Wednesday, December 29, 2010

2010: Year of Weather Extremes in NC

2010 has been quite the year for weather in North Carolina. The year started with a cold and snowy winter transitioned to one of the hottest summers on record in the state and then ended with a Christmas weekend snow storm and one of the coldest Decembers on record.

A winter storm at the end of January produced snow across almost the entire state except near the southeast coast. That storm produced 6-8" of snow and sleet across the Triangle.


The late January snow was not the only winter storm to impact North Carolina in early 2010. A second winter storm produced heavier snowfall near the coast in February. As much as 8" of snow fell across Onslow and Carteret Counties from February 12 through 13. That storm produced 2-4" of snow across the Triangle and Sandhills.
The winter ended with a third snowstorm in early March that produced a band of 4-8" of snow just southwest and south of Raleigh.
After the cold winter, temperatures quickly warmed up and the summer featured the most number of 90 degree days ever recorded in Raleigh-Durham. Some of the hottest temperatures of the summer came during July when temperatures topped out at over 100 in much of the Triangle and Sandhills and over 95 in much of coastal North Carolina.
The hot summer led into an active hurricane season in the Atlantic basin. While an above average number of storms developed in the Atlantic, North Carolina was spared a direct hit. Hurricane Earl just brushed past the Outer Banks in early September.

Later in September a disorganized system produced record rainfall along the southeast coast. Over 22" of rain was recorded in Wilmington between September 26 and October 1. That was more rain that Wilmington had recorded in a one week period even topping Hurricane Floyd from 1999. The heavy rain of late September led to flooding reports in much of eastern North Carolina.
Now the year is ending with one of the coldest Decembers on record in much of the state. A winter storm from Christmas Day through December 26 produced snow across the entire state. The heaviest snow fell east of Raleigh near I-95 where locations near Wilson reported just over one foot of snow.



After a very active 2010 in weather, what will 2011 bring? It looks to at least start with above normal temperatures for New Years Day. Stay tuned to News 14 Carolina and Weather on the Ones through 2011 to find out what else the year may bring.

Lee Ringer
News 14 Carolina Meteorologist
www.twitter.com/LeeRingerNews14
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All images courtesy of the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Raleigh.

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