Most of the northwestern part of the state received somewhere between 2 feet (0.61 m) and 3 feet (0.91 m) of snow.Īnother significant snowfall hit the Raleigh area in January 2000 when more than 20 inches (510 mm) of snow fell. Newfound Gap received more than 36 inches (0.91 m) of snow with drifts more than 5 feet (1.5 m), while Mount Mitchell measured over 4 feet (1.2 m) of snow with drifts to 14 feet (4.3 m). The 1993 Storm of the Century that lasted from March 11 to March 15 affected locales from Canada to Central America, and brought exceptionally heavy snow to North Carolina. However, several storms have dropped 18 inches (460 mm) or more of snow within normally warm areas. When snow does make it past the mountains, it is usually light and is seldom on the ground for more than two or three days. The mountains in the west act as a barrier, preventing most snowstorms from entering the Piedmont. The town of Boone, North Carolina, located at an elevation of 3,333 feet in the northwestern part of the state, averages approximately 45 inches of snow per winter season. The Charlotte area averages approximately 5.0 inches (130 mm). Farther west in the Piedmont-Triad, the average grows to approximately 9 inches (230 mm). Along the coast, most areas register less than 2 inches (51 mm) per year while the state capital, Raleigh, averages 6.0 inches (150 mm). However, this varies greatly across the state. North Carolina averages 5 inches (130 mm) of snow per winter season. Snow in North Carolina is seen on a regular basis in the mountains. Average monthly precipitationĪ downed tree in Asheville, North Carolina caused by snowfall from the 1993 Storm of the Century Moist winds from the southwest drop an average of 80 inches (2,000 mm) of precipitation on the western side of the mountains, while the northeast-facing slopes average less than half that amount. Mountains usually see some snow in the fall and winter. As much as 15% of the rainfall during the warm season in the Carolinas can be attributed to tropical cyclones. July storms account for much of this precipitation. There is an average of forty-five inches of rain a year (fifty inches in mountainous regions). In January the average temperatures range near 50 ☏ (10 ☌). For most areas in the state, the temperatures in July during the daytime are approximately 90 ☏ (32 ☌). The USDA Hardiness Zones for the state range from Zone 5A (-20 ☏ to -15 ☏) in the mountains to Zone 9A (20 ☏ to 25 ☏) along the easternmost portions of the coast. Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa), except in the higher elevations of the Appalachians which have a subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cfb). The mountains often act as a "shield", blocking low temperatures and storms from the Midwest from entering the Piedmont of North Carolina. North Carolina's climate varies from the Atlantic coast in the east to the Appalachian Mountain range in the west. Köppen climate types of North Carolina, using 1991-2020 climate normals.
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