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A Dry Start to November Lets Drought Deepen

Corey Davis

A photo of hail on the ground in Robeson County on April 20

May 6, 2024

April Accompanied By Little Precipitation, Big Hail

Ascending temperatures arrived in April, while the rain that moistened our March was mostly absent. However, our few thunderstorms did bring an icy, potentially record-matching surprise. Heating Up in April Springlike warmth, and at times even summerlike heat, emerged in April, lifting our overall temperatures above normal for the month. The National Centers for Environmental…
A photo of the sun rising over trees in Cabarrus County

Apr 4, 2024

Rain Returns and Pollen Proliferates in a Warm March

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…
A photo of a damaged home in Roseboro, NC, after the March 28, 1984, tornado outbreak

Mar 28, 2024

March Mayhem: Remembering the 1984 Tornadoes, Forty Years Later

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…
A map of total snow accumulations during the 2023-24 winter in North Carolina

Mar 18, 2024

Winter Recap 2023-24: Rain Returns, but Snow Stays Away

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…
A photo of a cherry tree in bloom in Raleigh in late February

Mar 6, 2024

Spring Leaps In, Drought Creeps Back in February

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…
A photo of daffodils blooming in Chapel Hill on January 30.

Feb 1, 2024

Drought Disappears as January Stays Wet in the West

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…
A graph of monthly temperature departures from the 1901 to 2000 average for North Carolina in 2023

Jan 16, 2024

The Weather Year in Review: The Yin and Yang of 2023

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. The recording is available on YouTube,…
A photo of cloudy skies in Weaverville on December 29

Jan 3, 2024

Winter Gets a Warm, Wet Start in December

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.…
A photo of low levels at Jordan Lake, which exposed old roadbeds and home foundations

Dec 5, 2023

A Dry Start to November Lets Drought Deepen

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.…