LINVILLE, N.C. – July 2023 saw fairly average weather on Grandfather Mountain, according to data recorded at the park’s official weather reporting stations.
The average high temperature for July 2023 was 68.73 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average low of 58.90 degrees and a mean of 63.82 degrees.
The warmest temperature recorded last month was 76.8 degrees on July 29, over six degrees shy of the mountain’s record July high of 83.2 degrees, observed July 1, 2012 (which is also the highest temperature ever recorded at the park). Generally, July sees summertime weather conditions on Grandfather Mountain, with slightly warmer temperatures having arrived.
July 10 saw the coldest temperature recorded last month with 55 degrees. The lowest temperature ever observed on Grandfather Mountain in the month of July (not counting wind chill) was 41 degrees on July 27, 1962.
The weather station on the Mile High Swinging Bridge noted three days in July with a wind gust higher than 60 mph. On July 29, the weather station at the top recorded a wind gust of 74.2 mph, while the month’s highest recorded sustained wind speed clocked in at 44.3 mph on that same day. The highest gust ever recorded on Grandfather Mountain was 124 mph, observed Feb. 25, 2019.
The weather station near the Swinging Bridge reported 4.61 inches of precipitation in July 2023. Precipitation at the top of the mountain includes rain and the liquid equivalent of any frozen precipitation (when applicable).
Observations recorded near the park’s Wilson Center for Nature Discovery saw 4.43 inches of precipitation. 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 July was recorded in 2013, when 23.91 inches were observed near the bridge. The driest July on record was observed in 1977, when 1.74 inches were recorded.
There were 22 days of recorded liquid precipitation (rain and the liquid equivalent of frozen precipitation, when applicable) for July 2023, four days short of the record 26 days in 1982. The day last month with the highest amount of this precipitation observed was July 14, when 1.50 inches were recorded at the top. The day with the highest amount of precipitation observed on record for July was July 4, 1989, when the weather station observed 6.25 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.
