North Carolina Climate

North Carolina Climate

The three geographical divisions of North Carolina are useful when discussing the climate of the state.

The coastal plain is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, which keeps temperatures mild in the winter and moderate in the summer. Daytime high temperatures on the coast average less than 89 °F (31.6 °C) during the summer. In the winter, the coast has the mildest temperatures in the state, with daytime temperatures rarely dropping below 40 °F (4.4 °C). The coastal plain usually receives only one inch (2.5 cm) of snow and/or ice annually, and in some years there may be no snow or ice at all. The Atlantic Ocean has less influence on the Piedmont region, and as a result the Piedmont has hotter summers and colder winters than the coast. Daytime highs in the Piedmont usually average over 90 °F (32.2 °C) in the summer. While it is not common for temperatures to reach over 100 °F (37.8 °C) in North Carolina, when it happens, the highest temperatures are to be found in the lower areas of the Piedmont, especially around the city of Fayetteville. In the winter, the Piedmont is much less mild than the coast, with daytime temperatures that usually reach in the mid to upper 50's, while low to mid 60's are common winter highs around the coast. The region averages anywhere from 3-5 inches of snowfall annually in the Charlotte area to 6-8 inches in the Raleigh-Durham area. The Piedmont is especially notorious for sleet and freezing rain, which can accumulate to several inches in some storms and snarl traffic and collapse power lines. Annual precipitation and humidity is lower in the Piedmont than either the mountains or the coast, but even at its lowest, the precipitation is a generous 40 in (102 cm) per year. The Appalachian Mountains are the coolest area of the state, with daytime temperatures averaging in the 40's for highs in the winter and often falling into the teens (−9 °C) or lower in winter nights, and relatively cool summers rarely rising above 80 °F (26.7 °C). Snowfall in the mountains is usually 14–20 in (36–51 cm) per year, but is often greater in the higher elevations.

Severe weather is not a rare event in North Carolina. On average, the state receives a direct hit from a hurricane once a decade, and a tropical storm every 3 or 4 years, although in some years several hurricanes or tropical storms can either directly hit the state, or brush across the coastal areas. Only Florida and Louisiana are hit by hurricanes more often. On average, North Carolina has 50 days of thunderstorm activity per year, with some storms becoming severe enough to produce hail and strong, damaging winds. Hurricanes not only are a problem for the coast, the Charlotte area had a direct hit from Hurricane Hugo in 1989. North Carolina averages less than 20 tornadoes per year, and many of these are produced by hurricanes or tropical storms along the coastal plain. Nonetheless, tornadoes from thunderstorms are a risk, especially in the Piedmont region of central North Carolin

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