Agenda - 05-23-1983 - Laserfiche WebLink

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it Cliinatological Data ��"� °F`°M\c- o: Local ,, „. Annual Summary With Comparative Data a' 1981 es q.:4-' GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA STArEs °4 , I 1 Narrative Climatological Summary The Greensboro-High Flint-Winston-Salem Regional Airport is located in the west-central part of Guilford County, the Northern Piedmont section of North Carolina. The location is near the headwaters of the Hawand Deep Rivera, both branches of the Cape Fear River system. A few miles west is a ridge beyond which lies the Yadkin River Basin, while on the north across a similar ridge the waters of the Dan River flow northeastward into the Roanoke. West, .bey_ond the Yadkin River Basin, the land grechid1t ' rises fiito the Brushy Moucitains; to the northwest, other outcroppings southeast of the Blue Ridge rise into peaks occasionally exceeding 2,500 feet. The Blue Ridge:proper forms a northeast-southwest barrier with heights occasionally exceeding 3,000 feet., Winter temperatures and rainfall are both modified by the mountain barrier, but to a lesser extent than those portions of the southwestern Piedmont that lie in the shelter of the highest portion of the Appalachian Range. Shallow cold air masses moving across the Plains States tend to be stopped or turned aside by the mountains, while deeper masses are lifted in crossing so as to lose some of their moisture and have their temperature raised a few degrees. For this reason the lowest temperatures recorded in Guilford and Forsyth Counties usually occur when clear, cold air drift southward, east of the Appalachian Range. Freezing temperatures occur on more than half the winter days, but zero weather is almost unknown. Northwesterly winds s ldom bring heavy or prolonged winter rain or snow. Flurries of light snow may fall when cod air blows across the mountains, but the heavier winter precipitation comes on winds blowing from northeast through east and south to southwest. When moist winds blowing from an easterly or southerly direction meet cold air moving out of the north or north- west in the vicinity of North Carolina, snow, sleet, or glaze may occur. Glazing is more common here than in most of North Carolina, occurring an average of about four times per win- ter, but only occasionally becomes severe enough to do much damage in the northern Piedmont area. Seasonal snowfall has a wide range, but the average winter brings two snows of an inch or more. There have been a few,winters with only a trace of snow, but occasionally snow has been meas- ured from 15 to 20 1h fies in one storm.- Snow seldom stays on the-ground more than a few-clays- i Sumner precipitation is largely from thundershowers, mostly local in character. The frequency of these showers and the amount of rain received varies greatly from year to year and from place to place. Sizeable areas are sometimes without significant rain in late spring or early summer for two or mor4 weeks, while other areas in the vicinity may be well watered. Summer temperatures vary wit the cloudiness and shower activity, but are mild with maxima usually in the upper eighties orlllow nineties. Damaging storms are infrequent in the Northern Piedmont area. The highest winds to occur have been associated with thunderstorms, and were of brief duration. Hail is reported within Guil- ford and Forsyth Counties each year. One destructive tornado, that of April 2, 1936, has struck the city of Greensboro. Hurricanes have produced heavy rainfall here, but no winds of destructive force. The average growing season in Guilford and Forsyth Counties is approximately 200 days, usually extending from the middle of April to the first of November. 1 I 1 1 /noaa ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION ( INFORMATION FORMATION SERVICE AND/ ASHEVIL LE.�ICATIC CENTER i