Grandfather Mountain is a rugged place known for its wild and fast-changing weather. While no records were set or broken in 2024, the year saw Tropical Storm Helene strike the area in late September, bringing with it high winds, significant rainfall and flooding. Despite its severe impact on the region, the nature park was very fortunate to receive only minor damage.
That said, Grandfather’s official weather reporting stations did have equipment go out during the storm, which resulted in a few days of missing wind and temperature data for that month and into October. Staff members were also not able to access the sites to record precipitation measurements in the immediate aftermath of the storm.
Nonetheless, the data that was available and collected reflects some of the extreme conditions that the mountain experienced during Helene, including the second-highest monthly rain total on record for September.
Some other notable highlights from the year, and how they compare to Grandfather’s 70 years of recorded data, are included below.
Precipitation
The station at the Swinging Bridge observed 74.61 inches of rain for the year over 209 days, shy of the mountain’s standing records of a cumulative 110.67 inches in 2018 and 242 days of precipitation in 2020.
The rainiest month in 2024 was September, when 21.13 inches were recorded over 23 days (not including three days of missing data from Helene), matching the record high number of days of precipitation for this month seen in 2020. The driest month of 2024 was June, with only 0.95 inches – the second-lowest total on record for this month – observed.
January’s 7.94 inches of precipitation was the fifth-highest total on record for the month.
July 2024 saw at least trace amounts of rain on 25 days, one day short of the record 26 days in 1982 and matching 1994 and 2019. Likewise, May had 24 days with rainfall, one day short of the record 25 days in 2009 and matching 1986, 2020 and 2022.
Grandfather Mountain reported 31.9 inches of snow in 2024, as observed at the park’s Wilson Center. Snow accumulation is measured at this lower location, as high winds can make it difficult to record accurate observations at the top.
The mountain’s snowiest year on record remains 1996, when the park observed 116.7 inches of accumulation.
Wind
Grandfather Mountain recorded no sustained wind speeds or gusts higher than 100 mph in 2024, although it came closest in April, when a gust of 95.2 mph was recorded at the Swinging Bridge.
Meanwhile, winds gusted higher than 60 mph on 47 days in 2024 (not including when the equipment was offline following Helene).
The record wind speed at that location, since a National Weather Service-approved anemometer was installed in February 2007, remains a gust of 124 mph, recorded Feb. 25, 2019.
Temperatures
Known for its temperature swings, Grandfather Mountain experienced temperatures ranging from minus 5.1 to 77.7 degrees Fahrenheit in 2024. The mountain’s warmest day in 2024 was recorded on July 14, when the temperature hit 77.7 degrees. The park’s coldest day was Jan. 21, when the temperature dipped to a low of minus 5.1 degrees. A wind chill of minus 34.41 was noted that same day.
Overall, 2024 saw fairly standard temperatures. The average high temperature for the year was 53.40 degrees, while the average low was 41.56 degrees.
Grandfather’s warmest days on record saw the thermometer reach 83 degrees in August 1983, July 2005 and July 2010, while the mountain’s record low remains minus 32 degrees from January 1985.
Weather Reporting
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 N.C. State Climate Office assists the foundation in calibrating the machines and ensuring overall accuracy of data.
- Grandfather Mountain has been an active member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Cooperative Observer Program since 1955 by reporting weather data from locations near the Mile High Swinging Bridge and the Nature Museum (now the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery).
For more information on weather at Grandfather Mountain, visit www.grandfather.com/weather. Also see our Monthly Weather Reports.