Editing Charlotte, North Carolina (section)

===Climate===
Like much of the Piedmont region of the southeastern United States, Charlotte has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfa''), with four distinct seasons. Charlotte is part of USDA [[hardiness zone]] 8a, transitioning to 7b in the suburbs in all directions except the south.<ref>{{cite web|title=USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map|url=http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture|access-date=June 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227032333/http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/|archive-date=February 27, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The following narrative reflects 1991–2020 climate data. Winters are short and fairly mild, with a normal January daily mean temperature of {{convert|42.1|°F|1}}. On occasion the temperature can fall below {{convert|20|°F|1}} but Charlotte also enjoys multiple warm winter days in excess of {{convert|65|°F|1}}.<ref name = "NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP)"/> On average, there are 59 nights per year that drop to or below freezing, and only 1.5 days that fail to rise above freezing.<ref name = "NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP)"/>

Precipitation is evenly distributed through the year. Only August stands out as a slightly wetter month, averaging 4.35 inches of rainfall. Summers are hot and humid, with a normal July daily mean temperature of {{convert|80.1|°F|1}}.<ref name="NCDC txt KCLT"/> Hot and humid days can arrive as early as May and last to the end of September. There is an average of 44 days per year with highs at or above {{convert|90|°F|0}}.<ref name = "NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP)"/> Official record temperatures range from {{convert|104|°F|0}} recorded six times on 6 September 1954, 9–10 August 2007 and [[Summer 2012 North American heat wave|June 29 to July 1, 2012]], down to {{convert|-5|°F|0}} recorded on [[Hard Winter of 1880–81|December 30, 1880]], [[Great Blizzard of 1899|February 14, 1899]] and [[January 1985 Arctic outbreak|January 21, 1985]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-12 |title=Weather IQ: What is the Dead of Winter? |url=https://www.wcnc.com/article/weather/weather-iq-what-is-the-dead-of-winter/275-a12574c6-f21e-4dbf-a351-ee2bd5ac35e2 |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=wcnc.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The record cold daily maximum is {{convert|14|°F|0}} on [[Great Blizzard of 1899|February 12 and 13, 1899]].<ref name = "NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP)"/> The record warm daily minimum is {{convert|82|°F|0}} on August 13, 1881.{{efn|The corresponding record since the observation site was moved to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in 1948 is {{convert|79|°F|0}}, last recorded on July 25, 2010.<ref name = "NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP)"/>}} The average window for freezing temperatures is November 5 to March 30, allowing a growing season of 220 days.<ref name = "NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP)"/>

Charlotte is directly in the path of subtropical moisture from the [[Gulf of Mexico]] as it heads up the eastern seaboard, thus the city receives ample precipitation throughout the year but also many clear, sunny days. Precipitation is generally less frequent in autumn than in spring.<ref name="NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP)"/> On average, Charlotte receives {{convert|43.60|in|mm|sigfig=3}} of precipitation annually, evenly distributed throughout the year. Annual precipitation has historically ranged from {{convert|26.23|in|mm|abbr=on}} in 2001 to {{convert|68.44|in|mm|abbr=on}} in 1884.<ref name = "NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP)"/>

There is an average of {{convert|3.5|in|cm|1}} of snow, mainly in January and February and rarely December or March, with more frequent ice storms and sleet mixed in with rain. Seasonal snowfall has historically ranged from trace amounts in 2011–12 to {{convert|22.6|in|cm|abbr=on}} in 1959–60.<ref name="NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP)"/> Snow and ice storms can have a major impact on the area, as they often pull tree limbs down onto power lines and make driving hazardous. Snow has been recorded a small number of times in April, most recently on April 2, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/no-joke-charlotte-area-could-see-some-light-snow-tuesday/275-c3bedec1-dc4f-4034-85d3-3ee656c06f72|title=Charlotte sees first measurable April snow in 37 years|last=Tompkins|first=Meilins|date=April 2, 2019|website=WCNC.com|access-date=July 18, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article124908594.html|title=What is Charlotte's record snowfall? Here's the answer|last=Lyttle|first=Steve|date=January 6, 2017|website=[[The Charlotte Observer]]|access-date=February 25, 2023}}</ref>

{{As of|2020}}, the Charlotte metropolitan area as a whole is noted for having one of the worst [[weather radar]] gaps among any major [[East Coast of the United States|U.S. East Coast city]], with little to no coverage in a roughly quadrilateral area spanning [[Concord, North Carolina|Concord]], [[Salisbury, North Carolina|Salisbury]] and much 
of [[Statesville, North Carolina|Statesville]].<ref name="WaPo CLT radar">{{cite news |last1=Cappucci |first1=Matthew |last2=Freedman |first2=Andrew |title=Meteorologists have warned about North Carolina's 'radar gap' for years. It's taking a toll on forecasts. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/04/27/charlotte-north-carolina-radar-gap/ |access-date=26 August 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=27 April 2020}}</ref> As the nearest [[National Weather Service|NWS]]-owned [[NEXRAD]] is located in [[Greer, South Carolina]], more than {{convert|80|mi|abbr=on}} to the west-southwest of Charlotte, this deficit is particularly problematic during [[severe thunderstorm]] or [[tornado]] episodes.<ref name="WaPo CLT radar"/> The current lowest angle of the radar, based in Greer, is quite far above the surface over Charlotte, so the [[Weather radar#Velocity|velocities]] measurement for detecting [[Tornado vortex signature|rotations]] cannot be below mid-level in potential tornado-forming storms and thus cannot indicate whether said rotation extends closer to the ground (below {{convert|5000|ft|abbr=on}}).<ref name="WaPo CLT radar"/>

{{Weather box
|location                = Charlotte, North Carolina ([[Charlotte Douglas International Airport|Charlotte Douglas Int'l]]), 1991–2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1878–present{{efn|Official records for Charlotte kept October 1878 to August 1948 at downtown and at Charlotte Douglas Int'l since September 1948. For more information, see [http://threadex.rcc-acis.org Threadex]}}
|collapsed               = Y
|single line             = Y
|Jan record high F       = 79
|Feb record high F       = 82
|Mar record high F       = 91
|Apr record high F       = 96
|May record high F       = 98
|Jun record high F       = 104
|Jul record high F       = 104
|Aug record high F       = 104
|Sep record high F       = 104
|Oct record high F       = 99
|Nov record high F       = 85
|Dec record high F       = 80
|year record high F      = 104
|Jan avg record high F   = 70.6
|Feb avg record high F   = 73.6
|Mar avg record high F   = 81.6
|Apr avg record high F   = 85.9
|May avg record high F   = 90.4
|Jun avg record high F   = 94.7
|Jul avg record high F   = 97.0
|Aug avg record high F   = 96.1
|Sep avg record high F   = 92.0
|Oct avg record high F   = 85.6
|Nov avg record high F   = 77.8
|Dec avg record high F   = 71.2
|year avg record high F  = 98.0
|Jan high F              = 52.3
|Feb high F              = 56.6
|Mar high F              = 64.2
|Apr high F              = 73.2
|May high F              = 80.1
|Jun high F              = 86.9
|Jul high F              = 90.3
|Aug high F              = 88.6
|Sep high F              = 82.8
|Oct high F              = 73.3
|Nov high F              = 62.9
|Dec high F              = 54.9
|year high F             = 72.2
|Jan mean F              = 42.1
|Feb mean F              = 45.7
|Mar mean F              = 52.7
|Apr mean F              = 61.1
|May mean F              = 69.0
|Jun mean F              = 76.6
|Jul mean F              = 80.1
|Aug mean F              = 78.6
|Sep mean F              = 72.7
|Oct mean F              = 61.9
|Nov mean F              = 51.4
|Dec mean F              = 44.7
|year mean F             = 61.4
|Jan low F               = 31.8
|Feb low F               = 34.9
|Mar low F               = 41.2
|Apr low F               = 49.1
|May low F               = 58.0
|Jun low F               = 66.2
|Jul low F               = 69.9
|Aug low F               = 68.7
|Sep low F               = 62.6
|Oct low F               = 50.4
|Nov low F               = 39.8
|Dec low F               = 34.5
|year low F              = 50.6
|Jan avg record low F    = 14.8
|Feb avg record low F    = 19.3
|Mar avg record low F    = 23.7
|Apr avg record low F    = 32.9
|May avg record low F    = 43.3
|Jun avg record low F    = 55.5
|Jul avg record low F    = 62.2
|Aug avg record low F    = 60.0
|Sep avg record low F    = 49.8
|Oct avg record low F    = 33.9
|Nov avg record low F    = 23.8
|Dec avg record low F    = 19.6
|year avg record low F   = 12.6
|Jan record low F        = −5
|Feb record low F        = −5
|Mar record low F        = 4
|Apr record low F        = 21
|May record low F        = 32
|Jun record low F        = 45
|Jul record low F        = 53
|Aug record low F        = 50
|Sep record low F        = 38
|Oct record low F        = 24
|Nov record low F        = 11
|Dec record low F        = −5
|precipitation colour    = green
|Jan precipitation inch  = 3.49
|Feb precipitation inch  = 3.13
|Mar precipitation inch  = 3.95
|Apr precipitation inch  = 3.84
|May precipitation inch  = 3.36
|Jun precipitation inch  = 3.99
|Jul precipitation inch  = 3.74
|Aug precipitation inch  = 4.35
|Sep precipitation inch  = 3.71
|Oct precipitation inch  = 3.16
|Nov precipitation inch  = 3.31
|Dec precipitation inch  = 3.57
|year precipitation inch = 43.60
|Jan snow inch           = 1.6
|Feb snow inch           = 1.1
|Mar snow inch           = 0.3
|Apr snow inch           = 0.0
|May snow inch           = 0.0
|Jun snow inch           = 0.0
|Jul snow inch           = 0.0
|Aug snow inch           = 0.0
|Sep snow inch           = 0.0
|Oct snow inch           = 0.0
|Nov snow inch           = 0.1
|Dec snow inch           = 0.4
|year snow inch          = 3.5
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days  = 10.3
|Feb precipitation days  = 9.7
|Mar precipitation days  = 10.2
|Apr precipitation days  = 9.0
|May precipitation days  = 9.5
|Jun precipitation days  = 10.6
|Jul precipitation days  = 10.5
|Aug precipitation days  = 10.1
|Sep precipitation days  = 7.7
|Oct precipitation days  = 7.1
|Nov precipitation days  = 8.1
|Dec precipitation days  = 9.6
|year precipitation days = 112.4
|unit snow days          = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days           = 0.9
|Feb snow days           = 0.5
|Mar snow days           = 0.2
|Apr snow days           = 0.0
|May snow days           = 0.0
|Jun snow days           = 0.0
|Jul snow days           = 0.0
|Aug snow days           = 0.0
|Sep snow days           = 0.0
|Oct snow days           = 0.0
|Nov snow days           = 0.0
|Dec snow days           = 0.3
|year snow days          = 1.9
|Jan humidity            = 65.7
|Feb humidity            = 61.8
|Mar humidity            = 61.5
|Apr humidity            = 59.3
|May humidity            = 66.9
|Jun humidity            = 69.6
|Jul humidity            = 72.2
|Aug humidity            = 73.5
|Sep humidity            = 73.3
|Oct humidity            = 69.9
|Nov humidity            = 67.6
|Dec humidity            = 67.3
|year humidity           = 67.4
|Jan sun                 = 173.3
|Feb sun                 = 180.3
|Mar sun                 = 234.8
|Apr sun                 = 269.6
|May sun                 = 292.1
|Jun sun                 = 289.2
|Jul sun                 = 290.0
|Aug sun                 = 272.9
|Sep sun                 = 241.4
|Oct sun                 = 230.5
|Nov sun                 = 178.4
|Dec sun                 = 168.5
|Jan percentsun          = 55
|Feb percentsun          = 59
|Mar percentsun          = 63
|Apr percentsun          = 69
|May percentsun          = 67
|Jun percentsun          = 66
|Jul percentsun          = 66
|Aug percentsun          = 65
|Sep percentsun          = 65
|Oct percentsun          = 66
|Nov percentsun          = 58
|Dec percentsun          = 55
|year percentsun         = 63
|Jan dew point C         = −2.6
|Feb dew point C         = −1.9
|Mar dew point C         = 2.4
|Apr dew point C         = 6.4
|May dew point C         = 12.7
|Jun dew point C         = 17.2
|Jul dew point C         = 19.5
|Aug dew point C         = 19.3
|Sep dew point C         = 16.2
|Oct dew point C         = 9.7
|Nov dew point C         = 4.2
|Dec dew point C         = −0.4
|Jan uv                  = 3
|Feb uv                  = 4
|Mar uv                  = 6
|Apr uv                  = 8
|May uv                  = 9
|Jun uv                  = 10
|Jul uv                  = 10
|Aug uv                  = 9
|Sep uv                  = 8
|Oct uv                  = 5
|Nov uv                  = 3
|Dec uv                  = 2
|source 1                = NOAA (relative humidity, dew point, and sun 1961–1990)<ref name = "NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (GSP)">{{cite web |url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=gsp |title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date = May 4, 2021}}</ref><ref name="NCDC txt KCLT">{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505003426/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00013881&format=pdf |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00013881&format=pdf |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020 |access-date=May 4, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name = "WMO 1961–90 KCLT" >{{cite web |url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP3/72314.TXT |title = WMO Climate Normals for CHARLOTTE/DOUGLAS INT'L ARPT NC 1961–1990 |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = July 18, 2020}}</ref>
|source 2                = Weather Atlas<ref name="Weather Atlas">{{cite web |url=https://www.weather-us.com/en/north-carolina-usa/charlotte-climate |title=Charlotte, North Carolina, USA - Monthly weather forecast and Climate data |publisher=Weather Atlas |access-date=14 June 2019 }}</ref> (UV index)
}}