Global vital signs show a strengthening El Niño, and the prognosis for North Carolina looks wet in the months ahead. Our latest blog post checks up on El Niño and previews its potential local impacts, which may begin this fall. #ncwx

El Niño Check-Up: Waiting for Local Symptoms to Start - North Carolina State Climate Office

The hype around a “Super El Niño” became contagious this summer, and for good reason: the Pacific Ocean has been warming at a near-record rate, putting this on track to be perhaps the strongest El Niñ...

climate.ncsu.edu

As summer weather stretches into September, we've seen more drought degradations this week, including the return of Severe Drought (D2) in Wake County. #ncwx

After a hot week with spotty rainfall, we've seen minor drought improvements in some eastern areas, but a few degradations farther west. #ncwx

Another dry week for our northern-tier counties has led to more drought degradation, including the expansion of Severe (D2) and Extreme Drought (D3) in the northern Coastal Plain, and the return of Exceptional Drought (D4) in northern Guilford County. #ncwx

Summer stayed strong in August, with ongoing heat and hit-or-miss showers and storms. Our latest climate summary has more on last month, plus this summer's stats across the state. #ncwx

Heat Holds Strong and Drought Hangs On in August - North Carolina State Climate Office

This August featured several weeks of heat, plus a mix of heavy rain and dryness. That capped off a hot summer that saw the first signs of drought recovery. More Sizzling Summer Days Fueled by a long ...

climate.ncsu.edu

On this day 15 years ago, Hurricane Irene hit eastern North Carolina and reshaped part of the coastline. Our latest blog post looks at Irene's impacts, how it still affects travel on the Outer Banks, and how @ncdot.bsky.social is planning for the future. #ncwx 📰: climate.ncsu.edu/blog/2026/08...

Drought improvements continued this week in the southern Coastal Plain, while areas along the Virginia border remain dry with Extreme Drought (D3) expanding. #ncwx

A wet week in western NC has brought more drought improvements, while it was hot and dry in the east, leading to a few drought degradations. #ncwx

Five years ago today, heavy rain from Tropical Storm Fred led to historic flooding in Haywood County, NC. With perspectives from NWS GSP, Haywood County Emergency Management, and the Southwestern Commission, we’re remembering Fred's impacts and the county's rocky road to recovery. #FredAfterFive

For Haywood County, Five Years of Heartache Started With Fred - North Carolina State Climate Office

Folks in western North Carolina could be forgiven if time has become a blur. After all, they’ve endured a lifetime of pain and problems in the past five years. Perhaps nowhere has endured more devasta...

climate.ncsu.edu

After another week of locally heavy rains, areas including Charlotte, Hickory, and Morganton are officially out of drought and back to the Abnormally Dry (D0) level as impacts continue to ease in parts of the state. #ncwx

The past week brought more showers and more improvements on the drought map, with areas of Severe (D2) and Extreme Drought (D3) continuing to shrink, and water supplies showing signs of recovery. #ncwx

July started with a heat dome and ended with a deluge and drought improvements across North Carolina. Read more about the past month in our July climate summary. #ncwx

Holiday Heat Gave Way to Wet Weather in July - North Carolina State Climate Office

After hundred-degree temperatures early on, July ended with soaking rainfall that has improved, but not eliminated, drought conditions across the state. A Warm Month With a Sizzling Start Despite a la...

climate.ncsu.edu

It's the Extreme (Drought) Makeover we've been waiting for, with big reductions in D2 and D3 after last week's rain, especially in the central Piedmont. This map reflects long-term rainfall deficits and ongoing dryness in deeper soil moisture, groundwater, and lake levels. #ncwx

The rain has wrapped up, the totals have been tallied, and it's sinking in that this event is just what we needed to make a dent in the drought. #ncwx Check out the storm summary in our latest blog post: ➡️ climate.ncsu.edu/blog/2026/07...

Recent showers have finally lifted parts of the Piedmont out of Extreme (D3) and Exceptional (D4) Drought. Note that additional rain falling since yesterday will be considered in next week's assessment. #ncwx

Since the rain began yesterday afternoon, our #ECONet stations along the I-40 corridor in the Piedmont have recorded more than two inches, including a 4.7-inch total at the @ncatsuaggies.bsky.social University Farm in Greensboro. #ncwx

Last week's showers and storms made a dent in drought conditions in parts of the state. Many entrenched impacts remain, including low lake levels and ongoing wildfires, and those will take more rain to recover from. #ncwx

Welcome to our newest #ECONet station at Green River Game Land near the Henderson/Polk Co. line! Installed yesterday with help from NWS GSP and NC Wildlife, this station fills a key gap, especially for post-Helene wildfire monitoring. View its data here: products.climate.ncsu.edu/cardinal/sco...

After last week's heat, parts of the state have experienced drought degradation, while the Triangle area has seen some improvements from the more recent heavy rainfall. #ncwx

Last week, half of our office's 48 ECONet stations hit 100°F or greater. That included the first 100-degree days at our Morganton station since it was installed two years ago, and a sizzling holiday peak of 103°F in Durham on July 4. #ncwx

Heat and drought were near-constants this June across North Carolina. Our latest climate summary has more on last month's weather, plus a check-in on El Niño and the tropical Atlantic. #ncwx

Heat Heightens and Drought Drags On in June - North Carolina State Climate Office

The start of summer brought several waves of hot weather, plus mostly dry weather with a few late-month rain showers. For more potential rain chances, we check in on the tropics and the emerging El Ni...

climate.ncsu.edu

After a wet end to June, coastal areas have improved to Moderate Drought (D1) this week. Elsewhere, most of the state broke even, as recent showers were offset by evaporative losses amid the building heat. #ncwx

This week saw enough rain to avoid further degradations, but improvements were also limited as widespread drought stress continues. #ncwx

With summer heat in full swing and scattered showers at best last week, we've seen an expansion of Extreme (D3) and Exceptional (D4) Drought as intense impacts continue to develop. #ncwx

Amid dry weather and warming temperatures this week, we've seen drought degradation in central and eastern North Carolina, including the emergence of Exceptional Drought (D4) in the northern Piedmont. #ncwx

It took all month, but May finally brought widespread rain that helped improve — but not remove — our ongoing drought. Our climate summary has more on a seasonable May, plus a check-in on the spring and year-to-date stats across North Carolina. #ncwx

Rain Returns in May As a Hot, Dry Spring Wraps Up - North Carolina State Climate Office

May brought widespread rainfall and some drought relief, along with typical temperatures for this time of year. However, spring was warm and dry overall, leaving us looking for better rain chances lat...

climate.ncsu.edu

As more moisture has soaked in and new showers popped up last week, we've seen additional improvements to Severe (D2) and Extreme Drought (D3) conditions across western NC. The northern tier remains extremely dry and in need of more rain. #ncwx

Last weekend's rainfall brought a round of widespread improvements on the latest drought map, including the removal of Exceptional Drought (D4) and a reduction in Extreme Drought (D3). #ncwx

With hurricane season on the horizon, we're taking a closer look at the current outlooks, including the tug of war between a warm Atlantic and an emerging El Niño, plus what's at stake for North Carolina. #ncwx

El Niño Looms Large Over This Hurricane Season - North Carolina State Climate Office

Big changes will be happening in the global atmosphere this summer, which could turn the tropical Atlantic from a hotbed into a ghost town, while also setting the stage for better rain chances locally...

climate.ncsu.edu

Heading outdoors for the holiday? 🏃‍♂️ Don't wait until you're thirsty to hydrate! Schedule workouts for cooler times of day and take frequent breaks in the shade. #HeatSafety