December 2023 saw heavy rainfall on Grandfather Mountain, according to data recorded at the park's official weather reporting stations.
The average high temperature for December 2023 was 40.41 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average low of 28.91 degrees and a high of 34.66 degrees.
The warmest temperature on record last month was 52.7 degrees on December 2, more than 10 degrees shy of the mountain's December high of 63 degrees, which was recorded on December 7, 1956. Overall, December sees the weather conditions Winter on Grandfather Mountain.
December 19 witnessed the coldest temperature recorded last month, at 6.6 degrees. A wind chill with a temperature of 20.65 degrees below zero was observed on the same day. Negative wind chills were also recorded on December 6, 7, 11, 18, and 29. The lowest temperature observed on Grandfather Mountain in December (not counting the wind chill) was 21 degrees below zero on December 25, 1983.
The weather station on the Mile High Swinging Bridge observed six days in December with wind gusts exceeding 60 mph. On December 18, the weather station at the top recorded a wind gust of 83.7 mph, while the highest sustained wind speed of the month was recorded at 49 mph on December 10. The highest wind speed ever recorded on Grandfather Mountain was 124 mph, it was noted. February 25, 2019.
The weather station near the Swinging Bridge reported 9.44 inches of rain in December 2023, the fourth-highest total on record for the month. Mountaintop precipitation includes rain and its liquid equivalent i.e. frozen precipitation (where applicable).
Observations recorded near the park's Wilson Nature Discovery Center totaled 11.36 inches of rain and 4 inches of snowfall was also observed during the month. Rainfall is also measured at the latter location, as high winds can make it difficult to take accurate observations at the top.
The wettest December on the mountain was recorded in 2018, when 10.70 inches was observed near the bridge. The driest December on record was observed in 1965, when 0.55 inches was measured at the top.
There were at least 20 days of trace amounts of liquid precipitation on record (rain and liquid equivalents of freezing precipitation, where applicable) in December 2023, two days short of the record 22 days in 1972 and 1981. The highest amount of this precipitation observed was on December 26, when 3.43 inches was recorded at the top. (Note, the mountain was closed on December 25 for Christmas, and any precipitation from that day was later recorded on December 26.) This measurement roughly matches the day with the highest amount of precipitation recorded for December, which was on December 26. On September 28, 1958, when the weather station observed 3.46 inches.
Weather reports
The Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation records and reports data in two different ways:
- The park maintains an automated weather station at the top of the Mile High Swinging Bridge. The NC State Climate Office helps the organization calibrate the machines and ensure the overall accuracy of the data.
- Grandfather Mountain has been an active member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Observing Program since 1955 by reporting weather data from sites near the Mile High Swinging Bridge and the Museum of Nature (now the Wilson Nature Discovery Center).
For more information about Grandfather Mountain weather, visit www.grandfather.com/weather.
The non-profit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation seeks to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and appreciate the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. For more information visit www.grandfather.com.
