LINVILLE, NC (May 25, 2022) – April 2022 saw average weather on Grandfather Mountain, according to data recorded at the park’s official weather reporting stations.
The average high temperature for April 2022 was 52.3°, with an average low of 35.9°, for a mean of 43.6°.
The warmest temperature recorded last month was 66.7° on April 25, just under 14 degrees shy of the mountain’s record April high of 80°, observed April 7, 2010.
Generally, April continues to bring winter weather to Grandfather Mountain before more spring-like conditions arrive in May. April 19 saw the coldest temperature recorded last month, 17.8°, and a wind chill of -4.7°. April 9 and 10 were also cold days on the mountain with recorded wind chills of -3.1° and -3.8°, respectively. The lowest temperature ever observed on Grandfather Mountain in the month of April (not counting wind chill) was 5° on April 7, 1982.
On April 19, the weather station on the Mile High Swinging Bridge recorded a wind gust of 70.8 mph, along with a sustained wind speed of 81.5 mph. The station noted five days in April with wind gusts 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 2.67 inches of precipitation in April 2022, while observations recorded near the park’s Nature Museum saw 2.75 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 April was recorded in 2018, when 12.72 inches were observed near the bridge. The driest April on record was observed in 1975, when 0.72 inches were recorded.
The park counted 16 total days of precipitation for April 2022, eight days short of the record 24 days in 1984. The rainiest day last month was April 18, when 0.81 inches were recorded at the top.
The rainiest day on record for April was April 21, 1992, when the weather station observed 4.65 inches.
The weather station near the park’s Nature Museum recorded 0.6 inches of snow April 9 and trace amounts of winter precipitation April 10, 18 and 19.
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.
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, call 800-468-7325, or visit www.grandfather.com to book a trip.
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