{"id":1181,"date":"2026-10-29T13:39:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T17:39:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climate.ncsu.edu\/learn\/?page_id=1181"},"modified":"2026-11-09T15:57:18","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T20:57:18","slug":"climate-change","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/climate.ncsu.edu\/learn\/winter\/climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate Change and Winter Weather"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n \n
\n \n Winter Weather Home<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n\n
\n \n Large-Scale Winter Patterns<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n\n
\n \n Wintry Precipitation<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n\n
\n \n Climate Change and Winter Weather<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n\n
\n \n Notable Winter Storms<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n\n
\n \n Latest Snow Events<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who grew up during the 1980s or earlier in North Carolina is likely to remember some brutally cold and snowy winters back then. And sure, they walked to school uphill both ways as well. But it\u2019s no exaggeration to say that our winters are milder now than they used to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changes in our wintertime weather conditions are one of the most pronounced impacts of climate change in North Carolina. On this page, we\u2019ll take a closer look at those recent changes and what the future may mean for our winter weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter Trends<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to data<\/a> from the National Centers for Environmental Information, for the three-month climatological winter from December through February, the average temperature across North Carolina so far this century (from 2001 to 2023) is 43.0\u00b0F<\/strong>, compared to a 20th-century average of 41.2\u00b0F<\/strong> \u2013 an increase of 1.8\u00b0F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That warming is apparent in both our daytime high and nighttime low temperatures, which show increases of 1.8\u00b0F and 1.9\u00b0F, respectively, from the 20th-century average to the 21st-century average so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Statewide, 6 of our warmest 11 winters on record based on average temperatures have happened since 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Average winter (Dec, Jan, Feb) temperatures in North Carolina from 1895 to 2023. (Graph from NCEI\u2019s Climate at a Glance<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our Climate Trends Plotter tool<\/a> shows a statistically significant wintertime warming trend since 1961 at 27 of 28 weather stations in North Carolina with long periods of record and relatively unchanged surroundings over time. Over that 60-year period through 2020, the average warming trend among these stations is +0.71\u00b0F per decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Average wintertime snowfall amounts have also been trending downward over time. A 2009 study<\/a> using quality-controlled snow data from across the country found that many areas, including the southern tier from North Carolina through Arizona, saw a reduction in snowfall over the period from 1930 to 2007.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those trends are especially apparent over the past 40 to 60 years. The 30-year average annual snowfall amounts decreased by more than 50% in some areas between 1961 to 1990 and 1991 to 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Location<\/th>Avg. Annual Snowfall
(1961 to 1990)<\/th>		Avg. Annual Snowfall
(1991 to 2020)<\/th>		Percent Change<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Jefferson<\/td>24.2 in.<\/td>12.4 in.<\/td>-49%<\/td><\/tr>
Asheville<\/td>14.0 in.<\/td>10.2 in.<\/td>-27%<\/td><\/tr>
Waynesville<\/td>15.5 in.<\/td>11.5 in.<\/td>-26%<\/td><\/tr>
Charlotte<\/td>7.0 in.<\/td>3.5 in.<\/td>-50%<\/td><\/tr>
Greensboro<\/td>10.3 in.<\/td>7.1 in.<\/td>-31%<\/td><\/tr>
Raleigh<\/td>8.0 in.<\/td>5.1 in.<\/td>-36%<\/td><\/tr>
Fayetteville<\/td>2.1 in.<\/td>0.7 in.<\/td>-67%<\/td><\/tr>
Rocky Mount<\/td>5.1 in.<\/td>1.7 in.<\/td>-67%<\/td><\/tr>
Greenville<\/td>3.4 in.<\/td>3.0 in.<\/td>-12%<\/td><\/tr>
New Bern<\/td>2.9 in.<\/td>0.7 in.<\/td>-76%<\/td><\/tr>
Wilmington<\/td>2.3 in.<\/td>1.0 in.<\/td>-57%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Future Projections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The North Carolina Climate Science Report<\/a> summarizes the best available science related to climate change and its current and future impacts on our state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concerning overall wintertime temperatures, the Climate Science Report notes that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n