Raleigh Weather

Typical Raleigh weather is very nice as we do experience all four seasons and have plenty of great weather to enjoy all the amazing outdoors around us.  It’s one reason that many people actually do relocate here.

Summers are the worst time of year as it can get hot, with average highs in the upper 80s and very high humidity most days.  But the spring and fall months are absolutely beautiful and winters are very mild, with average highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s.

Raleigh averages 46” of rain per year vs the US average of 38”, but we have 213 sunny days a year vs the US average of 205.  We also average around 4” of snow per year, but as of late, we haven’t seen really any accumulation in several years.

But, locals know to be very cautious of believing any of the weather forecasts, as thunderstorms can pop up quickly or forecasted rainy day all the sudden turns into a beautiful sunny day.   You also can’t depend on seasons following typical norms.  

This summer, for example, like much of the country saw record heat levels with no rain for about 3 weeks.  Our temperatures averaged in the mid to upper 90s, but with the humidity, heat indexes were around 115, even setting a record this summer for the hottest day ever recorded at 106F and a heat index just shy of 118.  

But, this record heat wave has been followed by rain in the forecast for what seems like another 3 weeks straight, which is on the cusp of impacts from the upcoming Hurricane Debby.

Other oddities are sometimes we have those beautiful fall and spring temperatures, while other times it gets blazing hot in April and May, and even through September, and other times we have mild spring weather well into June.  In the winter, we have seen 70 degree days as well as 20 degree days, all in the same winter.  

So Raleigh’s weather overall is really great, but can be VERY unpredictable.  

Now, let’s get into Raleigh’s severe weather history, and we’ll start with the least impactful and common events, and work our way to the most.

Tornadoes

Tornadoes, Raleigh doesn’t get many at all.  The worst tornado in recent memory was in November of 1988, where an F4 Tornado went right through North Raleigh.  It got up to a half mile wide and was on the ground for over 80 miles.  It crushed many buildings and homes in its’ path, such as the K-Mart off Glenwood Ave that’s now a Wal-Mart, and sadly 4 were killed and another 157 were injured.  Speaking of Raleigh’s odd weather, no one suspected a tornado in November of all months.

Luckily that was years ago, and the last tornado since then to do any measurable damage was back in April of 2011, where over 30 tornadoes broke out across the state, one of which was an F3 that went right through downtown Raleigh.  It was not nearly as devastating as the tornado back in 1988, but there were still quite a few homes and buildings damaged in the region.

Beyond those two events, tornadoes are incredibly rare in the greater Raleigh area.  We may have one or two storms each year where we have a tornado warning issued, but that is typically due to just rotation seen in the clouds as they rarely actually touch down.

For that reason, no one here has storm shelters, and with very few basements, the main advice for those moving here is to designate a room, bathroom, or closet in the middle of your house with no windows to hide in if a tornado does touch down.

Before moving into the next category, if you have any real estate needs in the greater Raleigh area, please reach out as our team would love to help you!

Ice Storms

The next hazard to be cautious of are ice storms.  Raleigh doesn’t get much snow, and when we do have winter storm events, many times we are right on the line of rain and snow.  This leads to us many times getting freezing rain and ice instead of your typical snow, which is much more destructive.

Raleigh has been the butt of many jokes regarding our inability to handle winter weather, as just inches of wintry mix has shut down the city.  Not saying that we don’t know how to drive in the snow and for many years, NCDOT was not equipped to handle some of the storms we experienced, but the ice that develops on the roads is definitely a challenge to drive on even for the most experienced snow drivers.

In January of 2005 we famously let just one inch of snow cripple the city.  The forecast was just calling for light flurries to hit around mid-day, so schools were in session and people at work like a normal day, and the NCDOT did NOT treat the roadways.

But the storm rapidly intensified, and while it only dumped an inch of snow, it came down very quickly once it started.  This caused everyone to leave work and school at once.  Temperatures had been unseasonably cold for days, with the temperatures that day in the 20s.  So the snow immediately stuck to the untreated roads, and since everyone left at the same time, traffic jams began.  

With cars sitting on the roadways, the heat from the vehicles melted the snow, and then immediately refroze with the cold temperatures, turning the roads essentially into an ice rink.

Many accidents occurred, 20 minute commutes turned into 8 hours, and some kids were even stranded at school as buses and parents couldn’t get there.  It was an absolute mess, and Raleigh made the national news.

In February of 2014, a very similar event occurred but this time with a few more inches of snow and a topping of freezing rain, leading to the famous Snowpocalypse event where cars again were strained, and somehow, one even caught on fire, leading to a variety of memes across the country.

And another major winter storm occurred in December 2002, where we received up to an inch of ice that cut power for nearly 2 million people, many for up to a week.  The ice weighed heavily on the many pine trees in the area, causing them to damage a significant number of power lines in the area.  The city was shut down for basically an entire week.

Fast forwarding to today, we are much more cautious, as it seems like schools are cancelled whenever there are even flurries in the forecast.  And now, the NCDOT is much better equipped with a larger fleet of snow plows and salt trucks, and roads are also salted anytime there’s a chance of any wintry mix.  The power company has also upgraded many of its’ critical facilities to weather both ice and hurricanes much better.

But, regardless of the increased preparation, there’s not much you can do when you get a major ice storm, so its’ important to be prepared for an extended power outage with plenty of warm blankets for the winter, and definitely stay off the roadways here during winter weather.

Hurricanes

Lastly, the most common and impactful events for Raleigh are hurricanes.  Now, it is rare that Raleigh experiences actual hurricane force winds as the last hurricane to really impact the area was Hurricane Fran back in September of 1996.  It hit Wilmington as a category 3 with 115 mph winds, and went right over the Raleigh-Durham International airport with peak gusts at 79 mph.  

Severe flooding occurred in Raleigh with a significant number of trees and power lines down around the area.  Kids were out of school for over a week and it took weeks for the area to return to a semblance of normalcy.  

Prior to Fran, you would have to go back to Hurricane Hazel in 1954, which is one of the state’s worst storms in history, which also went right through Raleigh with hurricane force winds.

Since then, there have been multiple hurricanes that have impacted Raleigh, but none to the extent of either of these storms.  On average, Raleigh is impacted about once every year or two by a hurricane, but the typical impacts come as heavy rain and closer to 30-40 mph winds.  This does cause trees to fall and power to be lost at times, but the impacts are more localized and for most, just feels like a long thunderstorm.

The major impacts occur at the North Carolina coast, typically east of I-95, which are certainly impacted by the heaviest winds of a hurricane, but are mostly impacted by the flooding.  Hurricane Florence in 2018 was one of the state’s worst storms ever as it dumped a record 30 inches of rain in some areas of eastern North Carolina as it stalled out.  

North Carolina’s coastline is unique and sticks out in comparison to Georgia and South Carolina, which makes it more susceptible to being in the path of a hurricane.  So, while Raleigh residents need to be prepared and are definitely watching the hurricane tracks closely, Raleigh residents are not typically worried on an annual basis unless they also own a beach house.

Now, when these heavy rain events do occur, you’ll definitely want to stay away from roadways near Crabtree Creek, which cuts through the heart of Raleigh.  The worst area has historically been the Crabtree Valley Mall, which as it’s name, sits in a valley and is notorious for heavy flooding.  So, even though a hurricane or tropical storm is staying by the coast, you’ll want to avoid driving during the heavy rain events, especially in those areas. 

So that’s Raleigh’s severe weather history.  If I didn’t scare you away, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re interested in moving to the area via our contact information below.

And, check out our other blogs if you’re interested in learning more about Raleigh, NC!

Please reach out via our contact information below:

Phone:  919-504-5265

Email:  alison@thewgroupraleigh.com

Website:  www.thewgroupraleigh.com