March 2025 was one of the windiest months in decades across the United States, and North Carolina was no exception, with wildfire activity surging and pollen counts breaking records.
Across North Carolina, 63 wildfires were burning on April 10, consuming more than 11,000 acres, according to the N.C. Forest Service. Many of the fires are in the western part of the state, where dry air and leftover debris from Hurricane Helene have created dangerous conditions.
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"That dry air, those gusty winds and all the leftover debris from Hurricane Helene — it’s a powder keg in western North Carolina," said Corey Davis, assistant state climatologist at the N.C. State Climate Office.
Winds pick up statewide
March 2025 was the second-windiest month on record in the U.S. since data collection began in 1940. In North Carolina, cities including Charlotte and Greensboro saw their windiest March since the 1990s, with gusts in the mountains reaching 65 miles per hour. That’s comparable to the strength of a tropical storm.
The strong winds were not limited to isolated storms. Davis said it was a month full of blustery days caused by cold fronts clashing with warm, humid air.
“Even outside of those storm events, we just had a lot of flat-out windy days,” Davis said. “You stepped outside, it was gusty. That was a big feature of our March weather.”
Climate patterns behind the surge
Meteorologists say the spring weather has been influenced by record-warm ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and shifts in the jet stream that resemble a La Niña pattern. That atmospheric setup delivered unusually warm, moist air across the Southeast, intensifying the storm systems and pressure differences that cause strong winds.
"We know through attribution science that there's a fingerprint of climate change to that," said Shel Winkley, a meteorologist with Climate Central. "When you have these unnatural temperatures, a little warmer than they should be, clashing with colder temperatures to the north, you can get windier conditions, but also the ingredients for severe storms."
Allergy season hits early and hard
North Carolina also experienced a record-breaking pollen surge in March. Grass pollen reached levels never before recorded that early in the season.
“Once it starts feeling like 80 degrees outside, the trees get the message,” Davis said. “And with those windy days, that pollen doesn’t just sit — it gets everywhere, including in our noses.”
The N.C. Division of Air Quality reported “very high” tree pollen levels by the end of March, largely driven by yellow pine. A lack of rain made things worse, keeping allergens airborne for longer.
Wildfire risk on the rise
March was one of the driest on record in parts of western North Carolina. Some locations reported their second- or third-driest March in more than a century. Combined with high winds, lingering drought and debris from last fall’s hurricane, conditions became ideal for wildfires.
Several fires in Polk County were caused by downed power lines and spread quickly, destroying nearly a dozen homes.
While recent rainfall helped dampen fire conditions in some areas, Davis says the state is still in wildfire season.
“We’re not out of the woods yet in April — both for pollen and for wildfires,” Davis said. “And we may be looking at longer, more severe spring fire seasons in the future.”
Looking ahead
As climate patterns continue to shift, experts say spring weather in North Carolina may grow more unpredictable, with warmer temperatures arriving earlier and severe weather risks increasing.
“The way people experience climate change is through extreme weather,” Winkley said. “We’ve taken what were natural disasters and made them more intense, more likely and more disruptive.”
WRAL will continue following the state’s wildfire conditions and the long-term threats left behind by Hurricane Helene, with an in-depth report on April 22 at 6 p.m. Watch it everywhere you stream WRAL.