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A Cold, Dry January Sees Snow Return, Drought Expand

Climate Summary

A photo of a scenic overlook under cloudy skies at Chimney Rock State Park earlier this month

Sep 4, 2025

A Fall-Like Feeling Arrived With Mixed Rainfall in August

Cooler weather made for an unseasonable August, while we started wet and finished the month on a dry note. In this post, we also wrap up the summer and look at the big weather stories awaiting this fall. An Early Chill Interrupts Summer In a sudden shift after a hot end to July, August brought…
A photo of the sunset at Topsail Island with a rain shower visible in the distance

Aug 5, 2025

Summer Sizzles in a Stormy, Steamy July

July saw a wet start including Tropical Storm Chantal and month-long warmth, especially overnight. To help communities prepare for hot weather like that, an Extreme Heat Cohort is being offered again this year. Chantal Leads a Storm-Soaked Month Our first tropical event of the season, plus plenty of other rainy days, made for an overall…
A photo of the sun in a hazy, cloudy sky over the Outer Banks on June 1

Jul 7, 2025

June Started Wet, Ended Hot with Active Air Quality

June was warm overall thanks to a late-month heat wave and mostly wet due to early-month showers and storms. It also saw several air quality hazards, as revealed by our recent AIR tool updates. Building to a Summer Sizzle Boosted by a late-month heat wave, last month was our state’s warmest June since 2018. The…
A photo of the sunrise in Newport, NC, on May 18

Jun 3, 2025

Spring Showers in May End a Long-Running Dry Spell

May brought a wetter weather pattern and prevailing above-normal temperatures in North Carolina. With summer now upon us, we also look at outlooks for the Atlantic hurricane season. Rain Returns and Drought Dwindles With multiple rounds of significant rain across the state, May reversed our recent dry trend and brought drought relief in many areas.…
A photo of Salem Lake near sunset on April 26

May 5, 2025

Summer Heat Debuts, Showers Become Shy in April

April featured unseasonable warmth and an uncharacteristic lack of rain showers and severe weather. That has extended our drought with new impacts emerging last month. A Summer-Like Warm-Up With above-normal temperatures night and day for most of the month, this finished among our warmest Aprils on record in North Carolina. The National Centers for Environmental…
A photo of the Black Cove wildfire burning at night on a hillside

Apr 3, 2025

Dry Weather, Dry Air Spark March Fire Danger

On the fast track into spring, March remained mostly warm in North Carolina, with dry weather especially in the west. Low humidity, gusty winds, and ongoing drought combined to fuel more wildfires across the state. Warm Days with Few Cold Nights The spring-like warmth that settled in by late February stuck around in March, making…
A photo of snow on Topsail Beach on January 22, 2025

Mar 13, 2025

Winter Recap 2024-25: Snow Returns, but Drought Deepens

Our weather this winter included evidence of the expected, including overall dry conditions, along with some surprises sprinkled in with the return of snow across the state for the first time in almost three years. As we review the past season, we’ll take a closer look at the winter by the numbers, how our snowfall…
A photo of a camellia flower with icicles on its leaves after the February 19 winter storm

Mar 3, 2025

Signs of Spring Emerge in February, Despite a Snowy Speed Bump

Last month saw mostly warm temperatures plus above-normal precipitation for much of the state. That has put spring-like weather – and impacts – at our doorstep. Warm Bookends to the Month Following our cool January, we saw a decisive warm-up in February with above-normal temperatures overall for the month. The National Centers for Environmental Information…
A photo of a plow on a road in Pender County after the January 22 snow event

Feb 7, 2025

A Cold, Dry January Sees Snow Return, Drought Expand

January brought a rare run of cold weather that supported several rounds of snow. But with little other precipitation, drought continued expanding across the state last month. A Frigid First Month in 2025 A deep chill set in for several weeks in January, yielding one of our coldest months in recent memory. Based on preliminary…