McDowell County, NC Climate

McDowell County, NC has a humid subtropical climate with hot and humid summers and mild winters. The average annual temperature in McDowell is around 59 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average summer high temperature of 83 degrees Fahrenheit and an average winter low temperature of 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Precipitation levels are fairly consistent throughout the year, with an average yearly rainfall of 45 inches - the highest precipitation levels occurring in the summer months. Overall, McDowell's climate is characterized by warm days and cool nights all year round, making it a great location for outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and fishing.

McDowell County, North Carolina gets 51 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

McDowell County averages 7 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 212 sunny days per year in McDowell County. The US average is 205 sunny days.

McDowell County gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 116 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 86 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 24
Rain: averages 51 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 7 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for McDowell County is 7.5 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in North Carolina.

7.9 Summer - 6.3 Winter

September, May and June are the most pleasant months in McDowell County, while January and December are the least comfortable months.

Climate	McDowell, North Carolina	United States
	50.9 in.	38.1 in.
	6.7 in.	27.8 in.
	115.6 days	106.2 days
	212 days	205 days
	86.4°	85.8°
	24.4°	21.7°
	7.5	7
	4.6	4.3
	1848 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for McDowell County with an average high temperature of 86.4°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in North Carolina. In McDowell County, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for McDowell County are September, May and June.

In McDowell County, there are 23.8 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in North Carolina.

January has the coldest nighttime temperatures for McDowell County with an average of 24.4°. This is one of the coldest places in North Carolina.

In McDowell County, there are 104.9 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in North Carolina.

In McDowell County, there are 0.4 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the coldest places in North Carolina.

The humidity is usually acceptable in McDowell County but some summer months can be sticky or muggy. July is the most humid month, though humidity is low for most of the year. July, August and June are the three most uncomfortably humid months in McDowell County.

June is the wettest month in McDowell County with 4.7 inches of rain, and the driest month is October with 3.5 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 27% of yearly precipitation and 23% occurs in Winter, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 50.9 inches in McDowell County means that it is wetter than most places in North Carolina.

July is the rainiest month in McDowell County with 12.1 days of rain, and October is the driest month with only 7.5 rainy days. There are 115.6 rainy days annually in McDowell County, which is rainier than most places in North Carolina. The rainiest season is Autumn when it rains 30% of the time and the driest is Winter with only a 21% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 6.7 inches in McDowell County means that it is snowier than most places in North Carolina. January is the snowiest month in McDowell County with 2.1 inches of snow, and 4 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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