Cherokee NC

General

Cherokee is a town in Swain County, North Carolina. It is the headquarters for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. It is also a tourist-oriented area, located at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the site of a Harrah's Cherokee casino. It is located in western North Carolina on the Oconaluftee River and the Qualla Reservation, and on U.S. Highway 441. An outdoor drama depicting the Eastern Band's story, Unto These Hills, is presented annually during the tourist season.

Climate

The Mountains of North Carolina range from 800 feet to over 6,600 feet and topography affects the local weather. Expect temperatures to be 10 to 20 degrees cooler on the mountaintops. Spring is unpredictable, particularly at the higher elevations. Snow may fall in March, but by May, things warm up with daytime highs in the 80s. Summer is warm and humid, but more pleasant at the higher elevations. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are common in the summertime. Winter is generally moderate, but extreme conditions can occur in the mountains. It's not unusual to have warm temperatures in the valleys and snow in the higher areas. In the lowlands, snows of one inch or more occur just 1-5 times per year. More frequent and deeper snows fall at the higher elevations.

Month High Temp Low Temp Rainfall Snow

January 47°F 21°F 5.97 in. 4.60 in.

February 52°F 23°F 4.94 in. 2.80 in.

March 60°F 29°F 6.13 in. 1.60 in.

April 69°F 36°F 4.57 in. 0.90 in.

May 76°F 45°F 5.48 in. 0.00 in.

June 82°F 53°F 4.71 in. 0.00 in.

July 85°F 57°F 4.79 in. 0.00 in.

August 84°F 56°F 4.34 in. 0.00 in.

September 80°F 50°F 4.07 in. 0.00 in.

October 71°F 37°F 3.42 in. 0.00 in.

November 60°F 29°F 4.75 in. 0.00 in.

December 51°F 23°F 5.21 in. 0.00 in.