Grandfather Mountain, Nature on a Whole Different Level

RAINY, WARM APRIL CLOSES DOOR ON COLD, SNOWY WINTER

GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN, NC – The weather data from the month of April recorded at the official US Weather Service reporting station located next to Grandfather Mountain’s Mile High Swinging Bridge shows slightly above average high temperatures and rainfall.

Grandfather Mountain had a total of 45.35 inches of snow for the winter of 2008-2009, down 13 percent from the norm of 52.07 inches for the winter season. There was at least a trace of snow at Grandfather on 30 days.

The first significant snowfall of the winter fell at Grandfather in March. Also the snowiest day of the winter, March 3 brought a total of 11 inches of snow to the Mountain.

The snowfall total for the month of April was 4.5 inches, 15 percent above the 53-year average snowfall total for the month of 3.92 inches.

The rainfall total of 6.2 inches for the past month was 1.07 inches, or 21 percent, above the 53-year average rainfall total for April of 5.13 inches. Rain for the year-to-date totals 18.52 inches, which is 1.43 inches (or seven percent) below the 53-year norm for this time of year.

The average high temperature of 54.86 degrees was 1.09 degrees warmer than normal for April, and the average low temperature of 36.69 degrees was .28 degrees below normal for this time of year.

Three daily high temperature records were broken near the end of the month. A high temperature of 76 degrees April 25 broke the previous record of 74 degrees set on that day in 1960. The next day a reading of 76 degrees broke the previous record of 73 degrees set April 26, 1957. The daily high temperature record was also broken April 27 when 74 degrees was reached, surpassing the previous record of 72 degrees set in 1957.

A daily high temperature of 71 tied the record April 29. The original record was set in 1970.

The 76 degree readings April 25 and 26 also break the record for the highest temperature ever reached at Grandfather Mountain during the month of April. The previous record was 75 degrees set April 24, 1960.

The coldest temperature from October 2008 through April 2009 was minus 11 degrees January 16.

The highest three-second gust measured by the anemometer on the Mile High Swinging Bridge this winter was 106 mph January 1.

For more information on the 53 years of weather data from Grandfather Mountain, see the interactive weather database at www.grandfather.com

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