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Shaded-relief map of China Grove, North Carolina: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
NORTH CAROLINA · ROWAN COUNTY

China Grove

4,610 people, 830 ft above sea level in Rowan County.

830 ftElevation, city center
4,610People, 2024 estimate
5 sq miLand area
Clear 45°
Clear now Dew point 26° · WNW 3 mph · high 45°
City of China Grove River Interstate 2 miles
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The China Grove plate. Relief from Copernicus GLO-30; rivers and lakes from USGS NHD; watersheds from the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset; roads and city limits from Census TIGER 2024.

MILE1
TODAY

Today in China Grove

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 5:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Rowan County Airport (KRUQ) · 5:35 PM
Clear
45° Clear Feels like 43° · high of 45° near 5 PM
WindWNW 3 mphno gusts
Humidity47%rising to 96% by morning
Pressure30.12 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 26° · Dry36° by Monday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 60.28 in · 8 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Rowan County
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 5:46 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:56 AM5:16 PM ↓
10 h 19 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
28
GOODAir quality index · ozone
Tomorrow: 38, good. No pollen source yet.

The next three days, hour by hour

Sky: clear, cloudy, night Rain likely National Blend of Models
SATURDAY, NOV. 14
SUNDAY, NOV. 15
MONDAY, NOV. 16
TUESDAY, NOV. 17
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
partly cloudy day
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear day
clear day
clear day
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
clear day
clear day
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
45°
29°
56°
30°
57°
29°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
7
2
0
0
0
6
8
8
5
4
2
1
0
3
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
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0
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 27 to 36°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 61° / 37°
SAT Nov. 14 Sunny Sunny
45° 27°
0% rain — NW 4 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
56° 27°
0% rain — NNW 6 B
MON Nov. 16 Sunny Sunny
58° 27°
0% rain — NNE 2 A
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
61° 27°
0% rain — ENE 5 A
WED Nov. 18 Sunny Sunny
64° 28°
0% rain — E 5 B
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
67° 31°
0% rain — S 5 B
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
69° 34°
0% rain — ENE 5 B
How sure are we? AModels agree: highs within 4° BSome spread: within 8° CWide spread: check back
Range from the National Blend of Models percentiles · graded on Forecast Scores
AIR MAIL

Where today’s air came from

The air arriving over China Grove about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Carolinas three days ago, and over the Ohio Valley a day ago, about 850 miles back along its path. The nine paths traced from around the city fan out, so treat that as a best guess. It rose from near the ground on the way. Near the ground the air came from the Appalachians; at 10,000 feet, from the Pacific north of Hawaii. It feels humid. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses and the GFS beyond them, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK IN 2011 Nov. 17–18, 2011

The wettest two days this week has seen

4.28 inches of rain fell in two days, the most for this week of the year since records began in 1954. The next wettest, 3.16 inches, fell in 2020.

3.16″
4.28″
20202011
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Salisbury 9 WNW record since 1954.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What China Grove stands on

China Grove’s center stands about 830 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 700 ft to 880 ft, a difference of 180 ft: gently rolling country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Youngs Mountain, about 1,100 ft, 12 miles north-northwest.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Metavolcanic Rock, from the Neoproterozoic to Cambrian, 487 to 1,000 million years old.

The section below crosses 3 rock units mapped at the surface.

China Grove, cut in half from south to north

A section south to north, 24 miles through the town center
600 ft700 ft800 ft CHINA GROVE830 ftLow point590 ftSecond Creekabout 670 ft ← SN →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 64×. The colored band under the surface is the rock the state geologic map shows at the surface, not a picture of what lies beneath.

Rock at the surface along the line

Metamorphosed Quartz Diorite

Metadiorite. Age: Neoproterozoic to Paleozoic, 252 to 1,000 million years old. About 16 mi of the line.

Metavolcanic Rock

Metavolcanic. Age: Neoproterozoic to Cambrian, 487 to 1,000 million years old. About 7 mi of the line.

Metamorphosed Mafic Rock

Metagabbro, metadiorite. Age: Neoproterozoic to Paleozoic, 252 to 1,000 million years old. About 1 mi of the line.

From the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation (Horton and others, 2017), the states’ geologic maps joined at a common scale.

Heights from Copernicus GLO-90 (a surface model: it includes buildings and tree canopy); summits from USGS GNIS; rivers from USGS NHDPlus HR; rock from the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation.

MILE3
THE WATER

Where China Grove’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in China Grove reaches the Atlantic Ocean by way of Grants Creek, the Yadkin, the Pee Dee, the Great Pee Dee, Schooner Creek and the Waccamaw: about 290 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
China Grove≈ 290 mi · the Atlantic Ocean
FROM THE CENTER OF CHINA GROVE ≈ 290 mi to the Atlantic Ocean Grants Creek → Yadkin → Pee Dee → Great Pee Dee → Schooner Creek → Waccamaw

Lake on the way: Lake Tillery.

150 miles of the trip are on the Great Pee Dee.

Traced down the USGS NHDPlus V2.1 river network from the Census center point of China Grove; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

China Grove’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1954 · Salisbury 9 WNW, 9 mi north-northwest

China Grove has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 89° in July; winter nights fall to about 27° in January. About 44 inches of rain fall in a normal year, with about 4 inches of snow.

50°27°54°30°61°37°71°45°78°55°85°64°89°68°87°66°81°59°72°46°61°35°53°30° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 TODAY CHINA GROVE 44.3 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average89° / 68°high / low, the warmest month
January, average50° / 27°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year44.3 inwettest months: June and September
Snow a year3.7 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record104°FAugust 22, 1983
Coldest on record−9°FJanuary 31, 1966
Wettest day on record5.40 inAugust 27, 2008
Snowiest day on record11.0 inFebruary 1, 2026
90° days a year35very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°94and 3 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHumid subtropicalKöppen Cfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 28, to the last in spring, about April 8 (median dates)
2Lows below freezingNov. 28 to Feb. 28; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 China Grove normally reaches 62° and falls to 36°. The record high is 77°, in 1989; the record low 19°, in 2013. The most rain on this date, 1.69 in, fell in 1972.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high50°54°61°71°78°85°89°87°81°72°61°53°
Normal low27°30°37°45°55°64°68°66°59°46°35°30°
Rain, inches3.633.154.013.813.524.303.823.994.023.083.223.72
Snow, inches1.60.70.50.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.9
Record high78° (2002)80° (2023)87° (2020)93° (1980)95° (1962)103° (1954)102° (1980)104° (1983)102° (1954)97° (2019)86° (1974)78° (2007)
Record low−9° (1966)−2° (2026)−1° (1980)21° (1966)29° (1963)40° (1972)47° (1988)45° (1986)35° (1967)17° (1962)11° (1970)0° (1962)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1954 at Salisbury 9 WNW, 9 miles north-northwest, 100 ft lower. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around China Grove on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Concord NC · 13 MI 13 miles south Charlotte NC · 29 MI 29 miles southwest Winston-Salem NC · 41 MI 41 miles northeast Greensboro NC · 55 MI 55 miles northeast Durham NC · 98 MI 98 miles east Raleigh NC · 110 MI 110 miles east
FORECASTCITY
Map of China Grove, North Carolina. Explore the plate
NORTH CAROLINA · ROWAN

China Grove

4,610 people, 830 ft above sea level in Rowan County.

830 ftElevation
4,610People
5 sq miLand
Clear 45°
ClearDew point 26°
1

Today in China Grove

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear night 45° 0%
8p clear night 39° 0%
11p clear night 35° 0%
2a clear night 33° 0%
5a clear night 31° 0%
8a clear day 34° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
27
45
A
Sun0%
Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
27
56
B
Mon0%
Sunny Sunny
27
58
A
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
27
61
A
Wed0%
Sunny Sunny
28
64
B
Thu0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
31
67
B
Fri0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
34
69
B
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 2011 · NOV. 17–18, 2011

4.28 inches in two days, the most for this week since 1954.

2

What China Grove stands on

China Grove’s center stands about 830 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 700 ft to 880 ft, a difference of 180 ft: gently rolling country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Youngs Mountain, about 1,100 ft, 12 miles north-northwest.

China Grove, south to north China Grove830 ftSecond Creekabout 670 ft ← SN → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center830 ft
Within 3 miles700 to 880 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (180 ft of relief)
High point nearbyYoungs Mountain, 1,100 ft, 12 mi north-northwest
Rock at the surfaceMetavolcanic Rock
Its ageNeoproterozoic to Cambrian, 487 to 1,000 million years old
5

China Grove’s year

China Grove has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 89° in July; winter nights fall to about 27° in January. About 44 inches of rain fall in a normal year, with about 4 inches of snow.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 44.3 in
July, average89° / 68° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average50° / 27° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year44.3 in · wettest months: June and September
Snow a year3.7 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record104°F · August 22, 1983
Coldest on record−9°F · January 31, 1966
Wettest day on record5.40 in · August 27, 2008
Snowiest day on record11.0 in · February 1, 2026
90° days a year35 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°94 · and 3 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHumid subtropical · Köppen Cfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 28, to the last in spring, about April 8 (median dates)
2Lows below freezing · Nov. 28 to Feb. 28; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 China Grove normally reaches 62° and falls to 36°. The record high is 77°, in 1989; the record low 19°, in 2013. The most rain on this date, 1.69 in, fell in 1972.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1954 at Salisbury 9 WNW, 9 miles north-northwest, 100 ft lower. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 290 mito the Atlantic OceanGrants Creek → Yadkin → Pee Dee → Great Pee Dee → Schooner Creek → Waccamaw

A raindrop that lands in China Grove reaches the Atlantic Ocean by way of Grants Creek, the Yadkin, the Pee Dee, the Great Pee Dee, Schooner Creek and the Waccamaw: about 290 river miles.

Lake on the way: Lake Tillery.

150 miles of the trip are on the Great Pee Dee.