Wilmington weather in July

In July, Wilmington sees average daytime highs of 87°F and overnight lows near 74°F, with 6.2 in of rain across 17.6 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 87°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in July, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 18 min at the start of July to 13 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, July is Wilmington's 12th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wilmington's year-round climate.

Daytime high
87°
1st warmest
Overnight low
74°
12th coldest
Rainfall
6.2 in
17.6 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
5:15 AM – 7:20 PM
Cloud cover
63%
12th clearest
Wind
7 mph
11th windiest
Solar energy
6.03 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.0
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 July

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 87°F through the month.

A typical July day in Wilmington reaches about 87°F in the afternoon and slips back to 74°F overnight — a 12°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 82°F and 91°F. Set against its neighbours, July runs about 3°F warmer than June and on par with August.

70°80°90°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18673
28673
38673
48673
58674
68674
78774
88774
98774
108774
118774
128774
138774
148774
158774
168774
178774
188774
198774
208774
218774
228774
238774
248774
258774
268774
278674
288674
298674
308674
318674

How July really feels in Wilmington

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.

Wilmington weather by month

How July compares with the rest of the year at a glance. July is the 1st-warmest and 3rd-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 July

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in July, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of July, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 56%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24753
34753
44753
54753
64753
74753
84753
94654
104654
114654
124654
134555
144456
154456
164357
174357
184258
194258
204159
214159
224159
234159
244159
254060
264060
274060
284060
294060
304060
314159

Chance of precipitation in July

Any precipitation

Wilmington gets around 6.2 in of rain over 17.6 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 57% and peaks near 62% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
153
253
353
453
553
653
753
854
954
1054
1154
1255
1355
1455
1556
1657
1757
1858
1958
2058
2159
2259
2360
2460
2561
2661
2762
2862
2962
3062
3162

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 61% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 95% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
125136614
225126615
325116616
425116517
525106518
61596619
71696519
81696420
91686421
101686322
111586323
120586324
130576325
140576226
150576127
160476128
170476029
180475930
190465931
200365932
210365932
220365932
230365833
240365833
250365932
260365932
270365932
280366031
290475831
300475930
310485929

Wind in July

Winds average 7 mph in July.

Across July, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in July

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 18 min at the start of July to 13 h 48 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 5:25 AM, and sunset from 7:23 PM to 7:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.35:077:23
214.35:087:23
314.25:087:23
414.25:097:23
514.25:097:23
614.25:107:23
714.25:107:22
814.25:107:22
914.25:117:22
1014.25:127:22
1114.25:127:21
1214.15:137:21
1314.15:137:21
1414.15:147:21
1514.15:147:20
1614.15:157:20
1714.15:167:19
1814.05:167:19
1914.05:177:18
2014.05:187:18
2114.05:187:17
2214.05:197:17
2313.95:207:16
2413.95:207:16
2513.95:217:15
2613.95:227:14
2713.95:227:14
2813.85:237:13
2913.85:247:12
3013.85:257:11
3113.85:257:10

Solar energy in July

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in July, about 6.03 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 — July's 6.03 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.3Intense
26.3Intense
36.3Intense
46.3Intense
56.2Intense
66.2Intense
76.2Intense
86.2Intense
96.2Intense
106.2Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.0Intense
166.0Intense
176.0Bright
186.0Bright
196.0Bright
205.9Bright
215.9Bright
225.9Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.8Bright
285.7Bright
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in July

Hazard calendar for Wilmington

In seasonPeak

In July, Wilmington sits inside its atlantic hurricane season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

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 July a good time to visit Wilmington?

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

4.0
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
5.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

July is a reasonable time to visit Wilmington for sightseeing.

What to pack for Wilmington in July

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

In July, Wilmington sees daytime highs around 87°F and nights near 74°F. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 18 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Wilmington in July

The nearest coast averages about 81°F in July — 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 July

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in July peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). 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 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 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
July 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).