2001 Asheville, North Carolina (AVL)

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2001 ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA (AVL)

The city of Asheville is located on both banks of the French Broad River, near the center of the French Broad Basin. Upstream from Asheville, the valley runs south for 18 miles and then curves toward the south–southwest. Downstream from the city, the valley is oriented toward the north–northwest. Two miles upstream from the principal section of Asheville, the Swannanoa River joins the French Broad from the east. The entire valley is known as the Asheville Plateau, having an average elevation near 2,200 feet above sea level, and is flanked by mountain ridges to the east and west, whose peaks range from 2,000 to 4,400 feet above the valley floor. At the Carolina–Tennessee border, about 25 miles north–northwest of Asheville, a relatively high ridge of mountains blocks the northern end of the valley. Thirty miles south, the Blue Ridge Mountains form an escarpment, having a general elevation of about 2,700 feet above sea level. The tallest peaks near Asheville are Mt. Mitchell, 6,684 feet above sea level, 20 miles northeast of the city, and Big Pisgah Mountain, 5,72l feet above sea level, 16 miles to the southwest.

Asheville has a temperate, but invigorating, climate. Considerable variation in temperature often occurs from day to day in summer, as well as during the other seasons.

While the office was located in the city, the combination of roof exposure conditions and a smoke blanket, caused by inversions in temperature in the valley on quiet nights, resulted in higher early morning temperatures at City Office sites than were experienced nearer ground level in nearby rural areas. The growing season in this area is of sufficient length for commercial crops, the average length of freeze–free period being about 195 days. The average last occurrence in spring of a temperature 32 degrees or lower is mid–April and the average first occurrence in fall of 32 degrees is late October.

The orientation of the French Broad Valley appears to have a pronounced influence on the wind direction. Prevailing winds are from the northwest during all months of the year. Also, the shielding effect of the nearby mountain barriers apparently has a direct bearing on the annual amount of precipitation received in this vicinity. In an area northwest of Asheville, the average annual precipitation is the lowest in North Carolina. Precipitation increases sharply in all other directions, especially to the south and southwest.

Destructive events caused directly by meteorological conditions are infrequent. The most frequent, occurring at approximately 12–year intervals, are floods on the French Broad River. These floods are usually associated with heavy rains caused by storms moving out of the Gulf of Mexico. Snowstorms which have seriously disrupted normal life in this community are infrequent. Hailstorms that cause property damage are extremely rare.

NORMALS, MEANS, AND EXTREMES

ASHEVILLE, NC (AVL)

LATITUDE:    LONGITUDE:    ELEVATION (FT):    TIME ZONE:    WBAN: 03812

35 26′ 09″ N  82 32′ 21″ W  GRND:  2171  BARO:  2174  EASTERN (UTC + 5)

ELEMENTPORJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECYEAR
TEMPERATURE FNORMAL DAILY MAXIMUM3046.550.059.267.875.080.483.082.176.968.359.350.366.6
MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM4447.751.358.868.275.381.684.483.277.268.758.450.567.1
HIGHEST DAILY MAXIMUM378078838993969610092868178100
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199919961985197219961969198819831998198619741971AUG 1983
MEAN OF EXTREME MAXS.4465.569.576.583.185.990.092.090.687.080.973.767.680.2
NORMAL DAILY MINIMUM3024.827.435.442.650.958.362.761.955.543.535.728.643.9
MEAN DAILY MINIMUM4426.628.634.742.350.558.462.861.855.043.034.428.843.9
LOWEST DAILY MINIMUM37-16-22222835444230218-7-16
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198519671993198719891966198819861967197619701983JAN 1985
MEAN OF EXTREME MINS.448.111.519.127.535.145.554.252.040.627.719.111.929.4
NORMAL DRY BULB3035.738.747.455.263.069.472.872.066.255.947.539.555.3
MEAN DRY BULB4437.340.046.855.362.970.073.772.466.355.946.539.655.6
MEAN WET BULB1532.936.141.048.157.064.467.766.860.850.642.432.650.0
MEAN DEW POINT1527.029.533.941.052.861.465.064.558.046.036.927.145.3
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
MAXIMUM 90300.00.00.00.00.12.14.42.50.30.00.00.09.4
MAXIMUM 32303.41.70.20.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.11.06.4
MINIMUM 323023.920.813.34.30.30.00.00.0*4.413.020.7100.7
MINIMUM 0300.5*0.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.10.6
H/CNORMAL HEATING DEG. DAYS309087365462981171855642955257914308
NORMAL COOLING DEG. DAYS300000551502472221001300787
RHNORMAL (PERCENT)3073706866757982848478757476
HOUR 01 LST3080787978899395969691868287
HOUR 07 LST3085848585929496989794888690
HOUR 13 LST3059565350565963646457575958
HOUR 19 LST3067626056667074788174707069
SPERCENT POSSIBLE SUNSHINE3255596166616260545662585559
W/OMEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
HEAVY FOG(VISBY 1/4 MI)384.12.92.12.55.28.38.812.311.27.94.24.574.0
THUNDERSTORMS380.51.02.23.26.47.98.87.63.10.80.80.342.6
CLOUDINESSMEAN:
SUNRISE-SUNSET (OKTAS)325.04.84.94.65.05.05.05.04.84.04.34.74.8
MIDNIGHT-MIDNIGHT (OKTAS)324.94.74.74.44.84.74.85.04.74.04.14.54.6
MEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
CLEAR339.18.78.89.67.26.25.04.86.711.610.29.397.2
PARTLY CLOUDY337.36.48.18.510.412.013.413.110.27.86.97.0111.1
CLOUDY3314.613.214.111.813.311.811.712.212.210.711.913.7151.2
PRMEAN STATION PRESSURE(IN)2827.8027.7927.8027.8027.8027.8027.9027.9027.9027.9027.8927.8027.84
MEAN SEA-LEVEL PRES. (IN)1630.1230.1030.0530.0230.0330.0330.0730.0730.1030.1430.1530.1530.09
WINDSMEAN SPEED (MPH)379.39.29.28.76.95.95.95.55.66.88.18.87.5
PREVAIL. DIR (TENS OF DEGS)3034343434343434343434343434
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE:
SPEED (MPH)545434738333241414533363347
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)34333232323233303632323432
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE200020012001199720001998200120001999199719992001MAR 2001
MAXIMUM 5-SECOND:
SPEED (MPH)553495647454649535439434056
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)31323101271031303633363331
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE200020012001200120002000200120001999200119992001MAR 2001
PRECIPITATIONNORMAL (IN)303.253.914.633.364.434.234.524.693.873.593.593.5247.59
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)379.968.079.868.708.8310.739.9211.289.128.827.768.4811.28
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199819901975199819731989198219671977199019791973AUG 1967
MINIMUM MONTHLY (IN)370.450.440.770.251.060.900.460.520.160.001.190.160.00
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198119781985197619881990198619811984200019811965OCT 2000
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)374.673.475.133.064.954.364.025.103.414.224.032.665.13
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199819821968197319731997196919901975199519771973MAR 1968
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
PRECIPITATION 0.013010.19.511.39.511.810.812.112.39.38.29.29.8123.9
PRECIPITATION 1.00300.60.81.21.01.20.91.11.01.00.91.11.011.8
SNOWFALLNORMAL (IN)305.05.32.50.70.00.00.00.00.0T0.81.916.2
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)3717.625.518.211.5TTTT0.0T9.616.325.5
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19661969199319871993199519941990199319681971FEB 1969
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)3714.011.716.511.5TTTT0.0T5.716.316.5
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19881969199319871993199519941990199319681971MAR 1993
MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH (IN)421413181200000051418
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198819691993198719681971MAR 1993
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
SNOWFALL 1.0301.41.50.70.20.00.00.00.00.00.00.20.54.5
PRECIPITATION (inches) 2001 ASHEVILLE, NC (AVL)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
19723.572.023.191.496.636.544.661.885.294.444.423.8948.02
19734.264.238.915.718.833.876.954.573.122.413.578.4864.91
19743.444.243.184.995.583.733.937.344.131.284.222.3848.44
19753.864.569.860.618.172.123.313.637.533.944.894.4456.92
19763.512.204.960.258.675.513.184.233.505.591.584.0547.23
19772.091.027.294.053.965.111.033.689.123.796.882.4350.45
19787.470.445.222.974.652.290.636.912.570.302.494.3240.26
19796.815.145.727.265.352.205.523.635.601.407.761.0557.44
19802.850.538.264.774.544.682.212.384.362.623.040.5940.83
19810.454.803.242.077.504.412.060.521.362.191.194.7934.58
19825.417.021.923.623.783.989.921.731.333.484.594.0450.82
19833.395.636.275.273.483.711.060.955.664.434.778.3052.92
19842.366.434.824.056.623.695.885.020.162.732.611.3445.71
19852.954.740.772.741.591.474.377.041.253.414.910.7035.94
19861.111.852.750.573.551.280.466.103.154.195.284.2834.57
19873.496.172.853.671.878.941.861.796.790.363.092.3343.21
19883.710.881.313.461.060.942.651.782.793.123.471.4126.58
19891.654.612.913.175.5410.738.334.988.172.984.273.2960.63
19903.278.075.951.965.090.906.557.781.438.821.554.5055.87
19913.251.666.135.382.415.276.073.831.270.193.344.8643.66
19923.083.663.523.996.186.621.107.643.154.157.243.7154.04
19933.822.036.163.214.591.122.075.291.561.213.323.5937.97
19945.355.117.523.301.745.896.766.015.334.273.153.0357.46
19957.032.932.420.986.048.893.619.221.957.233.661.4355.39
19967.222.713.362.002.553.544.836.685.220.684.453.9247.16
19974.445.295.485.262.918.292.971.374.893.901.602.9849.38
19989.966.383.718.702.223.641.972.231.621.792.763.0448.02
19996.383.292.822.442.534.393.853.372.203.293.311.9839.85
20003.102.333.825.111.272.782.844.453.270.004.252.3735.59
20012.632.735.001.322.472.915.503.204.370.601.422.3434.49
POR=36 YRS3.703.784.563.404.314.254.214.563.653.203.523.3546.49
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (F) 2001 ASHEVILLE, NC (AVL)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
197242.137.646.555.861.266.572.372.569.055.045.545.255.8
197337.538.552.752.860.371.074.174.270.058.849.139.856.6
197448.240.551.154.964.266.772.972.365.754.647.440.356.6
197541.742.544.854.166.068.872.472.965.257.348.238.656.0
197633.645.350.654.959.568.171.270.263.151.541.236.253.8
197724.837.450.758.264.669.775.773.869.154.349.336.855.4
197829.333.445.956.862.071.173.474.170.055.751.841.055.4
197934.235.850.055.964.368.872.273.266.555.349.242.055.6
198040.535.146.256.564.871.777.574.870.254.747.139.656.6
198133.339.944.960.160.774.375.071.766.154.548.235.855.4
198232.341.250.053.667.371.574.671.764.556.347.144.956.3
198336.738.846.751.161.669.075.776.566.657.547.336.455.3
198434.040.544.851.759.970.070.671.662.862.743.146.354.8
198530.538.348.156.662.669.872.270.964.260.556.034.755.4
198635.042.246.056.063.371.776.170.968.057.450.739.856.4
198735.338.946.552.666.771.274.774.766.550.147.042.255.5
198832.137.147.154.661.169.373.874.666.350.246.738.754.3
198942.139.850.354.559.470.073.371.965.856.146.231.655.1
199042.845.650.454.263.370.973.873.967.657.849.945.558.0
199139.242.549.658.467.370.375.272.167.357.045.543.457.3
199240.744.246.355.959.968.174.970.467.854.446.239.255.7
199342.038.043.052.663.271.478.073.967.855.046.036.855.6
199432.440.647.358.560.272.673.171.464.655.950.143.655.9
199538.938.449.456.464.168.575.075.365.456.843.337.155.7
199635.339.541.453.666.169.672.071.564.455.842.340.554.3
199736.543.251.551.558.466.573.470.666.155.442.336.954.4
199841.342.243.954.166.571.774.973.470.358.349.243.957.5
199941.742.442.958.561.969.374.374.165.656.051.341.956.7
200036.043.349.953.066.270.672.871.765.257.244.632.555.3
200136.744.544.658.264.070.572.973.864.553.951.744.856.7
POR=37 YRS36.639.646.955.362.969.973.672.566.555.947.039.955.6

REFERENCE NOTES:

PAGE 1:

THE TEMPERATURE GRAPH SHOWS NORMAL MAXIMUM AND NORMAL MINIMUM DAILY TEMPERATURES (SOLID CURVES) AND THE ACTUAL DAILY HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES (VERTICAL BARS).

PAGE 2 AND 3:

H/C INDICATES HEATING AND COOLING DEGREE DAYS.

RH INDICATES RELATIVE HUMIDITY

W/O INDICATES WEATHER AND OBSTRUCTIONS

S INDICATES SUNSHINE.

PR INDICATES PRESSURE.

CLOUDINESS ON PAGE 3 IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA NOT TO EXCEED EIGHT EIGHTHS (OKTAS).

GENERAL:

T INDICATES TRACE PRECIPITATION, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN ZERO BUT LESS THAN THE LOWEST REPORTABLE VALUE.

+ INDICATES THE VALUE ALSO OCCURS ON EARLIER DATES.

BLANK ENTRIES DENOTE MISSING OR UNREPORTED DATA.

NORMALS ARE 30–YEAR AVERAGES (1961–1990).

ASOS INDICATES AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM.

PM INDICATES THE LAST DAY OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

POR (PERIOD OF RECORD) BEGINS WITH THE JANUARY DATA MONTH AND IS THE NUMBER OF YEARS USED TO COMPUTE THE MEAN. INDIVIDUAL MONTHS WITHIN THE POR MAY BE MISSING.

WHEN THE POR FOR A NORMAL IS LESS THAN 30 YEARS, THE NORMAL IS PROVISIONAL AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF YEARS INDICATED.

0.* OR * INDICATES THE VALUE OR MEAN–DAYS–WITH IS BETWEEN 0.00 AND 0.05.

CLOUDINESS FOR ASOS STATIONS DIFFERS FROM THE NON–ASOS OBSERVATION TAKEN BY A HUMAN OBSERVER. ASOS STATION CLOUDINESS IS BASED ON TIME–AVERAGED CEILOMETER DATA FOR CLOUDS AT OR BELOW 12,000 FEET AND ON SATELLITE DATA FOR CLOUDS ABOVE 12,000 FEET.

THE NUMBER OF DAYS WITH CLEAR, PARTLY CLOUDY, AND CLOUDY CONDITIONS FOR ASOS STATIONS IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA FOR THE SUNRISE TO SUNSET PERIOD.

GENERAL CONTINUED:

CLEAR INDICATES 0–2 OKTAS, PARTLY CLOUDY INDICATES 3–6 OKTAS, AND CLOUDY INDICATES 7 OR 8 OKTAS. WHEN AT LEAST ONE OF THE ELEMENTS (CEILOMETER OR SATELLITE) IS MISSING, THE DAILY CLOUDINESS IS NOT COMPUTED.

WIND DIRECTION IS RECORDED IN TENS OF DEGREES (2 DIGITS) CLOCKWISE FROM TRUE NORTH. "00" INDICATES CALM. "36" INDICATES TRUE NORTH.

RESULTANT WIND IS THE VECTOR AVERAGE OF THE SPEED AND DIRECTION.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS THE SUM OF THE MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE DIVIDED BY 2.

SNOWFALL DATA COMPRISE ALL FORMS OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION, INCLUDING HAIL.

A HEATING (COOLING) DEGREE DAY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE AND 65 F.

DRY BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AMBIENT AIR.

DEW POINT IS THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH THE AIR MUST BE COOLED TO ACHIEVE 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

WET BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE THE AIR WOULD HAVE IF THE MOISTURE CONTENT WAS INCREASED TO 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

ON JULY 1, 1996, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BEGAN USING THE "METAR" OBSERVATION CODE THAT WAS ALREADY EMPLOYED BY MOST OTHER NATIONS OF THE WORLD. THE MOST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN THIS ANNUAL PUBLICATION WILL BE THE CHANGE IN UNITS FROM TENTHS TO EIGHTS (OKTAS) FOR REPORTING THE AMOUNT OF SKY COVER.

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 ASHEVILLE, NC (AVL)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972-7330830457860584673737436215803975
1973-7400720547377251668042329983243482
1974-7500653165197607156246193314674002
1975-760077232498812966566439296168334087
1976-772383411706884123976843719866254822
1977-780014331466868110187858624113904624
1978-79001228339074195181045726871184001
1979-8050442994687077538615732586524035
1980-81003731553377897869661515215204256
1981-82015732649989710066594583333804274
1982-830074274531616872725562410127134204
1983-84008422952788295570661839117694577
1984-8510107916485761064737520249109194121
1985-86061111562669329236335812739123974
1986-87032162684197749137255673694014124
1987-8800474525327021013802545308132314564
1988-89503345354480870269845433120044232
1989-90187427955810286795354463219134023
1990-91005522944560179362747220453163495
1991-920164242578663748596573274169253933
1992-9300343245587947087516773658294302
1993-940044310563866100567654420616504379
1994-95015227644165680373647426487173807
1995-96005025564585691273572534178204617
1996-970076284673753876601412400212644351
1997-98053529267586372763164732271234291
1998-99001121446564971862768021010073681
1999-00605627440570589362146035341113825
2000-0111882386079988725666282226314285
2001-0097340391620
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 ASHEVILLE, NC (AVL)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
197200024684236237134010722
19730001161902882921631900969
19740003658225423492100731
1975000118212423725289000795
19760000513519817035200545
19770002591733402791467101007
1978000253188266292168400973
197900015514123426196400792
19800008642103963111984001191
1981000102528631621398700955
19820000117206305215641600923
19830000251393353621415001007
1984000025165180211492700657
1985005243170229194902540762
19860008432093532221123800985
1987000797192310309970001012
198800001816828230479300854
198900523341592642291071100832
19900003481872792831411100952
1991003131321813242271393001022
1992000720125313174125000764
19930000372104112851335001081
1994000152123325920543200778
1995001126512731532568800921
1996000612016422420964500792
199700001311626518476100655
1998000112423031526917814001131
199900023914330429178300851
2000000083187251215103410844
2001000244217224928287100857
SNOWFALL (inches) 2001 ASHEVILLE, NC (AVL)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972-730.00.00.00.00.6T7.10.51.0T0.00.09.2
1973-740.00.00.00.00.03.0T0.31.1T0.00.04.4
1974-750.00.00.00.03.13.00.44.33.7T0.00.014.5
1975-760.00.00.00.05.00.41.63.5T0.00.00.010.5
1976-770.00.00.00.00.10.311.90.70.00.00.00.013.0
1977-780.00.00.0TT1.59.75.35.3T0.00.021.8
1978-790.00.00.00.00.0T5.217.8T0.0T0.023.0
1979-800.00.00.00.0TT2.16.35.4T0.00.013.8
1980-810.00.00.00.0TT4.7T9.90.00.00.014.6
1981-820.00.00.00.0T2.08.68.10.13.00.00.021.8
1982-830.00.00.00.00.00.410.59.34.52.00.00.026.7
1983-840.00.00.00.0TT0.22.9T0.00.00.03.1
1984-850.00.00.00.00.0T4.53.10.10.40.00.08.1
1985-860.00.00.00.00.00.40.83.70.1T0.00.05.0
1986-870.00.00.00.0TT15.02.70.311.50.00.029.5
1987-880.00.00.00.00.30.514.2TT1.20.00.016.2
1988-890.00.00.00.00.0T1.26.0T1.00.00.08.2
1989-900.00.00.0TT3.0TTT0.00.00.03.0
1990-910.0T0.00.00.0TT0.43.10.00.0T3.5
1991-920.00.00.00.01.00.0TT0.50.0T0.01.5
1992-930.00.00.00.0TTT3.018.2TT0.021.2
1993-940.00.00.0TT8.02.60.30.1T0.00.011.0
1994-95T0.00.00.00.0T0.23.2T0.00.0T3.4
1995-960.00.00.00.0T0.115.74.41.5T0.0T21.7
1996-970.00.00.00.00.12.53.81.9TT0.00.08.3
1997-980.00.00.00.0T4.512.7T0.40.00.00.017.6
1998-990.00.00.00.00.00.41.6T4.20.00.00.06.2
1999-000.00.00.00.00.1T6.2TT0.10.00.06.4
2000-010.00.00.00.02.06.1T0.86.40.20.00.015.5
2001-0.00.00.00.00.00.0
POR=36 YRSTT0.0T0.71.94.73.82.50.6TT14.2

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2001 Asheville, North Carolina (AVL)