Last Updated on November 28, 2022 1:05 pm
LINVILLE, N.C. – October 2022 saw average weather on Grandfather Mountain, and fairly cool temperatures, according to data recorded at the park’s official weather reporting stations.
The average high temperature for October 2022 was 51.1 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average low of 38.1 degrees and a mean of 44 degrees.
The warmest temperature recorded last month was 62.4 degrees on Oct. 15, more than 12 degrees shy of the mountain’s record October high of 75 degrees, observed Oct. 3, 1986. Generally, October sees fall weather conditions continue on Grandfather Mountain, with cooler temperatures starting to take hold.
Oct. 18 saw the coldest temperature recorded last month with 16.5 degrees. The lowest temperature ever observed on Grandfather Mountain in the month of October (not counting wind chill) was 12 degrees on Oct. 26, 1962.
The weather station on the Mile High Swinging Bridge did not note any days in October with a wind gust higher than 60 mph. The highest gust ever recorded on Grandfather Mountain was 124 mph, observed Feb. 25, 2019.
The weather station near the Swinging Bridge reported 3.41 inches of precipitation in October 2022. Observations recorded near the park’s Wilson Center for Nature Discovery saw 3.32 inches. 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 October was recorded in 1970, when 15.86 inches were observed near the bridge. The driest October on record was observed in 1963, when 0.31 inches were recorded.
The park counted 14 total days of precipitation for October 2022. The rainiest day last month was Oct. 1, when 2.32 inches were recorded at the top. The rainiest day on record for October was Oct. 5, 1995, when the weather station observed 5.12 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.
