Wilmington weather in September

In September, Wilmington sees average daytime highs of 81°F and overnight lows near 68°F, with 6.5 in of rain across 13.4 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 84°F in the first days to 79°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in September, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 42 min at the start of September to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Wilmington's 8th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wilmington's year-round climate.

Daytime high
81°
4th warmest
Overnight low
68°
9th coldest
Rainfall
6.5 in
13.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
6:00 AM – 6:12 PM
Cloud cover
57%
8th clearest
Wind
7 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.57 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.8
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 September

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 84°F in the first days to 79°F by the end.

A typical September day in Wilmington reaches about 81°F in the afternoon and slips back to 68°F overnight — a 13°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 75°F and 86°F. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 4°F cooler than August and about 8°F warmer than October.

50°60°70°80°90°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18471
28471
38471
48371
58371
68370
78370
88370
98370
108270
118269
128269
138269
148269
158268
168168
178168
188168
198167
208067
218067
228067
238066
248066
257966
267965
277965
287965
297865
307864

How September really feels in Wilmington

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.

Wilmington weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 4th-warmest and 2nd-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 September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 49%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
24951
34951
45050
55050
65050
75050
85149
95149
105149
115248
125248
135248
145248
155248
165149
175149
185050
195050
205050
215050
225050
235050
245248
255248
265248
275347
285347
295446
305446

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Wilmington gets around 6.5 in of rain over 13.4 wet days in September. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 44% and peaks near 49% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
149
249
349
448
548
647
746
846
945
1045
1144
1244
1343
1443
1543
1643
1743
1843
1943
2043
2143
2243
2343
2442
2542
2641
2740
2840
2939
3038

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, September lands in the oppressive band about 39% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 70% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
11210255210
21310255110
3131125519
4131125519
5241226498
6241326488
7241326477
8251427467
9251427456
10361427446
11371527435
12371527425
13481528414
14491628404
15491628394
16591628383
175101628383
186101628373
196101627373
207111627362
218111627362
229111727352
2310121726342
2411121726332
2512121726322
2613131725301
2714131825291
2814141825281
2915141824271
3016151824261

Wind in September

Winds average 7 mph in September.

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

0246810151015202530
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

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 42 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 60 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 5:49 AM to 6:10 AM, and sunset from 6:34 PM to 5:52 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.75:496:34
212.75:506:33
312.75:506:31
412.65:516:30
512.65:526:28
612.65:536:27
712.55:536:26
812.55:546:24
912.55:556:23
1012.45:556:21
1112.45:566:20
1212.45:576:18
1312.35:586:17
1412.35:586:15
1512.25:596:14
1612.26:006:12
1712.26:016:11
1812.16:016:09
1912.16:026:08
2012.16:036:07
2112.06:036:05
2212.06:046:04
2312.06:056:02
2411.96:066:01
2511.96:065:59
2611.86:075:58
2711.86:085:56
2811.86:095:55
2911.76:095:53
3011.76:105:52

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 4.57 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 — September's 4.57 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
94.8Bright
104.7Bright
114.7Bright
124.7Bright
134.7Bright
144.6Bright
154.6Bright
164.6Bright
174.5Bright
184.5Bright
194.5Bright
204.5Bright
214.4Bright
224.4Bright
234.4Bright
244.3Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.3Bright
284.2Bright
294.2Bright
304.2Bright
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for Wilmington

In seasonPeak

In September, 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 September a good time to visit Wilmington?

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

5.8
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
6.2
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Wilmington in September

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

In September, Wilmington sees daytime highs around 81°F and nights near 68°F. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Wilmington in September

The nearest coast averages about 80°F in September — 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 September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September 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 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 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 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
September 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).