This past winter (Dec 1, 2024 – Feb 28, 2025) brought a mix of unseasonable warmth early on, a sharp mid-winter cold snap, and overall drier conditions to the foothills and western Piedmont of North Carolina. Across towns from Morganton to Tryon (and up to the high elevations of Jonas Ridge and Little Switzerland), average temperatures ended up slightly colder than the long-term normal and precipitation totals fell short of historical averages. Snow did make a comeback after two virtually snowless winters, but seasonal snowfall remained below normal in most spots. In this post, we’ll break down the numbers for temperature, rainfall, and snowfall in each community, and explore the weather patterns – from a persistent La Niña to an Arctic jet stream plunge – that shaped this winter’s climate.
Temperature: Balancing Warm Spells and Arctic Chill
Overall, winter temperatures in these North Carolina foothills towns were slightly cooler than average. Early December saw periods of unusual warmth (with highs touching the 70s °F in some areas) before true winter cold arrived. January in particular was markedly frigid, offsetting the milder periods of December and late February. A deep trough in the jet stream funneled Arctic air into the region for an extended stretch in January. As a result, many places had one of their coldest Januarys in decades. For example, Morganton experienced its 9th-coolest January on record, a remarkable feat given records there date back to the 1880s. This mid-winter cold snap dragged the three-month mean temperature slightly below normal in Morganton and surrounding areas. By contrast, December 2024 had been relatively mild statewide (North Carolina’s 41st-warmest December of the past 130 years), and a brief late-February warm spell helped moderate the seasonal average somewhat.
To quantify the deviation: most of these towns ended up around 1°F colder than their historical winter average (e.g. an average temperature ~40°F versus a norm of ~41°F). Hickory, for instance, typically averages about 42°F in winter, and finished near 40–41°F this year (pending today’s data). While that –1°F departure may sound small, it’s notable because it was driven by an exceptionally cold January. In fact, January was the first month since mid-2023 with below-normal temperatures statewide. Daytime highs struggled to climb above freezing on multiple days, and overnight lows plummeted into the teens and single digits during the coldest spell in late January. Arctic high-pressure systems parking over the Southeast produced a level of sustained cold rarely seen in recent winters. For additional context, Wilmington (on the coast) had its coldest January since 2011, and western NC locations like Cullowhee and Morganton all ranked in their top-ten coldest Januarys on record. This demonstrates how anomalous the mid-winter chill was. Fortunately, the extremes didn’t persist all season – by the end of February, temperatures had rebounded to above-normal levels, helping ensure that the winter as a whole was only modestly cooler than average, rather than record-breakingly cold.
Precipitation: From December Downpours to Winter Drought
Rainfall (and melted snow) was generally below normal across our nine outlined communities for the winter, largely due to an exceptionally dry January. The season got off to a wet start in December for the foothills. Several heavy rain events in early and late December dumped well above-average rainfall in western NC. Marion, for example, recorded 7.24 inches of precipitation in December, which was +2.83″ above normal and ranked as its 12th-wettest December on record. Nearby areas like Mount Airy and the high peaks saw similar drenchings. This early surplus put winter precipitation on a strong footing; however, the taps shut off in the new year.
January 2025 was abnormally dry. A persistent storm track kept most significant rain (and snow) events either west of the Appalachians or up in Virginia, leaving North Carolina in a precipitation void. By the end of the month, much of western NC had logged one of its top-ten driest Januarys on record. Marion received only 0.78 inches of precipitation for the entire month – roughly 17% of its normal January rainfall. Likewise, Hickory saw only around 1 inch in January (its 7th-driest on record), compared to the ~3.8 inches it typically gets. Shelby, Rutherfordton, and Lincolnton all tallied under 2 inches for January as well . These low totals (on the order of 25–30% of normal precipitation for the month) effectively erased the cushion built up in December. As a result, seasonal precipitation totals fell below normal in most of these locations. For instance, Marion’s winter total ended up around ~11 inches (versus ~12.6″ normally), and Hickory’s was about ~10.5″ (vs ~12.6″ normal), both a deficit on the order of 10–15% less rainfall than usual.
Winter drought takes hold
North Carolina entered winter with areas of moderate drought (left map, Dec 31, 2024), and by early February 2025 (right map), dryness had expanded across almost the entire state . The foothills region saw precipitation deficits of 6–8″ since the fall , contributing to emerging drought conditions. Though the counties immediately east of the Blue Ridge are currently not in a drought of any kind, it is dry there too. The last week of February has seen a lot of dry air that has increased evaporation of moisture out of the fine fuels at record rates.
Even though February brought some precipitation, it was not enough to fully make up the shortfall. A late-February coastal storm largely missed the western Piedmont, and no prolonged wet period materialized. By the end of winter, cumulative rainfall deficits of a few inches were common. The U.S. Drought Monitor showed abnormally dry to moderate drought (D0–D1) conditions encompassing much of western NC by late February. This is unusual, as winter is normally when soil moisture recharges; instead, drought actually intensified over the winter months . The combination of December’s ample rain and the sparse rainfall thereafter left a tricky tally: western NC finished the winter with 75–90% of normal precipitation overall, with the biggest deficits in January. In short, it was a winter of boom then bust in rainfall – an initial surplus wiped out by weeks of dryness.
Snowfall: Modest Accumulations After Two Snowless Winters
Snow finally returned this season after two winters with virtually no snowfall in the region, though totals remained below historical averages. Early December gave a taste of winter weather when light snow fell on December 3. Higher elevations like Jonas Ridge saw up to 4 inches of accumulation from that event, while parts of western Piedmont (e.g., Morganton, and Marion) picked up a dusting to 2 inches. However, much of December’s precipitation fell as rain, and the snow quickly melted.
The real snowfall arrived in January, delivered by a mid-month winter storm. On January 10–11, a classic Gulf low-pressure system spread moisture into a cold air mass entrenched over NC. This storm brought significant snow to far-inland and northern sections of the state. In our region, the northern foothills got several inches of snow: up to 6–7″ fell around West Jefferson and Mount Airy in the northwest Piedmont and about 4″ in Boone. Amounts tapered off further south. Hickory and Lenoir received roughly 2 inches, coating the ground in white. To the south, Lincolnton measured 1.2″ of snow, and Shelby and Tryon saw around an inch or less (with some ice mixing). Meanwhile, Jonas Ridge – at 3,600+ feet in Burke County – recorded around 6–8″ from this storm (nearby Grandfather Mountain had 6.9″ ). For many of these communities, it was the most snowfall in a single month in several years, effectively snapping the “snow drought” that had persisted since 2021.
Downtown Mount Airy during the January snow. Many North Carolina towns saw their first significant snowfall in years on January 10, 2025. In the foothills, accumulations were generally light (1–3″), but the sight of falling snow was welcome after two nearly snowless winters.
Late January saw a second winter event on the 21st–22nd, but that storm’s heaviest snow fell east of our area (places like Raleigh and northeastern NC got 2–4″). The foothills mostly dodged that one or saw just a brief period of sleet. By season’s end, total snowfall amounts were modest: on the order of 2–4 inches for Morganton, Marion, Lenoir, Hickory, and surrounding towns, which is still below their historical winter averages (generally ~5″+ for those areas). Lincolnton, Shelby, and Tryon, which normally expect only ~2–3″ of snow, finished with about 1–2″ this winter – a bit low, but at least not zero. Jonas Ridge stood out with the highest total (approximately 8–10″ over the three months). Yet, even there, it may have been a lighter snow season than usual (high-elevation locales in the NC mountains often average well over a foot of snow). For perspective, major cities just to the east, like Charlotte, recorded only 1.0″ of snow for the winter, versus a normal of 3.5″, and Greensboro got 3.4″ vs. its normal 7.1″. So, our region was not alone in having below-average snowfall – it was a common theme across North Carolina despite multiple winter storms. Each time, either the snow was fairly light, or the storm track shifted, preventing any blockbuster snows.
Winter Climate Summary by Location
To summarize the numbers for each community, the table below highlights the winter 2024-25 climate stats versus the historical averages:
Weather Patterns and Climate Influences
Several larger-scale climate patterns contributed to the winter’s character. Notably, La Niña conditions re-emerged in the Pacific Ocean by December. La Niña – the cool phase of the ENSO cycle – often brings warmer and drier winters to the Southeast U.S. (historically, NC winters during La Niñas average about 2–3″ less rain than El Niño winters, and slightly warmer temps). True to form, The Climate Predictions Center outlook had called for increased odds of a mild, dry winter in our area. Indeed, drought had already begun to creep in by late fall following Helene, and there was concern that La Niña would exacerbate rainfall deficits. This forecast largely panned out – especially regarding precipitation. The below-normal rainfall and expanding drought we observed aligns with a typical La Niña pattern. By contrast, the temperature outcome was a bit of a surprise. Instead of persistent warmth, January turned out quite cold in the Carolinas, defying the usual La Niña tendency for milder winters here.
The culprit for the cold was a high-amplitude jet stream pattern. A strong ridge of high pressure over the western U.S. and a corresponding trough over the East created a pipeline for Arctic air masses to plunge southward. This pattern was influenced by shorter-term atmospheric oscillations (such as the North Atlantic Oscillation, or NAO, which can swing between allowing Arctic outbreaks or blocking them). The state climate office noted that factors beyond ENSO – like the NAO – were primarily responsible for our winter temperatures in NC . In January 2025, it appears the NAO/AO (Arctic Oscillation) went strongly negative, opening the door to the cold blast. This shows how variable our winter climate can be: a backdrop of La Niña gave us dryness and fewer storms (as expected), but one well-timed jet stream dip delivered an atypical cold spell that defined the season’s temperature story.
Another noteworthy influence was the lack of Gulf moisture for stretches of mid-winter. The polar jet stream dominance meant that few Gulf Coast lows tracked our way aside from the early January snow-maker. This kept February’s precipitation in check as well, even as temperatures moderated. The storm track often stayed to our north (clipper systems) or well to our south/east (coastal storms). Thus, the region missed out on both heavy rain and any big snowstorms, reinforcing the drier and somewhat cooler outcome.
Looking Back and Moving Forward
In summary, winter 2024-25 was cooler, drier, and less snowy than normal for Morganton, Marion, Lenoir, Hickory, Lincolnton, Shelby, Rutherfordton, Tryon, and Jonas Ridge. It was a season of contrasts: near-record rainfall in December followed by near-record dryness in January, and a long overdue snowfall that still fell short of what winter lovers might hope for. The mean temperature across the region ended up a touch below average, thanks largely to one of the coldest Januarys in recent memory. Total precipitation for the three months was below normal (on the order of 8–12″ instead of the typical 10–15″), contributing to a wintertime drought expansion not seen in over a decade. Snowfall totals were small – just a few inches for most – but psychologically, even a light coating felt significant after two virtually snowless winters.
Several contextual factors help explain these outcomes. A third consecutive La Niña winter set the stage for dryness, while a persistently wavy jet stream brought bursts of extreme cold. These patterns illustrate the complex interplay between oceanic influences and atmospheric variability. The season will be remembered for snapping the snow drought (finally seeing flakes fly again) and for its flip-flop from soggy to bone-dry. It serves as a reminder that North Carolina’s winter climate can swing between extremes even within a single season.
As we head into spring, the effects of the winter drought will bear watching – groundwater and streamflow are running low in the eastern and southern foothills. But with the climatological wet season of spring on the horizon, there is hope for recovery. Likewise, after this eventful winter, residents have been reintroduced to the concept of snow boots and ice scrapers, even if only briefly. In-depth analyses like these highlight how each season can write its own story: this winter’s tale was one of contrast and catch-up, balancing early excess with later scarcity. Future winters, especially if an El Niño eventually develops, could bring a very different script – perhaps one with more consistent rainfall or even a significant snow. Until then, we can reflect on Winter 2024-25 as a season that kept us on our toes, delivering both surprises and snapshots of weather we hadn’t seen in years.
Sources: Preliminary climate data and rankings are from the North Carolina State Climate Office and NOAA/NCEI. Notable statistics include Marion’s December rainfall surplus and January deficit , January cold rankings for Morganton and Hickory , and snowfall/snow drought information from the NC Climate Blog . Climate pattern context (La Niña and jet stream effects) is based on analyses by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center and the NC State Climate Office . All data are compared against the 30-year normals (1991–2020 averages) .