Source:  Corey Davis, NC CLIMATE OFFICE, 11/2/20


The past month included wet, windy weather along with warm temperatures and higher dew points that helped fog bedevil our October dawns.

Dark and Stormy Nights (and Days)
Multiple rainfall events including the remnants of two hurricanes drenched western North Carolina as part of an overall wet month. The National Centers for Environmental Information reports a preliminary statewide average precipitation of 4.24 inches and our 34th-wettest October out of the past 126 years.

In mid-October, Hurricane Delta hit the Louisiana coast and its remnants reached North Carolina, bringing at least 4 inches of rain in parts of the Mountains and more than 2 inches across the northern Piedmont.

Two weeks later on October 28, the remnants of Hurricane Zeta raced inland and remained at tropical storm strength even over the Mountains. Even with a fast forward speed, Zeta still dropped up to 5 inches of rain across western North Carolina in a 24-hour span.

Zeta also whipped up winds statewide, with gusts of more than 50 mph in the Triad and Charlotte areas. Duke Energy reported more than 500,000 power outages across the Carolinas during the storm.

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