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Rapid Reaction: Late-Season Snow Adds to an Active Winter

Climate Blog

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 a dozer working on a containment line at the Deep Woods fire in March

Jun 26, 2025

Helene’s Damage Presents Fire Management, Monitoring Challenges

It was an environmental domino effect that was hard to fathom considering huge swaths of western North Carolina had been under water just two months earlier following Hurricane Helene. On December 6 of last year, a wind gust toppled power lines in rural McDowell County. A spark of electricity then carried from the lines onto…
A photo of the Black Cove wildfire burning in Polk County in March

Jun 19, 2025

Drought Finally Disappears After a Fiery Start to 2025

It began in the wake of extreme flooding from Hurricane Helene and ended amid the onset of sunny summer weather. After spanning parts of all four seasons and all corners of the state at its peak, our latest drought in North Carolina is finally over. This week’s US Drought Monitor shows that the final sliver…
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 snow on the ground at the Currituck Beach Light Station on February 19

Feb 20, 2025

Rapid Reaction: Late-Season Snow Adds to an Active Winter

The third significant winter storm of the season across the state brought a mixed bag of precipitation and bumped up the seasonal snow totals for some sites. Following mid-January’s snowstorm in the west and an eastern snow event later that month, this storm produced statewide impacts but varied precipitation types, ranging from all rain in…