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I'm not very heat-tolerant, but even I find our summer to be tolerable for all but about 6-8 weeks from mid-late July through early-mid September. Sure, we have nasty hot days which can occur April through October, but I find that 6-8 week period to be the most oppressive, with morning "lows" in the 70s with stifling humidity. That's the sort of weather I can't tolerate being outside in. At least in June and even early July it still cools off at night and the mornings are somewhat refreshing.
Mid-September through late November is really the sweet spot, climate wise, in the Piedmont of NC. Absent a hurricane, the days are generally sunny and pleasantly warm which give way to cool evenings with just a slight breeze. Add to that the dramatic color displays of the changing leaves and it's darn near perfect! Better yet, the beach that time of year is awesome!!! The water is still plenty warm (at least through late October) and the temps are perfect for hanging out on the sand all day.
I feel that way about the heat here, only it's humid.
I thought it was so strange that I had to say to the kids, "Close the door! You're letting the heat in!" It comes at you like it's an invisible monster.
If you like sitting in a sauna, original post-er, you'll love NC summers.
I didn't have a clue about the summers until I was already here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by claud605
NOT! The dry heat...sounds comfortable, but try to imagine when you open the oven door and get your face too close to check cookies baking or something...that's what it's like going outside in AZ in the summer. And I had a constant headache.
My favorite thing about North Carolina weather is that there are four very distinct and evenly divided seasons. Having grown up in Florida, I found summers too long and no real seasons otherwise. Having lived in New England for the past several years, I found winters to be too long and summer never really came some years. Here in NC, there is most definitely a very hot summer and the winters do get pretty cold and occasionally snowy. Fall and spring are a mixed bag of temperatures that can run the whole spectrum, but they generally stay in the very comfortable 60's/70's. I was sure I had turned into a fall snob after living in New England, but I was surprised by how beautiful the leaves were here, and spring is very obvious too with the trees and bushes in bloom, though maybe not quite as dramatic as up North. Still, the advantage is that it comes much earlier. I spotted buds on the trees in late February! Really, each season seems to be an even three months. Spring is March-May, summer is June-August, fall is September-November, winter is December-February. Yes, it can still be hot in May or September or cold in March or November, but it's usually mixed up. This week alone we have days where we don't quite reach 70 and days we're approaching 100!
I don't agree about evenly divided seasons. Summer starts in May and ends at the end of October so I find that summer is 1/2 of the year. I am however from the California coast so I find the intense heat w/ humidity unbearable for a good chunk of summer.
I agree with the posters who say that seasons and weather are really dependent on where you are coming from.
Yeah, I'm a lifetime NC'ian and I cry foul that the seasons are "evenly divided"! My birthday is in mid-September and it is always still very much summer then (you can enjoy the beach into October easily), and "summer" typically starts around the second week of May. And while our spring and fall are ideal, the days of solid, reliable "spring/fall" weather don't last long at all--there is a good period where it's a mix of hot/cold/hot/cold/NICE/hot/cold etc. It's very frustrating to dress for work in early May or November, because you'll be freezing in the morning and burning up by afternoon. In fact, one thing they say about NC is that there are frequent periods where you run the heat and the A/C on the same day
This does mean that our winter is not only mild, but *usually* short, generally January and part of Feb. Snow in December is VERY rare.
I don't agree about evenly divided seasons. Summer starts in May and ends at the end of October so I find that summer is 1/2 of the year. I am however from the California coast so I find the intense heat w/ humidity unbearable for a good chunk of summer.
I agree with the posters who say that seasons and weather are really dependent on where you are coming from.
Our average temperatures show distinct seasons, but I didn't consider humidity. Interesting point.
Yeah, I'm a lifetime NC'ian and I cry foul that the seasons are "evenly divided"! My birthday is in mid-September and it is always still very much summer then (you can enjoy the beach into October easily), and "summer" typically starts around the second week of May. And while our spring and fall are ideal, the days of solid, reliable "spring/fall" weather don't last long at all--there is a good period where it's a mix of hot/cold/hot/cold/NICE/hot/cold etc. It's very frustrating to dress for work in early May or November, because you'll be freezing in the morning and burning up by afternoon. In fact, one thing they say about NC is that there are frequent periods where you run the heat and the A/C on the same day
This does mean that our winter is not only mild, but *usually* short, generally January and part of Feb. Snow in December is VERY rare.
Francois, this is why averages exist. NC's weather is freaky, but on average we have four seasons.
Heat and cold are subjective. I tend to be hot natured. Walked into my lender's office the other day and almost passed out from the heat. She had a heater under her desk, claiming it was cold in the office!
I'm not sure what the average temp. is for May. However, one day it was in the 90s and today it is in the 70s. Welcome to NC! If you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes and it is sure to change! That is the best part. When you feel like you can't take another day of cold, it turns hot. When you feel you can't take another day of rain, it gets sunny.
I would love to see a chart of Raleigh weather, day by day, for last year instead of the "averages" which do not tell the real story. Does such a chart exsist?
I would love to see a chart of Raleigh weather, day by day, for last year instead of the "averages" which do not tell the real story. Does such a chart exsist?
Vicki
The last chart in this link shows daily highs and lows relative to the averages for the past year. You can see more detail in the other charts which show a shorter period of time. It pretty clearly shows that from late-January through mid-March we were consistently colder than normal and since the end of March we've been mostly above average. Historical Weather Charts :: WRAL.com
Francois, this is why averages exist. NC's weather is freaky, but on average we have four seasons.
I didn't deny that we have four seasons, just that they are "equal in length".
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