Geography Wilmington, North Carolina

welcome wilmington sign

wilmington located @ 34°13′24″n 77°54′44″w / 34.22333°n 77.91222°w / 34.22333; -77.91222. eastern terminus of interstate 40, east-west freeway ends 2,554 miles away @ barstow, california, joins i-15, gateway southern california. road passes through many major cities , state capitals along way.

according united states census bureau, city has total area of 41.5 square miles (107 km). 41.0 square miles (106 km) of land , 0.5 square miles (1.3 km) of (1.16%) water. wrightsville beach popular destination in wilmington area. carolina , kure beaches add city s beach attractions.

climate

wilmington has humid subtropical climate (köppen cfa), following characteristics:

winters mild january highs in mid 50s °f (11–14 °c) , lows in mid 30s °f (1–3 °c). snowfall not occur in years, , when does, light.
spring reasonably lengthy, beginning in late february , lasting may. presence of abundant dense vegetation in area causes significant pollen dusting in springtime tends turn rooftops , cars yellow.
summer brings high humidity, daily high temperatures ranging upper 80s lower 90s °f (31–34 °c), , daily low temperatures 70 75 °f. heat indices can break 100 °f (38 °c) mark, though actual temperature not in years. due proximity of warm atlantic ocean waters , prevailing tropical-system tracks, wilmington area subject hurricane or tropical storm activity, august october, average frequency of once every 7 years. such tropical systems can bring high winds , heavy rains, 4 or more inches in single tropical system. precipitation in wilmington occurs year-round. april driest month, less 3 inches of rain on average, , july september wettest months, on 7 inches of rain each, on average. in average year, july september period delivers 40% of annual rainfall.
autumn humid @ beginning, threat tropical weather systems (hurricanes, tropical storms , tropical depressions) peaking in september. of deciduous trees may lose leaves; however, trees in area evergreens , remain green year-round.

normal january mean temperature: 46.0 °f (7.8 °c). coldest month in recorded history january 1977, averaging 35.7 °f (2.1 °c). however, january 1981 had colder average minimum of 25.8 °f (−3.4 °c).
normal july mean temperature: 81.1 °f (27.3 °c). hottest month in recorded history july 2012, averaging 84.7 °f (29.3 °c). however, july 1993 had hotter average maximum of 94.0 °f (34.4 °c).
average nights ≤ 32 °f (0 °c): 39
first , last freezes of season: november 18 , march 20, allowing growing season of 244 days
average days ≥ 90 °f (32 °c): 43, historically low 9 in 1909 , high 71 in 1980.
first , last 90 °f highs: may 15, september 15
highest recorded temperature: 104 °f (40 °c) on june 27, 1952
lowest daily maximum temperature: 16 °f (−9 °c) on february 13, 1899 , december 30, 1917
highest daily minimum temperature: 83 °f (28 °c) on august 1, 1999 , august 9, 2007
lowest recorded temperature: 0 °f (−18 °c) on december 25, 1989
normal annual precipitation: 57.6 inches (1,460 mm), historically ranging 27.68 in (703 mm) in 1909 83.65 in (2,125 mm) in 1877.
wettest day: 13.38 in (339.9 mm) on september 15, 1999
driest month: 0.16 in (4.1 mm) in april 1995
wettest month: 23.41 in (594.6 mm) in september 1999
winter average snowfall: 1.6 inches (4.1 cm) (the median amount 0)
snowiest day (midnight-to-midnight): 11.1 in (28.2 cm) on december 18, 1896
snowiest month: 15.3 in (38.9 cm) in december 1989, making winter of 1989–90 snowiest




^ gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, , 1990 . united states census bureau. february 12, 2011. retrieved april 23, 2011. 
^ nowdata - noaa online weather data . national oceanic , atmospheric administration. retrieved 2012-02-26. 
^ station name: nc wilmington intl ap . national oceanic , atmospheric administration. retrieved 2014-05-26. 
^ wilmington wso ap, nc climate normals 1961–1990 . national oceanic , atmospheric administration. retrieved december 4, 2012. 
^ threaded climate extremes wilmington area, nc . national weather service. retrieved june 28, 2010. 
^ tim armstrong (april 13, 2015). wilmington, nc snowfall database since 1870 . www.weather.gov. national weather service. retrieved december 5, 2015. 

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