Charlotte - Hottest Decades

Ranked here are the hottest decades on record for Charlotte, North Carolina. The lists include decades when Charlotte had the highest average temperatures, the most hot days and the fewest cold days. These extremes are for temperatures observed at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and cover eight decades, from the 1940s to the 2010s.

That is when Charlotte had weather measurements that are consistent and complete enough to compare decades. Each decade comprises a standard 10-year range. For instance, the 1990s includes measurements from Jan 1, 1990 to Dec 31, 1999. Links to the data behind these lists are in the References section on this page.

Hottest High Temperatures

Average daily maximum temperature at Charlotte
High °F Decade High °C
Highest 72.9 2010s 22.7
Runner-up 72.3 1950s 22.4

Warmest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at Charlotte
Low °F Decade Low °C
Highest 51.6 1990s 10.9
Runner-up 50.9 2010s 10.5

Most Warm Days

Total days per year on average when Charlotte had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 221 2010s
Runner-up 213 1990s, 1940s

Most Hot Days

Total days per year on average when Charlotte had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 62 2010s
Runner-up 61 1950s

Fewest Freezing Days

Total days per year on average when Charlotte had temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Lowest 44 1990s
Runner-up 61 2010s

How Much Hotter are 2010s?

Compared with averages for the previous 50 years (1960 to 2009), the 2010s in Charlotte had:

  • 23 more days each year with temperatures of 90 °F and higher
  • 2.1 °F higher daily maximum temperatures (1.2 °C)
  • 1.1 °F higher daily minimum temperatures (0.6 °C)
  • 2 fewer days a year with freezing temperatures
References

Current Results. 2020. Charlotte NC Temperature Averages by Decade

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

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