Annual North Carolina rainfall, severe weather and climate data

City	Avg Annual Precip	Avg Annual Snow	Avg. # days of Precip	Avg # thunderstorm days	Avg # hail days	Avg # severe thunderstorm watches per year	Avg # tornado watches per year	# of tornadoes reported in county, 1960-2010
Asheville	47.07	15.1	125	45	1	2	6	6
Cape Hatteras	57.75	1.9	120	42	0	7	6	28
Charlotte	43.51	5.8	111	41	1	4	8	20
Greensboro	43.14	9.2	116	43	1	3	8	10
Raleigh	43.05	7.6	112	42	1	6	10	25
Wilmington	57.07	2.0	117	47	1	6	6	12
North Carolina Annual Precipitation Average - 50.45", 9th wettest state in the U.S. North Carolina Tornado Average - 13.4 per year - 22nd most in the U.S. Largest reported Tornado in North Carolina from 1950-2011, 3/28/1984 - 2,640 yards / 1.5 miles wide Date with highest number of reported Tornadoes in North Carolina from 1950-2011, April 16th - 35 tornadoes Average time of occurrence of reported Tornadoes in North Carolina from 1950-2011 - 3:13 pm North Carolina Annual Lightning Density - 10.7 flashes per square mile - 18th highest in U.S. Record Driest year in North Carolina from 1895-2012 - 2007, avg precipitation 36.26 inches Record Wettest year in North Carolina from 1895-2012 - 2003, avg precipitation 64.67 inches

Driest location ranked by lowest annual average precipitation: Asheville, western North Carolina, 37.32"

Wettest location ranked by highest annual average precipitation: Lake Toxaway, western North Carolina, 91.72"

Snowiest location ranked by highest annual average snowfall: Grandfather Mountain, western North Carolina, 57.8"

State precipitation record for 24 hours - Altapass, western North Carolina, 7/15-16/1916, 22.22"

State precipitation record for 1 year - Rosman, western North Carolina, 1996, 129.60"

State snowfall record for 24 hours - Mount Mitchell, western North Carolina, 3/13/1993, 36.0"

State snow record for 1 season - Mount Mitchell, western North Carolina, 1997-1998, 176.0"

Cape Hatteras, North Carolina is considered the most hurricane-prone city in the United States, with an average of a hurricane hitting within 60 miles of the city every 2.5 years

A major severe weather outbreak affected North Carolina on April 16th, 2011. The 30 confirmed tornadoes across the state broke the single-storm and single-day outbreak records for the state. The previous record was from March 1984 with 22 confirmed tornadoes.

Average winter snowfall over North Carolina ranges from about inch per year on the Outer Banks and along the lower coast to about 10 inches in the northern Piedmont and 16 inches in the southern Mountains. Some of the higher mountain peaks and upper slopes receive an average of nearly 50 inches a year

On April 15, 1987 severe thunderstorms developing along a cold front produced severe weather in North Carolina.
Drifts of hail up to two feet deep were reported in central part of the state

North Carolina temperature averages and extremes, Charlotte climate extremes/averages, precipitation and temperature data for all U.S. states and interesting Top 10 U.S. climate extremes

Data sources: National Climatic Data Center, Severe thunderstorm / tornado watch data period is 1999 - 2008, NOAA Storm Prediction Center, Tornado climate data - NOAA Storm Prediction Center, State lightning flash density average - 1997-2011, Vaisala