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Very Wet, Fairly Cold, but Rarely Snow This February

All Climate Blog Posts

A photograph of a backyard rain gauge with more than 4 inches of water in it.

Jun 17, 2021

Drought Diminishes After Early June Deluges

At this time last month, drought had just emerged in North Carolina, and it was expected to expand and intensify even more by the end of May — which it did, encompassing more than half of the state. But the turn of a page in the calendar also brought a turn of the spigot, especially…
The May 2021 precipitation summary infographic, highlighting the monthly average temperature, departure from normal, and comparison to historical and recent years

Jun 3, 2021

May Flowers Wilt Amid Expanding Drought

It was a dry month for North Carolina in May, but also a cooler one with a unique high pressure pattern. The ongoing dry weather this spring has seen drought emerge and expand. Dry Weather Dominates Limited rainfall last month yielded one of the driest Mays in recent memory. According to the National Centers for…
A map of 30-day percent of normal precipitation for North Carolina

May 20, 2021

What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Drought

Moderate Drought conditions emerged in southeastern North Carolina last week, which was a rude reminder that it’s been a while since we’ve dealt with drought. A wet 2020 that carried over into a surprisingly wet winter this year meant flooding and saturated soils have been the bigger problems over the past 18 months. Among the…
The April 2021 precipitation summary infographic, highlighting the monthly average temperature, departure from normal, and comparison to historical and recent years

May 4, 2021

Scarce Showers in April Help Dryness Develop

A month of up-and-down temperatures also saw limited precipitation across the state. Plus, we review an eventful tropical off-season and preview the upcoming hurricane season. Big Temperature Swings The spring often sees a tug-of-war between the still-cold air to our north and warming tropical air to our south. Last month, their battleground was across North…
Hourly temperature and precipitation data from the Castle Hayne ECONet station, plotted on an interactive and exportable graph in Station Scout.

Apr 5, 2021

Our New Website Offers Data on Demand, ECONet Insights

We’re proud to officially launch our new-look website today, and our current design is more than just a fresh coat of paint. Here’s an overview of what you will find, headlined by our new data request tool that makes it faster and easier than ever before to access weather and climate data from across North…
March 2021 Precipitation Map

Apr 2, 2021

Spring Blooms in March, But Winter Wetness Lingers

Our new website launches next week, and we’re using it to help illustrate a warm March that dried out in some areas but remains generally saturated after our wet winter. A New Website On the Way! Next Monday brings an exciting new update for our office, and for anyone in North Carolina who uses weather and climate data. Our new…
Winter 2020-2021 Snow Accmulation

Mar 16, 2021

Winter Recap 2020-21: La Niña Lays Low in a Persistent Wet Winter

Chalk it up to atmospheric anomalies or a forecast without foresight. Either way, this winter defied expectations and drenched most of North Carolina for yet another season. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, the three-month period from December 2020 through February 2021 ranked as our 13th-wettest winter since 1895 based on the statewide average precipitation…
Rain Gauge

Mar 9, 2021

Want to Compete in March Madness? You Can, CoCoRaHS Style!

As any college basketball fan knows, the state of North Carolina tends to perform well in the month of March. But no matter which color jersey you root for, you can help our state succeed in another March Madness competition, all while helping meteorologists more accurately track precipitation across the country. The Community Collaborative Rain,…
Feb 2021 Precip Summary

Mar 3, 2021

Very Wet, Fairly Cold, but Rarely Snow This February

The jet stream pattern in February brought plenty of precipitation and some colder air into North Carolina, but that did not materialize into much snow across the state. A Soaked February The shortest month of the year was packed with plenty of precipitation. The National Centers for Environmental Information reports a preliminary statewide average precipitation of 5.69 inches, which ranks as…