Source: Corey Davis, NC CLIMATE OFFICE, 10/4/21


A warm start to last month gave way to a more seasonable finish, while a mostly dry month saw needed rain across parts of the Piedmont. That pattern change has also spurred on changing leaves, beginning in the west.

Summery to Start, Fall-Like to Finish
Three weeks of warm weather followed by a sudden late-month cooldown averaged out to make it a slightly warmer-than-normal September. Data from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) shows a preliminary statewide average temperature of 71.0°F, or our 50th-warmest September out of the past 127 years.

The start of September represented a continuation of our August weather. High pressure parked off our coast elevated high temperatures into the low 90s, or about 5 degrees above normal for this time of the year.

Barring an unusual October heat wave, most sites across eastern North Carolina will finish this year with 50 to 60 days reaching 90°F or greater. The 56 days that warm in Wilmington ranks as tied for the 14th-most out of the past 147 years.

For more of this story, click here.