It was a record wet March in parts of North Carolina, while the entire state experienced warm temperatures and the corresponding arrival of pollen season last month. Frequent Rains Roll Through Heavy rain especially at the coast fueled a wet March for the state. NCEI reports a preliminary statewide average precipitation of 5.45 inches, which ranks as the 28th-wettest March out of the past 130 years. A lion-like start saw back-to-back rain events in the first few days of the month. One low pressure system on March 1 and 2 brought two-day totals of more than 2 inches in parts of the southern Mou ..read more

Things that take a lifetime to build can be destroyed in mere moments. Case in point: March 28, 1984, when a line of tornadoes carved a path like a buzzsaw across eastern North Carolina. Faye Watson, a resident of Red Springs – a Robeson County town in the crosshairs of one of the four F-4 tornadoes that tracked through the state that afternoon – recalled to The Robesonian just how quickly it all unfolded. “All of a sudden we heard a whistling noise. It sounded like a train, and we realized it was a tornado,” said Watson. “We told the children to get down to the basement immediately. As we ran ..read more

The long-awaited arrival of El Niño late last year helped our winter start with a splash, with multiple rain events across the state in December and January. But prevailing warm weather meant no snow for most areas, with the last flakes now a distant memory from more than two years ago. To wrap up this winter, we’ll look at the final rankings and statistics for the season and assess the predictions from our winter outlook, including about El Niño and its impacts, our precipitation patterns, and the scarcity of snowfall. We’ll also preview the evolution of ENSO to come this year, and what it co ..read more

Warm weather dominated last month, and so did dry conditions across much of the state. In light of those unseasonable stretches, we look at how early spring has settled in this year. Feeling Warm in February Spring-like temperatures flourished in February, making it a warmer-than-normal month across the state. Preliminary data from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) puts this as our 16th-warmest February since 1895, with a statewide average temperature of 46.5°F. That was 2.7°F above the 1991 to 2020 average, and right in line with recent trends. Six of our past seven Fe ..read more

Warm temperatures dominated January, as did wet weather in western North Carolina, which brought our ongoing drought to an end. Mild Weather for a Winter Month Mostly warm weather, interrupted by a mid-month chill, left our overall temperatures above normal in January. The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) notes a preliminary statewide average temperature of 41.0°F and our 51st-warmest January out of the past 130 years. The warmest areas relative to average were in the eastern half of the state, including Fayetteville, which was 4 degrees above normal and tied for its 31st ..read more

Characterized by evolving large-scale patterns and a variety of conditions across North Carolina, from wet to dry and smoky to stormy, 2023 was an interesting and impactful year in our local weather and climate. As part of our annual wrap-up, this post summarizes our 2023 Year in Review webinar, for which the recording will be posted to our YouTube channel soon. Our presentation slides are also available for download. The Year, By the Numbers The final statistics from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) note a statewide average temperature of 60.7°F, which left 2023 tied ..read more

Fall-like temperatures carried over into December, but our fall drought faded as wetter weather emerged last month. A few areas also picked up snow, but most of the state finished 2023 with no accumulations. Warm Throughout December The calendar said it was December, but it rarely felt like winter thanks to prevailing warmth last month. The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) reports a preliminary statewide average temperature of 46.3°F and our 19th-warmest December since 1895. That puts this month in the company of other recent warm Decembers, including our 2nd-warmest Decem ..read more

Dry weather continued and drought expanded in November, while temperatures ranged from wintry to warm throughout the month. We also close the book on a dry fall and an active hurricane season. Drought Goes to the Extreme With only one decent rain event all month in most areas, November was quite dry in North Carolina. Preliminary data from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) shows a statewide average precipitation of 2.10 inches and our 39th-driest November dating back 1895. The first three weeks of the month saw little to no rain statewide, and on top of our dry October ..read more

Following a snow-free year in many areas and with drought now gripping more than half of the state, a pattern change – both from what we’ve seen in recent winters and in recent weeks – would be welcome. So could the newly emerging El Niño be the answer? In our twelfth annual winter outlook, we’ll have a closer look at this year’s El Niño, some statistics among similar historical years, and our expectations for the winter ahead. For the bottom line up front, here are some key takeaways from this year’s outlook: An El Niño pattern is currently in place, and is expected to remain through the com ..read more

Dry weather dominated October, which led to drought expansion and intensification. Our average temperatures were near normal, balanced by warmer days and a few cool nights. Precipitation Passes Us By Rain last month was as rare as full-sized candy bars on Halloween night, which made it a dry month overall. Preliminary data from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) shows a statewide average precipitation of 1.15 inches, which ranks as our 10th-driest October since 1895. It was also our driest October since 2000, which had a record low 0.08 inches of rain on average across t ..read more