PLEASANT WINTERS Mild winters are one of the perks of living in the South, but cold weather comes to Charlotte several times per season, representing an average accumulation of six inches of snow per year. Only about half of winter days fall below freezing, making for a favorable forecast for a winter trip. Charlotte has an average of 2 inches of snow per year. The average for the United States is 28 inches of snow per year.
On average, there are 218 sunny days a year in Charlotte. The average for the United States is 205 sunny days. First of all, for Charlotte, the core of the “snow season” is from December to March. While a trail of snow was recorded in October 1887, snow in October is rare.
The average hourly wind speed in Charlotte increases gradually during the winter, rising from 6.2 miles per hour to 7.2 miles per hour over the course of the season. The estimated value in Charlotte is calculated as a weighted average of the individual contributions of each station, these weighted averages being proportional to the inverse of the distance between Charlotte and a given station. For reference, on July 20, the hottest day of the year, temperatures in Charlotte typically range from 71°F to 89°F, while January 17, the coldest day of the year, they range from 33°F to 51°F. The average daily incident shortwave solar energy in Charlotte increases during the winter, increasing 1.4 kWh, from 2.7 kWh to 4.2 kWh, over the course of the season.
The 31-day decreasing average rainfall during winter in Charlotte is gradually increasing, starting the season at 3.2 inches, when it rarely exceeds 5.2 inches or falls below 1.3 inches, and ending the season at 3.4 inches, when it rarely exceeds 5.8 inches or falls below 1.3 inches. The average 31-day snowfall during winter in Charlotte increases gradually, starting the season at 0.6 inches, when it rarely exceeds 2.0 inches or falls below -0.0 inches, and ending the season at 1.4 inches, when it rarely exceeds 5.1 inches or falls below -0.0 inches. For each station, the records are corrected for the difference in elevation between that station and Charlotte according to the International Standard Atmosphere, and for the relative change present in the reanalysis of the MERRA-2 satellite era between the two locations. Charlotte's annual BestPlaces Comfort Index is 7.5 (10% 3Dbest), which means it's more convenient than most places in North Carolina.
The topography within 2 miles of Charlotte contains only modest variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 161 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 699 feet. The average cumulative day-grade growth in Charlotte is declining very rapidly during the winter, decreasing by 4,779° F, from 4,903° F to 124° F, over the course of the season. The chance that a day will be muggy in Charlotte is essentially constant during the winter, remaining at around 0% throughout the year. Winter in Charlotte experiences essentially constant cloud cover, with the percentage of time that the sky is overcast or cloudy remaining around 48% throughout the season.
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