The Climate of North Carolina

The state of North Carolina (NC) is located on the east coast of the United States. North Carolina has always been home to Native Americans, including the Cherokee. A large part of these original inhabitants were forced to move to Oklahoma around the year 1830, some managed to return to their homeland later. North Carolina has a warm maritime climate (type Cfa according to the climate classification), with warm summers, mild winters and a precipitation pattern that has no rainy season or dry period.

The climate is excellent for growing agricultural products such as tobacco, soybeans, cotton and melons. This mainly occurs in the flat area in the east of the state. The central part of North Carolina, which is called the Piedmont, has a slightly more erratic character than the east, which is partly due to the less influence of the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, the summers are a bit hotter and the winters a bit cooler than in the coastal region. The Appalachians in western North Carolina are the coolest area in the state. This is due to the heights that can reach up to two kilometers. As a result, there is more snowfall in this area and blizzards can paralyze traffic and daily life.

North Carolina regularly experiences heat waves in the summer, during which the temperature can be well above thirty degrees for days. Locally temperatures of forty degrees are possible, especially in the hottest months (July and August). In winter, the supply of very cool polar air during a strong southward arctic current can cause significant temperature drops, reaching freezing temperatures, especially further inland. The central part of North Carolina is also regularly ravaged by sleet and icy rains during the winter months. Another problem one can face in North Carolina is hurricanes. On average, North Carolina is hit by a hurricane once every ten years. This opportunity is present during the hurricane season, which runs from June to December. Then tropical depressions can cause tornadoes. On average, the state experiences fewer than 20 tornadoes in an entire year, but sometimes there are circumstances that cause an extreme number of tornadoes. For example, in April 2011, North Carolina was hit by at least 25 tornadoes, which caused at least 24 fatalities.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

The climate of Charlotte

Charlotte is located in western North Carolina at the base of Mount Holly and near several large lakes such as Mountain Island Lake and Lake Wylie. It is the largest city in the state of North Carolina and one of the largest cities in the US. It is an important financial center for the US on the East Coast. The city was founded in the 17th century by settlers and named after the then betrothed of the English king. After the American Revolution, the city grew strongly due to the discovery of gold in the area. There was a real gold rush to the city. Although gold is no longer found, most people in Charlotte today still make their money in the financial sector.

Charlotte has a warm maritime climate. This climate has a small temperature difference between summer and winter. Summers are hot and humid. The winter months are cool, but rarely very cold. The temperature only drops a few degrees below freezing once a year. There may be some snow. Due to Charlotte’s light frost and high precipitation, snow is a more common occurrence. Precipitation in Charlotte is fairly constant throughout the year, including in summer.

The climate of Durham

Durham is the capital of Durham County and one of the largest cities in the United States. About 250,000 people live in the city. Durham was founded by the early settlers in America and grew into an important city after the railroad was built. After the Civil War, the tobacco industry boomed and was largely responsible for the city’s economic growth. Durham is an important center of knowledge of North Carolina. The city has two universities, Duke University and North Carolina Central University. In addition, along with Raleigh and Chapel Hill, it forms the North Carolina Research Triangle. This is a very high-tech research and development center.

Durham has a warm maritime climate. The city sees a fair amount of precipitation every year. This precipitation falls throughout the year and is almost evenly distributed over the months. The maritime climate is also characterized by a small difference in temperature between summer and winter. The winter months in Durham are cool, but the temperature rarely dips below zero. The months of June, July and August are pleasantly warm. But here, too, extremely high temperatures are rare.

The climate of Fayetteville

Fayetteville is located in southern North Carolina. The city is located on the Cape Fear River and on the beautiful Sand Hills, an ancient sand dune ridge that runs through this state. Before the arrival of the settlers, several Indian tribes lived in this area. In the end there is only one left. The Lumbee Tribe still lives in the area surrounding the city. Because the Cape Fear was one of the few navigable rivers in North Carolina, Fayetteville occupied an important strategic and economic position. Fayetteville is very military-oriented. There are two main military bases, Fort Brag and Pope Army Airfield and several army units are located here. The city is also officially a refuge for families of soldiers.

Fayetteville has a warm ocean climate, with pleasantly warm summers and cool winters. The temperature difference between the seasons is small, compared to a continental climate. Extremes in temperature are rare. Due to the influence of the sea, Fayetteville has a considerable amount of precipitation throughout the year. In the months of December and January it can fall in the form of snow.

The climate of Greensboro

Greensboro is Guilford County’s largest city and the county’s administrative center. The city was also founded as such. The whole city is planned and built around the old courthouse. Greensboro played an important role in the civil rights movement. The first sit-in actions, in which black people sat in so-called ‘white’ places and didn’t leave, were held here.

Greensboro has a warm sea climate. The temperature differences between summer and winter are small. Winters in Greensboro are cool. The temperature only drops a few degrees below zero in December, January and February. The summer months are warm, but extreme temperatures well above 30°C are rare. Precipitation in Greensboro is almost constant throughout the year. There is a considerable amount of rain throughout the year. Tornadoes can form in this region during the spring and summer months. These severe storms regularly leave their destructive marks in the Greensboro area.

The climate of Raleigh

The centrally located city of Raleigh is the capital of the American state of North Carolina and is the second largest city in the state in population. In the city with more than four hundred thousand inhabitants, money is mainly made from industry, financial services and technical and biotechnological research.

Raleigh has a warm maritime climate, with warm to hot summer months, mild to warm spring and autumn, and relatively mild winters, in which the number of days with frost during the day is kept to a minimum. Raleigh has an average of 2609 hours of sunshine per year, 3 to 4 days of snowfall and 1093 millimeters of precipitation. The wettest and also the warmest month is July, with an average maximum temperature of 32 degrees Celsius and 109 millimeters of rain.

The climate of Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem is near Greensboro. Winston and Salem both have separate origins. Salem was founded by a bishop and Winston by an adventurer. The two cities were linked when the government decided to merge the two post offices. Winston-Salem has grown, among other things, through the tobacco industry. The cultivation and production of several famous brands took place here. In the city you will still find a number of museums that pay attention to the rich history of the city. Winston-Salem is also known as the City of Arts. It was one of the first cities in the US to have a special governing committee to promote the arts. The city has its own opera, symphony orchestra and various art schools that focus on many facets of art.

Winston-Salem has a warm maritime climate. It can rain quite a lot in this climate. It does that all year round. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed and can even turn into severe storms and tornadoes in the summer months. The temperature is pleasantly warm in the summer months. It is cool in the winter months. However, the temperature does not drop far below zero.