LINVILLE, N.C. – February 2024 saw fairly standard conditions for the month on Grandfather Mountain, according to data recorded at the park’s official weather reporting stations.
The average high temperature for February 2024 was 43.63 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average low of 27.46 degrees and a mean of 35.55 degrees.
The warmest temperature recorded last month was 51.8 degrees on Feb. 26, just over 12 degrees shy of the mountain’s record February high of 64 degrees, observed Feb. 22, 1977, and Feb. 15 and 16, 1989.
Feb. 18 saw the coldest temperature recorded last month with 9.9 degrees. A wind chill of minus 12.47 was noted that same day. There were five other days in February that also recorded negative wind chills. The lowest temperature ever observed on Grandfather Mountain in the month of February (not counting wind chill) was minus 19 degrees on Feb. 25, 1967.
The weather station on the Mile High Swinging Bridge noted five days in February with a wind gust higher than 60 mph. On Feb. 28, the weather station at the top recorded a wind gust of 88.7 mph, while the month’s highest recorded sustained wind speed clocked in at 49.3 mph that same day. A 49.3 mph sustained wind speed was also noted on Feb. 17. The highest gust ever recorded on Grandfather Mountain was 124 mph, observed Feb. 25, 2019.
The weather station near the Swinging Bridge reported 3.06 inches of precipitation in February 2024. Precipitation at the top of the mountain includes rain and the liquid equivalent of any frozen precipitation (when applicable). Due to wind, snow depth is not recorded at the top.
Observations recorded near the park’s Wilson Center for Nature Discovery totaled 2.92 inches of precipitation and also noted 0.7 inches of snowfall for the month. Precipitation is also measured at the latter location, as high winds can make it difficult to record accurate observations at the top.
The mountain’s rainiest February was recorded in 1998, when 13.20 inches were observed near the bridge. The driest February on record was observed in 1968, when 0.81 inches were measured at the top.
There were 11 days of at least trace amounts of recorded liquid precipitation (rain and the liquid equivalent of frozen precipitation, when applicable) for February 2024. The day last month with the highest amount of this precipitation observed was Feb. 11, when 0.87 inches were recorded at the top. The day with the highest amount of precipitation observed on record for February was Feb. 2, 1965 when the weather station noted 4.70 inches.
Weather Reporting
The Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation records and reports data in two different ways:
- The park maintains an automated weather station at the top of the Mile High Swinging Bridge. The N.C. State Climate Office assists the foundation in calibrating the machines and ensuring overall accuracy of data.
- Grandfather Mountain has been an active member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Cooperative Observer Program since 1955 by reporting weather data from locations near the Mile High Swinging Bridge and the Nature Museum (now the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery).
For more information on weather at Grandfather Mountain, visit www.grandfather.com/weather.
The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. For more information, visit www.grandfather.com.
February 2024 at Grandfather Mountain_Photo by Monty Combs_Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation: February 2024 saw fairly standard conditions for the month on Grandfather Mountain, according to data recorded at the park’s official weather reporting stations. The average high temperature for February 2024 was 43.63 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average low of 27.46 degrees and a mean of 35.55 degrees. The weather station on the Mile High Swinging Bridge noted five days in February with a wind gust higher than 60 mph. There were 3.06 inches of precipitation observed at the top in February. (Photo Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation / Monty Combs)
