The climate of Charlotte, the most populous city in North Carolina, is
, with relatively cold winters and hot, muggy summers, during which there are quite frequent thunderstorms.
The city is located in the southeastern United States, near the border with South Carolina, at 220 meters (720 feet) above sea level. We are in the so-called "Piedmont", a low plateau east of the Appalachian mountains.
of the coldest month (January) is of 5.6 °C (42 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 26.7 °C (80 °F).
amounts to 1,105 millimeters (43.6 inches) per year.
, from December to February, is quite cold, however, different situations arise. There are mild periods, in which subtropical air masses prevail, and the temperature can even exceed 20 °C (68 °F).
occurs every year or so, even though you have to wait a few years to see a heavy snowfall. On average, 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) of snow fall per year. The most abundant snowfall in one day was 30 cm (12 in), in January 1988.
, from June to August, is hot and muggy, with an often unpleasant combination of temperature and humidity. The sun shines quite often, although cloud coverings can form, which can produce thunderstorms.
On the hottest days of the year, the temperature typically reaches 37/38 °C (99/100 °F). The record is 40 °C (104 °F), recorded in August 2007, at the end of June and at the beginning of July 2012.
Occasionally, between late summer and early autumn, Charlotte can be affected by
or their remnants. Hurricane season runs from June to November, although the period in which they are most likely is from August to October. The city is far enough away from the coast, so in general it is not hit by hurricanes at their maximum strength, even though, in September 1989, Hurricane Hugo was able to cause damage also in this area.
, from March to May and from September to November, the weather is variable. The rains are quite frequent, although there can be rainless periods of a week. In March and November, there can be cold air outbreaks, while in April and October they are rare. In May and September, there can be hot periods, with summer-like temperatures.
hours per year. Therefore, the sun often shines. Even in the least sunny months, December and January, the sun shines 55% of the time.
to visit Charlotte are spring and autumn, to avoid both the winter cold and the summer heat, and in particular, the months of April and October.
In autumn (usually, around late October), you can admire the beautiful colors of the trees losing their leaves (the phenomenon called
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
5.6 °C, with a minimum of
-0.1 °C and a maximum of
11.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-9.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-15 °C in January 2014.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
21.5 °C. However, it reached
26.1 °C in January 2002.
Precipitation amounts to
90 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 55% of the time.
The average humidity is 62%.
The average wind speed is of
10.4 kph.
February is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
7.6 °C, with a minimum of
1.6 °C and a maximum of
13.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-7.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-13.9 °C in February 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
23 °C. However, it reached
27.8 °C in February 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
80 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 59% of the time.
The average humidity is 59%.
The average wind speed is of
11.2 kph.
March is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
11.5 °C, with a minimum of
5.1 °C and a maximum of
17.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-4.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-10 °C in March 2002.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
27.5 °C. However, it reached
30.6 °C in March 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
100 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 7.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 63% of the time.
The average humidity is 56%.
The average wind speed is of
12.1 kph.
April is generally a very mild month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
16.2 °C, with a minimum of
9.5 °C and a maximum of
22.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
0.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-6.1 °C in April 2007.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
30 °C. However, it reached
32.2 °C in April 2001.
Precipitation amounts to
100 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 9 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 69% of the time.
The average humidity is 57%.
The average wind speed is of
12 kph.
May is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
20.6 °C, with a minimum of
14.4 °C and a maximum of
26.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
6 °C. However, it dropped to
0.9 °C in May 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
32.5 °C. However, it reached
35 °C in May 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
85 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 5 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 9.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 67% of the time.
The average humidity is 65%.
The average wind speed is of
10.6 kph.
June is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
24.8 °C, with a minimum of
19 °C and a maximum of
30.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
13 °C. However, it dropped to
7.2 °C in June 2000.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
35 °C. However, it reached
40 °C in June 2012.
Precipitation amounts to
100 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 30 minutes. So the days are long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 9.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 66% of the time.
The average humidity is 67%.
The average wind speed is of
9.4 kph.
July, the hottest month of the year, is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
26.7 °C, with a minimum of
21.1 °C and a maximum of
32.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
17 °C. However, it dropped to
13.3 °C in July 2007.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
36 °C. However, it reached
40 °C in July 2012.
Precipitation amounts to
95 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 10 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 9.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 66% of the time.
The average humidity is 69%.
The average wind speed is of
8.9 kph.
August is generally a warm to hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
25.9 °C, with a minimum of
20.4 °C and a maximum of
31.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
15.5 °C. However, it dropped to
10 °C in August 2004.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
35.5 °C. However, it reached
40 °C in August 2007.
Precipitation amounts to
110 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 9 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 66% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
8.5 kph.
September is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
22.6 °C, with a minimum of
17 °C and a maximum of
28.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
10 °C. However, it dropped to
4 °C in September 1999.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33.5 °C. However, it reached
36.7 °C in September 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
95 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 65% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
9.6 kph.
October is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
16.6 °C, with a minimum of
10.2 °C and a maximum of
22.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
1 °C. However, it dropped to
-3.3 °C in October 2001.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
30 °C. However, it reached
37.2 °C in October 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
80 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 10 minutes.
There are on average 7.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 67% of the time.
The average humidity is 68%.
The average wind speed is of
8.9 kph.
November is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
10.8 °C, with a minimum of
4.3 °C and a maximum of
17.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-4.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-10.6 °C in November 2008.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
25.5 °C. However, it reached
29 °C in November 2006.
Precipitation amounts to
85 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 6 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 58% of the time.
The average humidity is 64%.
The average wind speed is of
9.2 kph.
December is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
7.1 °C, with a minimum of
1.4 °C and a maximum of
12.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-7 °C. However, it dropped to
-12.2 °C in December 2010.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
22 °C. However, it reached
27 °C in December 2007.
Precipitation amounts to
90 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 50 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 55% of the time.
The average humidity is 64%.
The average wind speed is of
9.6 kph.