The Average Temperature In North Carolina Is The 14th Hottest In The US

This winter has been extremely mild, and I do think we are past the worst of it. I'd be shocked if we see below-freezing temperatures or a frost another time this year. Though we have seen snow in March a few times. And I wouldn't be mad if it happened. But only with snow, the cold can stay away if there aren't flakes falling. I'm ready to fully embrace spring especially when it comes to fashion. So with such a mild winter and 70-degree temperatures, you have to wonder just how warm North Carolina's climate has become. According to new research, the average temperature year-round in North Carolina is the 14th hottest in the US.

Which makes sense considering we are in the south. Of course, our climate is warmer than states farther north or with a higher elevation. This data comes from the research team at Payless Power. They used the World Weather Online API to look at daily weather patterns from January 2009 to October 2023 across the major cities in each state. According to their data, North Carolina ranks as the 14th hottest state in the United States. They determined that North Carolina has an average daily temperature of 60.6°F.

The data held pretty steady with North Carolina also ranking as the 15th sunniest state. This is more daylight-related than weather though. The data determined that North Carolina has an average of 9.8 hours of sunlight daily. Though while that may sound good, if you're like most Americans you spend 8 hours a day at work so you don't get to enjoy most of that sunlight. That's actually extremely depressing and representative of a much larger issue in our society (but I digress). The hottest state turns out it is Florida. Though why was it cold when I was there last month?

Thanks to our friends at Payless Power for sharing their research with us. You can read the full study here.

As powerful as mankind is, there will always be one thing more powerful and outside of our control- the weather and mother nature. Heck, we can't even accurately predict it. The sheer power of what mother nature is capable of is mindblowing from tsunamis to tornados to hurricanes. You've probably watched videos on the Weather Channel youtube or another platform showing these types of storms. And it can be fascinating. But one thing is for sure I don't want to be in the path of mother nature when she's at her peak. And I'm thankful to live in North Carolina where the threat of these types of weather-related events is smaller than many other areas of the country. But that doesn't mean we don't face natural disasters in North Carolina.

At least we don't live in tornado alley. Natural disasters though can and will happen everywhere including North Carolina. Below you'll find information about 5 of the most common natural disasters in our state. And the most common one, well it may not be exactly what you think. It's more of a subset of the type of storm most commonly associated with North Carolina. Keep reading to see what they are. Want information on keeping yourself safe during weather-related storms? Get info at ReadyNC.gov.

Would you have guessed the most common natural disaster in North Carolina is flooding? Coastal areas as well as other low-lying levels are at the highest risk of flooding. And NC has well over 3,000 miles of coastline. This along with the frequency of another type of natural disaster on this list, hurricanes and tropical storms, means the state is at a high risk for flooding. But it's not limited to just coastal areas, with the amount of rivers and streams in the state rainfall and storm surge can cause flooding around any body of water.

While not the most common, and certainly not as common as in the midwest, tornados are possible in North Carolina. When I lived in Raleigh a few years ago, a tornado touched down about a mile from where I was living at the time. Sitting in the basement listening to the live stream of the news named roads right by us was one of the most terrifying things I have ever experienced. And I sincerely hope that is the closest I ever have to come to living through a tornado. These violent, deadly storms can pop up almost out of nowhere typically during thunderstorms. The Asheville Citizen-Times has a list of tornados by year in NC, and we have seen as many as 50 in one year (2020). So far in 2023, we have seen 2 tornados.

Hurricanes are the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of natural disasters in North Carolina, even living 3-4 hours from the coast. If you've resided in the area for any time, you can probably name multiple storms that have hit the coast and even Charlotte throughout the years. While I was not alive at the time of Hurricane Hugo my parents told me about not having power for 2 weeks after the storm, in fact, my aunt and uncle's wedding had to be rescheduled because of the hurricane. Hurricanes bring with them an array of dangers including flooding and storm surges as previously mentioned, dangerous winds, capable of destroying buildings, and the threat of tornados. And with 3,330+ miles of shoreline, there is always a chance a storm makes landfall in North Carolina, or slightly south in South Carolina still causing damage in our state.

While I'm certainly no stranger to record heat waves I don't often think of them as natural disasters. Though these events can be dangerous and even life-threatening. They also can pose issues with the food supply.

Droughts and heat waves can also make the risks of wildfires more significant.  The drier brush and greenery the higher likelihood that it can catch fire and spread quickly. Luckily NOrth Carolina is not at as high of a risk of wildfires as states like California, which continuously deal with massive fires. But they do happen from time to time as we have seen in recent months.