Raleigh weather in September

September in Raleigh: hot, rainy, with clean air — a great time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Raleigh🇺🇸 United States · US South · City76
  1. 62Jan
  2. 69Feb
  3. 79Mar
  4. 88Apr
  5. 85May
  6. 74Jun
  7. 63Jul
  8. 67Aug
  9. 76Sep
  10. 89Oct
  11. 77Nov
  12. 65Dec

#6 of 12 months in Raleigh · #833 of 1413 destinations to visit in September · comfort 76/100 (tier B)

Days
29°C
Nights
18°C
Wet days
7
Sun
9.3 h
Humidity
75%
Daylight
12 h
Raleigh, United States
Photo: Andretti Brown · Pexels

Traveller notes on Raleigh in September

Other months in Raleigh

Forum posters discussing April weather across North Carolina are consistent that conditions here are genuinely hard to pin down - you just never know with the state's spring weather. Posters describing the state's mountain areas in April note bare trees and hopefully sunny skies with temperatures in the mid-60sF are typical, though snow in the mountains remains possible even this late in the season. Given the limited destination-specific detail for Raleigh exactly, this note leans on that broader pattern: expect Raleigh's central-Piedmont location to trend milder and greener than the mountains to its west by April, with real day-to-day variability and a decent chance of rain still worth planning around. Posters generally recommend flexible, layered plans for an April visit anywhere in North Carolina, Raleigh included.
Tripadvisor community · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Detailed month-specific weather trip reports for Raleigh are relatively sparse on the forum, with most November discussion centering on activities and itinerary logistics for a short visit rather than granular temperature detail. Posters discussing the wider North Carolina region in November note real variation between the coast, the Piedmont where Raleigh sits, and the mountains, with each running noticeably different this time of year. Given the limited destination-specific detail, this note leans on the well-established regional pattern for central North Carolina: a comfortably cool, crisp autumn month, generally milder than the mountains to the west and drier than late summer, with a real but modest chance of a rainy day mixed into an otherwise pleasant stretch for outdoor sightseeing.
Tripadvisor community · November · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Raleigh forum regulars, drawing on the broader North Carolina fall conversation, call October reliably good: usually 70s to low 80s°F during the day and 50s at night, though the range could be anywhere from the 40s to the high 80s depending on the week and whether a cold front or the tail of a hurricane passes through. Nearby Asheville, in the mountains, runs noticeably cooler — daytime highs in the low 60s and lows in the 40s by mid-October — a useful data point for anyone splitting a trip between the Piedmont and the mountains. Fall overall gets rated one of the state's best seasons for exactly this mix of mild days and genuinely crisp evenings. Our record: 22.9°C days, 13.8°C nights, 7 rain days and 8.1 hours of sun — mild and reasonably dry, matching the “reliably good, real week-to-week variation” read.
Tripadvisor community · October · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
North Carolina forum regulars put May ahead of the humid summer stretch still to come: “late April through June” gets described as low humidity, shorts and t-shirt weather, with the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area running noticeably less sticky than the coastal plain, if a touch cooler than Charlotte. The one thing spring doesn't spare visitors: pollen. Forum threads describe North Carolina's spring pollen as “record high,” a visible “green dust storm” coating cars and surfaces, enough that allergy medication is standard packing advice for anyone sensitive to it. Our record: 26°C days, 16°C nights, 65.7% humidity and 10.3 hours of sun — warm and comfortably below summer's worst humidity, the calm-before-the-sticky-season read the forums describe.
Tripadvisor community · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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Raleigh climate normals — September

Daytime high29°C / 84°F🥵 hot
Nighttime low18°C / 65°F
Feels like (high)31°C / 88°F
Rainfall134 mm / 5.3 in🌧 rainy
Rainy days7 days
Humidity75%💦 very humid
Dew point18°C / 64°F
Sunshine9.3 h/day
Daylight12.4 h
Wind14 km/h / 8 mph
Air quality (US AQI)46🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Raleigh in September

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

BusySummer break in United States(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Raleigh's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Fair weatherRaleigh's best weather comes in April, May and October — separate windows, not one continuous season.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Raleigh in September

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Hazard

    Tropical storm remnants

    15 Aug – 15 Oct · usuallyHurricane season

    Raleigh is far enough inland that Atlantic storms arrive as a day of wind and several inches of rain rather than a landfall, but that is enough to close Crabtree Creek and the greenway underpasses. Source ↗

What's on around the world in September →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Raleigh — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Raleigh?

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Raleigh in September — FAQ

Is September a good time to visit Raleigh?
September in Raleigh: hot, rainy, with clean air — a great time to visit. It ranks #6 of 12 months for Raleigh on SeasonMap's comfort score (76/100).
What is the weather like in Raleigh in September?
In September, Raleigh averages a daily high of 28.9°C and a low of 18.2°C, with about 134.3 mm of rain over roughly 7.3 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Raleigh in September?
Raleigh has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 46 in September.

Within 300 km: Myrtle Beach's Loggerhead nesting on 1 May – 31 Oct, and Virginia Beach's Neptune Festival on 25–27 Sep.