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

Kinston

19,519 people, 50 ft above sea level in Lenoir County.

50 ftElevation, city center
19,519People, 2024 estimate
18 sq miLand area
Sunny 56°
Sunny now Dew point 29° · WNW 15 mph · high 56°
City of Kinston River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Kinston 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 Kinston

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 1:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Craven County Regional Airport (KEWN) · 1:54 PM
Sunny
56° Sunny Feels like 56° · high of 56° near 2 PM
WindWNW 15 mphgusts 25
Humidity35%falling to 37% this afternoon
Pressure29.99 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 29° · Dry41° by Tuesday: more humid
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 120.01 in · 2 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
! Freeze WarningFreeze Warning issued November 14 at 11:47AM EST until November 15 at 9:00AM EST by NWS Newport/Morehead City NC
NWS Newport/Morehead City and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 2:46 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:44 AM5:05 PM ↓
10 h 20 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
36
GOODAir quality index · fine particles
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
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
clear day
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
clear 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
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
clear night
clear day
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
56°
34°
57°
36°
56°
36°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
13
7
5
6
6
5
6
7
7
3
0
2
4
5
8
9
8
5
3
3
4
5
7
8
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 29 to 41° More humid: 40° by Tuesday

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 66° / 43°
SAT Nov. 14 Sunny Sunny
56° 34°
0% rain — NW 13 A
SUN Nov. 15 Sunny Sunny
57° 35°
0% rain — NNW 6 A
MON Nov. 16 Sunny Sunny
57° 35°
0% rain — N 8 A
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
62° 36°
0% rain — NNE 3 B
WED Nov. 18 Sunny Sunny
66° 37°
0% rain — NE 2 A
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
70° 41°
0% rain — ENE 1 B
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
71° 42°
0% rain — NE 3 A
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 Kinston about 5,000 feet above the ground was over Texas three days ago, and over the Ohio Valley a day ago, about 1,360 miles back along its path. It rose from near the ground on the way. Near the ground the air came from the Tennessee Valley; at 10,000 feet, from the Pacific Northwest. 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, SIX YEARS AGO Nov. 12–13, 2020

The wettest two days this week has seen

5.36 inches of rain fell in two days, the most for this week of the year since records began in 1966. The next wettest, 5.18 inches, fell in 2009.

5.18″
5.36″
20092020
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Kinston Ag Research record since 1966.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Kinston stands on

Kinston’s center stands about 50 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 20 ft to 120 ft, a difference of 100 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Peedee Formation (sand, clay), from the Cretaceous, 66 to 145 million years old.

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

Deep Run to Grifton, cut in half

A section southwest to northeast, 24 miles through the town center
0 ft100 ft KINSTON50 ftDeep Run130 ftJackson Heights80 ftGrifton70 ft ← SW · Deep RunGrifton · NE →

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

Peedee Formation

Sand, clay. Age: Cretaceous, 66 to 145 million years old. About 20 mi of the line.

Beaufort Formation, Undivided

Sand. Age: Tertiary, 2.6 to 66 million years old. About 3 mi of the line.

Yorktown Formation and Duplin Formation, Undivided

Clay. Age: Tertiary, 2.6 to 66 million years old. About 0.4 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 Kinston’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Kinston reaches Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean by way of Yadkin Branch and the Neuse: about 85 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Kinston≈ 85 mi · Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean
FROM THE CENTER OF KINSTON ≈ 85 mi to Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean Yadkin Branch → Neuse

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

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Kinston’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1966 · Kinston Ag Research, 3 mi north-northeast

Kinston has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 91° in July; winter nights fall to about 35° in January. About 53 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

56°35°60°37°67°42°75°51°82°59°88°68°91°72°89°70°84°64°76°53°67°44°59°38° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1 TODAY KINSTON 52.9 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month
July, average91° / 72°high / low, the warmest month
January, average56° / 35°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year52.9 inwettest months: September and August
Snow a year0.7 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record103°FAugust 22, 1983
Coldest on record−2°FJanuary 21, 1985
Wettest day on record13.2 inAugust 27, 2011
Snowiest day on record10.0 inFebruary 1, 2026
Climate typeHumid subtropicalKöppen Cfa

AROUND THE RING

1Highs of 90° and upJune 24 to Aug. 10; normal highs reach 90°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Kinston normally reaches 67° and falls to 44°. The record high is 82°, in 1993; the record low 23°, in 1976. The most rain on this date, 0.90 in, fell in 1997.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high56°60°67°75°82°88°91°89°84°76°67°59°
Normal low35°37°42°51°59°68°72°70°64°53°44°38°
Rain, inches3.743.203.843.533.925.535.796.366.643.563.463.29
Record high80° (2024)84° (2023)89° (2026)95° (1990)100° (2019)101° (2026)103° (1977)103° (1983)102° (1983)96° (2019)87° (1974)83° (1991)
Record low−2° (1985)3° (1996)8° (1980)24° (1985)25° (2015)42° (1997)52° (1988)47° (1976)38° (1981)24° (1976)17° (1970)6° (1983)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1966 at Kinston Ag Research, 2 miles north-northeast. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Kinston on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Greenville NC · 25 MI 25 miles northeast Jacksonville NC · 39 MI 39 miles south Raleigh NC · 70 MI 70 miles northwest Virginia Beach VA · 136 MI 136 miles northeast Greensboro NC · 137 MI 137 miles northwest Charlotte NC · 183 MI 183 miles west
FORECASTCITY
Map of Kinston, North Carolina. Explore the plate
NORTH CAROLINA · LENOIR

Kinston

19,519 people, 50 ft above sea level in Lenoir County.

50 ftElevation
19,519People
18 sq miLand
Sunny 56°
SunnyDew point 29°
1

Today in Kinston

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear day 56° 0%
5p clear night 52° 0%
8p clear night 43° 0%
11p clear night 40° 0%
2a clear night 38° 0%
5a clear night 35° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
34
56
A
Sun0%
Sunny Sunny
35
57
A
Mon0%
Sunny Sunny
35
57
A
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
36
62
B
Wed0%
Sunny Sunny
37
66
A
Thu0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
41
70
B
Fri0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
42
71
A
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK, SIX YEARS AGO · NOV. 12–13, 2020

5.36 inches in two days, the most for this week since 1966.

2

What Kinston stands on

Kinston’s center stands about 50 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 20 ft to 120 ft, a difference of 100 ft: gently rolling country.

Kinston, southwest to northeast Kinston50 ft ← SWNE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center50 ft
Within 3 miles20 to 120 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (100 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfacePeedee Formation
Its ageCretaceous, 66 to 145 million years old
5

Kinston’s year

Kinston has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 91° in July; winter nights fall to about 35° in January. About 53 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1 52.9 in
July, average91° / 72° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average56° / 35° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year52.9 in · wettest months: September and August
Snow a year0.7 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record103°F · August 22, 1983
Coldest on record−2°F · January 21, 1985
Wettest day on record13.2 in · August 27, 2011
Snowiest day on record10.0 in · February 1, 2026
Climate typeHumid subtropical · Köppen Cfa
1Highs of 90° and up · June 24 to Aug. 10; normal highs reach 90°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Kinston normally reaches 67° and falls to 44°. The record high is 82°, in 1993; the record low 23°, in 1976. The most rain on this date, 0.90 in, fell in 1997.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1966 at Kinston Ag Research, 2 miles north-northeast. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 85 mito the AtlanticYadkin Branch → Neuse

A raindrop that lands in Kinston reaches Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic Ocean by way of Yadkin Branch and the Neuse: about 85 river miles.