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January Brings Cooler Weather and a Taste of Winter

Climate Blog

Mar 24, 2016

From Drought Monitoring to Beekeeping: Exploring Uses of CoCoRaHS Data

This is the second of two posts highlighting how CoCoRaHS data is used and the value of the reports. We conclude this series by investigating how CoCoRaHS data is used for condition monitoring and for agricultural purposes. Ever wonder who uses CoCoRaHS data? How do they use the data? For what purpose? Rebecca Ward —…

Mar 16, 2016

Hump Day-ja Vu: The Three Wednesday Snows of March 1960

March of 1960 must have felt a bit like Groundhog Day in North Carolina. For the first three Wednesdays of the month, parts of the state saw snow or ice as part of a rare early-spring string of wintry weather. Prior to March, the winter of 1959-60 was quite unremarkable in North Carolina. Mean temperatures…

Mar 10, 2016

Memoirs about Meteorologists using CoCoRaHS Data

This is the first of two blog posts highlighting how CoCoRaHS data is used and the value of the reports. First, we explore some of the meteorological applications of CoCoRaHS data. Whether you are a current CoCoRaHS volunteer or are interested in joining this network of rainfall observers, you should know that your data is…

Mar 7, 2016

Vote for North Carolina’s Top Weather Event of the Past Year [VOTING CLOSED]

It’s tournament time and this year, we’re getting in on the action! No, we’re not fielding a basketball team or going dancing — apparently last summer’s rain dances worked a little too well! Instead, we have set up a four-round tournament to determine North Carolina’s most memorable weather event from the past 12 months —…

Mar 1, 2016

An Active February Features Wet Weather, Storms

From the coldest temperatures of the winter to widespread severe weather, February had a bit of everything. Temperatures Swing from Shivery to Spring-like The average temperature from statewide reporting stations last month was 41.93°F, which makes it the 59th-coolest February in the past 122 years. However, a statewide average certainly doesn’t tell the full story…

Feb 26, 2016

Rapid Reaction: Severe Storms Spawn Tornadoes in NC

Earlier this week, a cold front moving across North Carolina produced strong thunderstorms that spawned six tornadoes, then left high, gusty winds in its wake. It was a particularly intense severe weather event for February or any month, for that matter. Severe Weather Setup This event had all the ingredients for a tornado outbreak that…

Feb 22, 2016

February Tornadoes are Rare, But With a Damaging History

Last week’s EF1 tornado in Carteret County serves as a reminder that although the winter months are climatologically our least active for severe weather, damaging storms and tornadoes can still happen this time of the year. Forty-five years ago in Fayetteville, a rare February tornado proved to be a strong and deadly one. Winter Tornado…

Feb 16, 2016

Rapid Reaction: Wintry Weather and Spring-Like Storms Hit NC

Our winter roller coaster continued this week as high temperatures plummeted below freezing, we rounded a bend of snow and ice-slickened roads, and temperatures quickly rebounded into the 50s with heavy rain and thunderstorms. It was all part of our latest bout of wintry weather amid an active weather pattern. Arctic Air Settles In The…

Feb 1, 2016

January Brings Cooler Weather and a Taste of Winter

After a warm December, the winter reversed course in January with cooler-than-normal conditions prevailing. Winter’s Chill Finally Arrives The new year brought a much cooler weather pattern for North Carolina. January finished with a statewide average temperature of 37.64°F, ranking as the 32nd-coolest January out of the past 123 years. The temperatures differences from December…