Pictured: As observed at the National Weather Service recording station near the Mile High Swinging Bridge, Grandfather Mountain recorded average weather for the month of April 2021. Photo by Monty Combs | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation
Data recorded at the official National Weather Service reporting station at Grandfather Mountain’s Mile High Swinging Bridge indicated average April weather at the Linville, N.C., nature park.
The lowest temperature observed in April 2021 was 10° Fahrenheit on April 2. The lowest recorded temperature ever observed on Grandfather Mountain in the month of April was 5° on April 7, 1982.
The warmest day recorded in April 2021 was 69° on April 8, 28 and 30 — 11 degrees shy of the mountain’s record April high of 80°, recorded April 7, 2010.
The average high temperature for the month was 53.9°, with an average low of 36.4°, for an April 2021 mean of 45.2°.
On April 30, the station recorded a wind gust of 86.2 mph, while the highest sustained wind speed clocked in at 72.1 that same day.
As observed at the park’s nature museum, the mountain saw 4.13 inches of precipitation in April. Precipitation is measured at this lower elevation, as high winds make it difficult to record accurate observations at the top.
The mountain’s rainiest April was recorded in 1987, when 10.83 inches of rain were observed. The driest April on record was recorded in 1975, when only .72 inches were measured.
No significant snowfall was recorded in April 2021. The snowiest April on record was in 1987, when 28.5 total inches of snow were recorded.
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 daily temperature, precipitation and weather events from locations near the Mile High Swinging Bridge and the Nature Museum.
For more information on weather at Grandfather Mountain, visit http://bit.ly/gfmweather.
The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. Click here to book your visit.