North Carolina
From crops to ski slopes: The rising cost of warmer winters in North Carolina
North Carolina’s winters are
warming at an alarming rate, bringing unpredictable weather, reduced snowfall,
and a host of challenges for agriculture, tourism, and daily life. From
disrupted farming cycles to ski resorts struggling to make snow, the effects of
this climate shift are felt across the state— and experts warn it’s only going
to get worse.
Winter temperatures in North
Carolina have been steadily rising, with significant consequences for
agriculture, local communities and tourism. Since 1970, Raleigh has warmed by
about 5.7°F, surpassing the national average. This warming trend is part of a
broader pattern across the U.S., where winters have warmed by about 4°F on
average since 1970, with meteorological winter —spanning December through
February — being the fastest-warming season.
Jacob Sheff, an atmospheric
scientist at UNC Charlotte, attributes this rise in temperatures largely to
human activity. “The fossil fuels we burn create a blanket around the earth,
and we’re sort of inadvertently making that blanket thicker and thicker,” he
says. “Now, it’s much more difficult for us to have snow here in North
Carolina.” Sheff says that it’s becoming harder to get cold enough for snow as
the overall climate warms.
Warm winter ahead: WRAL Severe Weather outlook doesn’t look good for snow lovers
This prolonged warm season is
impacting agriculture. Michelle Pace Davis, with Pace Family Farms in Clayton,
has noticed the effects of recent erratic weather, from heavy rain to drought.
She also says it’s harder to keep pests at bay. “With these warmer winters,
pests can survive longer and affect our crops more, and that, in turn,
increases costs,” she says.
Warmer temperatures extend the growing season, but
they also bring new challenges for farmers, who now have to contend with pests
that would typically die off in the cold.
The longer warm season also
extends the mosquito and allergy seasons. Lauren Casey, a meteorologist with
Climate Central, notes that warmer winters are affecting health in a variety of
ways. “In the past, we could count on the cold weather to kill off mosquitoes
and keep allergies at bay, but now we’re seeing them stick around longer,” she
explains.
In Raleigh, there are now 27 more days suitable for mosquitoes than
in 1980, which increases the risk of health-related diseases.
“Nearly 14
million kids suffer from seasonal allergies, and longer allergy seasons mean
more suffering from congestion and sneezing,” Casey said.
In addition to the health and
agricultural impacts, warmer winters are bringing more intense rainstorms.
“When it rains these days, it’s raining about seven or eight percent harder
than it used to,” Sheff says. This increased rainfall can strain local water
systems and complicate flood management, especially as more moisture is in the
air due to warmer temperatures.
While milder conditions may
benefit some, the region’s ski resorts are feeling the effects of reduced
snowfall.
“We used to get about six or seven days in a row of weather cold
enough to make snow, but now it’s just two or three,” says Shawn Cassell, marketing
director at Snowshoe Mountain Resort. “We really have to weatherproof ourselves
for those upswings, making more snow in tighter windows than we ever had
before.”
Sheff warns that as the
planet continues to warm, North Carolina — and the world — will face more
disruptions to weather patterns, agriculture, and local economies.
Looking ahead, North Carolina
faces increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. “We’re seeing a rise in
warmer-than-normal winter days, which has a ripple effect on everything from
water supply to pest survival,” says Casey. “With warmer winters, mold season
is lasting longer, as mold thrives in these conditions.”
As these effects become more
pronounced, adapting to these changes will be essential for maintaining the
state’s economy, infrastructure and quality of life.
North Carolina
2026 primary turnout report released for eastern NC counties; see your county’s numbers
Here are the voter turnout numbers for the 2026 primary election, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Hyde County had the highest voter turnout, while Onslow County had the lowest turnout. Check out what the voter turnout in your county was below:
BERTIE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
31.85% (3,911 out of 12,280)
CARTERET COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
29.06% (16,543 out of 56,931)
CRAVEN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
18.63% (14,119 out of 75,778)
DUPLIN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
21.93% (6,981 out of 31,832)
EDGECOMBE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
18.16% (6,428 out of 35,396)
GREENE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
19.70% (2,147 out of 10,900)
HYDE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
37.27% (1,123 out of 3,013)
JONES COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
25.91% (1,805 out of 6,966)
LENOIR COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
16.73% (6,251 out of 37,371)
MARTIN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
17.61% (2,858 out of 16,228)
ONSLOW COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
11.44% (14,816 out of 129,537)
PAMLICO COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
24.03% (2,446 out of 10,180)
PITT COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
15.71% (19,429 out of 123,705)
TYRRELL COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
30.49% (723 out of 2,371)
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
28.66% (2,312 out of 8,067)
WAYNE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
21.49% (16,408 out of 76,358)
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 6:41PM
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina schools and businesses took part in a statewide tornado drill Wednesday morning as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week.
The National Weather Service led the drill at 9:30 a.m., broadcasting it on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System. Schools, workplaces and households across the state were encouraged to join in.
The National Weather Service didn’t issue a follow up alert to mark the end of the drill. Instead, each school or business wrapped up once they felt they had practiced the procedures thoroughly.
Wednesday’s drill also replaced the regular weekly NOAA Weather Radio test.
SEE | New warning for parents amid new ‘fire-breathing’ social media trend
Make sure to download the ABC 11 Mobile App ABC11 North Carolina Apps for Connected TV, Mobile News, Echo
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Nida Allam in 2022; Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) in 2025.
Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
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Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee holds a narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam in the Democratic primary for North Carolina’s 4th Congressional district as ballots continue to be counted.
In a race seen as an early test of whether Democratic voters desire generational change within the party, Foushee holds a lead of just over 1,000 votes with 99% of results in so far, according to the Associated Press.
Under state law, provisional votes will be counted in the coming days in a district that includes Durham and Chapel Hill. If the election results end up within a 1% margin, Allam could request a recount.
Successfully ousting an incumbent lawmaker is often extremely difficult and rare. However, there have been recent upsets in races as some voters are calling for new leaders and several sitting members of Congress face primary challengers this cycle.
Allam, a 32-year-old Durham County Commissioner, is running to the left of Foushee, 69, framing her candidacy as part of a broader rejection of longtime Democratic norms.
On the campaign trail, Allam ran on an anti-establishment message, pledging to be a stronger fighter than Foushee in Congress, both in standing up against President Trump’s agenda and when pushing for more ambitious policy.
“North Carolina is a purple state that often gets labeled red, but we’re not a red state,” she told NPR in an interview last month, emphasizing the need to address affordability concerns. “We are a state of working-class folks who just want their elected officials to champion the issues that are impacting them.”
She drew a contrast with the congresswoman on immigration, voicing support for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Foushee has declined to go that far, advocating instead for ICE to be defunded and for broader reforms to the federal immigration system.
Allam also clashed with Foushee over U.S. policy towards Israel. As a vocal opponent of Israel’s war in Gaza, Allam swore off campaign donations from pro-Israel lobbying groups, such as AIPAC, and repeatedly criticized Foushee for previously accepting such funds.
Though Foushee announced last year that she would not accept AIPAC donations this cycle, she and Allam continued to spar over the broader role of outside spending in the race.
Their matchup comes four years after the candidates first squared off in 2022, when Allam lost to Foushee in what became the most expensive primary in the state’s history, with outside groups spending more than $3.8 million.
However, this year is poised to break that record. Outside groups have reported spending more than $4.4 million on the primary matchup, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
WUNC’s Colin Campbell contributed to this report.
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