Wilmington weather in April

In April, Wilmington sees average daytime highs of 71°F and overnight lows near 55°F, with 3.2 in of rain across 8.1 wet days and about 12.8 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 68°F in the first days to 74°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in April, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 18 min at the start of April to 13 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, April is Wilmington's 3rd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wilmington's year-round climate.

Daytime high
71°
7th warmest
Overnight low
55°
6th coldest
Rainfall
3.2 in
8.1 wet days
Daylight
12 h 54 min
5:46 AM – 6:38 PM
Cloud cover
50%
3rd clearest
Wind
9 mph
1st windiest
Solar energy
5.9 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.0
out of 10

Wilmington is county seat city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States.

Density
842/km²
people per km²
Founded
1739

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

Temperature in April

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 68°F in the first days to 74°F by the end.

A typical April day in Wilmington reaches about 71°F in the afternoon and slips back to 55°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 63°F and 79°F. Set against its neighbours, April runs about 7°F warmer than March and about 6°F cooler than May.

40°60°80°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
16851
26851
36851
46952
56952
66952
76953
87053
97053
107053
117154
127154
137154
147154
157155
167255
177255
187255
197256
207356
217356
227356
237357
247357
257357
267458
277458
287458
297458
307459

How April really feels in Wilmington

Once humidity and wind are folded in, April 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

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

Wilmington weather by month

How April compares with the rest of the year at a glance. April is the 7th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan56° / 39°3.69.40.5103.9
Feb58° / 41°3.58.90.310.74.4
Mar64° / 47°4.09.20.111.76.0
Apr71° / 55°3.28.1012.87.0
May78° / 63°3.710.5013.86.8
Jun84° / 71°4.914.6014.25.0
Jul87° / 74°6.217.6014.14.0
Aug85° / 73°7.217.5013.34.3
Sep81° / 68°6.513.4012.25.8
Oct74° / 58°3.98.1011.17.2
Nov65° / 48°3.58010.26.4
Dec59° / 42°3.89.20.19.84.7

Cloud cover in April

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in April.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of April, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 42%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15743
25644
35743
45743
55743
65842
75941
85941
95941
105941
115941
125941
135941
145941
155842
165842
175842
185842
195743
205842
215842
225743
235743
245743
255743
265743
275743
285743
295743
305743

Chance of precipitation in April

Any precipitation

Wilmington gets around 3.2 in of rain over 8.1 wet days in April, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 28% and peaks near 30% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
130
230
329
429
529
628
728
827
927
1027
1127
1227
1327
1427
1527
1627
1727
1827
1928
2028
2128
2228
2328
2428
2528
2629
2729
2829
2929
3029

Humidity in April

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, April lands in the dry band about 53% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 7% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
168171320
267171420
366181420
465181520
563191530
662191630
762191630
860201730
959201740
1058201840
1157201850
1257201850
1355211950
1454211960
1553212060
1652212070
1752212070
1851222070
1950222170
2049222181
2148222181
2247222281
2346222291
2445232291
25442322101
26432322101
27422323111
28412323112
29402323122
30392323132

Wind in April

Winds average 9 mph in April, the windiest month of the year.

Across April, daily wind ranges from about 8 mph on the calmest days to 9 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202530
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light breeze
119light breeze
129light breeze
139light breeze
149light breeze
159light breeze
169light breeze
179light breeze
189light breeze
199light breeze
209light breeze
219light breeze
229light breeze
239light breeze
249light breeze
259light breeze
268light breeze
278light breeze
288light breeze
298light breeze
308light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in April

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 18 min at the start of April to 13 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 60 minutes over April. Sunrise moves from 6:07 AM to 5:30 AM, and sunset from 6:26 PM to 6:49 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.36:076:26
212.46:056:27
312.46:046:28
412.46:036:28
512.56:016:29
612.56:006:30
712.55:586:31
812.65:576:31
912.65:566:32
1012.65:546:33
1112.75:536:34
1212.75:526:35
1312.75:506:35
1412.85:496:36
1512.85:486:37
1612.95:466:38
1712.95:456:38
1812.95:446:39
1913.05:436:40
2013.05:416:41
2113.05:406:42
2213.15:396:42
2313.15:386:43
2413.15:366:44
2513.25:356:45
2613.25:346:46
2713.25:336:46
2813.35:326:47
2913.35:316:48
3013.35:306:49

Solar energy in April

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in April, about 5.9 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.45 kWh/m² to a high of 6.31 kWh/m² in May across the year — April's 5.9 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.4Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.9Bright
155.9Bright
165.9Bright
175.9Bright
186.0Bright
196.0Bright
206.0Bright
216.0Intense
226.0Intense
236.0Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.1Intense
276.1Intense
286.1Intense
296.1Intense
306.2Intense
Planning a trip in April

Hazard calendar for Wilmington

In seasonPeak

None of Wilmington's seasonal hazards are active in April. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Wilmington sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Atlantic hurricane
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is April a good time to visit Wilmington?

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

7.0
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
4.8
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

April is one of the better times to visit Wilmington for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Wilmington in April

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

In April, Wilmington sees daytime highs around 71°F and nights near 55°F. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 8 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Wilmington in April

The nearest coast averages about 65°F in April — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 9 mi away) is warmest in August at about 82°F and coldest in February near 58°F.

It's comfortable for a long swim from May 1 to Nov 14 — about 6.5 months when the water holds above 68°F.

60°70°80°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°F)Comfort
Jan60Cool
Feb58Bracing
Mar60Cool
Apr65Cool
May71Refreshing
Jun78Warm
Jul81Warm
Aug82Warm
Sep80Warm
Oct74Refreshing
Nov68Cool
Dec62Cool

UV index in Wilmington in April

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in April 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 Wilmington peaks around July 14 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 14UV 9Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec2Moderate

Air quality in Wilmington in April

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Wilmington is worst in March — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.1× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMar 1718 µg/m³Dec 136 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar19Moderate
Apr13Moderate
May12Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug14Moderate
Sep10Good
Oct8Good
Nov7Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Wilmington?

Wilmington sits at 34.2°N, 77.9°W, 30 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Leland, 5.6 mi away.

Topography around Wilmington

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

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Wilmington has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 92 ft around an average of 23 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 121 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 253 ft.

The land around Wilmington is covered by trees (31%), artificial surfaces (25%) and wetland (20%) within 2 miles, trees (54%) within 10 miles, and trees (53%) and water (34%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
92 ft
10 miles
121 ft
50 miles
253 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
April weather nearby: Leland 5.6 mi · Jacksonville 47 mi · North Myrtle Beach 51 mi · Myrtle Beach 66 mi · Lumberton 66 mi · Conway 69 mi · Socastee 71 mi · Kinston 74 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 Wilmington (34.2356°, -77.946°, elevation 30 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).