Raleigh - Hottest Decades

Ranked here are the hottest decades on record for Raleigh, North Carolina. The lists include decades when Raleigh had the highest average temperatures, the most hot days and the fewest cold days. These extremes are for temperatures observed at Raleigh—Durham International Airport and cover seven decades, from the 1950s to the 2010s.

That is when Raleigh 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 Raleigh
High °F Decade High °C
Highest 72.2 2010s 22.3
Runner-up 71.8 2000s 22.1

Warmest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at Raleigh
Low °F Decade Low °C
Highest 51.0 2010s 10.6
Runner-up 49.8 2000s 9.9

Most Warm Days

Total days per year on average when Raleigh had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 215 2010s, 2000s
Runner-up 212 1990s

Most Hot Days

Total days per year on average when Raleigh had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 59 2010
Runner-up 53 2000

Fewest Freezing Days

Total days per year on average when Raleigh had temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Lowest 63 2010s, 1990s
Runner-up 68 2000s

How Much Hotter are 2010s?

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

  • 19 more days each year with temperatures of 90 °F and higher
  • 1.5 °F higher daily maximum temperatures (0.9 °C)
  • 2.6 °F higher daily minimum temperatures (1.4 °C)
  • 12 fewer days a year with freezing temperatures
References

Current Results. 2020. Raleigh 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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