Forest?

Wake Forest sits at 36.0°N, 78.5°W, 390 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is West Raleigh, 16 mi away.

Topography around Wake Forest

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Wake Forest has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 285 ft around an average of 361 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 581 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,047 ft.

The land around Wake Forest is covered by trees (67%) within 2 miles, trees (72%) within 10 miles, and trees (74%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
285 ft
10 miles
581 ft
50 miles
1,047 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
August weather nearby: West Raleigh 16 mi · Raleigh 16 mi · Garner 19 mi · Cary 20 mi · Morrisville 21 mi · Durham 22 mi · Clayton 23 mi · Henderson 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 Wake Forest (35.9799°, -78.5097°, elevation 390 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).