2007 - 2008 Drought

2007 was the driest year for North Carolina on record since precipitation records began 118 years ago. Little to no improvement has been observed in drought conditions across the state. Much of the state is in either D4 (Exceptional) or D3 (Extreme) drought.

The outlook for this Spring is not encouraging, and indicators suggest NC is more likely to be dry than wet over the next 3-4 months. Little guidance is available for the summer months. The SCO continues to devote much of our attention to drought monitoring and public education of drought and water issues as we face the likelihood of water restrictions continuing through the summer. Although the outlook is not favorable forrain, some agricultural crops may fare well depending on the timing of precipitation.

SCO Launches New Web Site

The State Climate Office of NC is proud to announce our new website, launched February 18, 2008. The newly designed site makes the products and services of the SCO more accessible and user-friendly. Visit online at: www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu

We are excited to be able to use the new website as a platform for which our products and services can be made more available. We welcome the opportunity to hear your thoughts on our new website. If something is not working correctly, you can't find something, an item is easier to access, etc. we want to hear about it. We continously strive to make improvements and look forward to your constructive feedback.

Groundhog Day

On February 2, 2008, the State Climate Office celebrated Groundhog Day with the Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh, NC. Meteorologist Ashley Frazier and undergraduate student Shannon Futrell presented to kids and parents on common animal folklore and various instruments used to monitor weather. Experiments demonstrating the strength of our atmosphere, the formation of clouds, and updrafts, were the hit of the show. And who could forget the museum's infamous thunderstorm? Many thanks go out to Mary Fore, the museum's audio/visual crew, and the wonderful audience for helping us make the presentation such a huge success.

In continuing our collaboration with the museum, the State Climate Office of North Carolina created a groundhog climatology depicting how our furry friend’s predictions have faired for various cities across the state of North Carolina. This page shows not only how accurate Sir Walter Wally’s forecast have been in the past, but keeps up with the current year as well as the six-week period progresses. Average temperatures are calculated for each week, and are compared to the normal temperatures for the same time period. Positive temperature differences suggest temperatures above normal (warmer weather), while negative temperature differences suggest below normal temperatures (cooler weather).

Information describing other animal and weather folklore are included on the groundhog climatology page beneath the section for Sir Walter Wally’s forecast record. Also provided are the most recent satellite and radar images over the southeastern U.S., and the Climate Prediction Center’s climate outlook over the next few months.

Winter Weather Outlook

Strong La Niña conditions continue. La Niña (cool phase) events are typically associated with drier winters in NC. During La Niña winters, the Jet Stream is less amplified, and doesn't tend to bring as many storms to NC. We are likely to experience a drier and warmer winter than the climatological normal.