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Coordinates: 35°45′53″N 82°15′54″W / 35.764839°N 82.2651221°W / 35.764839; -82.2651221
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{{About|the North Carolina mountain}}
{{short description|Highest mountain in North Carolina, United States}}
{{short description|Highest mountain in North Carolina, United States}}
⚫
{{About|the North Carolina mountain}}
{{Infobox mountain
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Mount Mitchell
| name = Mount Mitchell
| photo = Mount-mitchell-south-nc1.jpg
| photo = File:Mount Mitchell from Mt. Mitchell overlook NC.jpg
| photo_caption = Mount Mitchell, viewed from [[Mount Craig (North Carolina)|Mount Craig]]
| photo_caption = Mount Mitchell, viewed from [[Blue Ridge Parkway|the Blue Ridge Parkway]] in [[North Carolina]]
| elevation_ft = 6684
| elevation_ft = 6684
| elevation_ref =<ref name="pb" />
| elevation_ref = <ref name="pb" />
| prominence_ft = 6089
| prominence_ft = 6089
| prominence_ref =<ref name="pb">{{cite peakbagger |pid=7822 |name=Mount Mitchell, North Carolina |access-date=2008-12-28}}</ref>
| prominence_ref = <ref name="pb">{{cite peakbagger |pid=7822 |name=Mount Mitchell, North Carolina |access-date=2008-12-28}}</ref>
| isolation = {{convert|1189|mi|km}}
| isolation = {{convert|1189|mi|km}}
| listing = {{unbulleted list
| listing = {{unbulleted list
Line 17: Line 17:
|[[Ultra-prominent peak|Ultra]]
|[[Ultra-prominent peak|Ultra]]
}}
}}
| location = [[Yancey County, North Carolina]], United States
| location = [[Yancey County, North Carolina]], U.S.
| range = [[Appalachian Mountains]]
| range = [[Appalachian Mountains]]
| map = USA North Carolina#USA
| map = USA North Carolina#USA
Line 24: Line 24:
| coordinates = {{coord|35.764839|N|82.2651221|W|type:mountain_region:US-NC_scale:100000|format=dms|display=it}}
| coordinates = {{coord|35.764839|N|82.2651221|W|type:mountain_region:US-NC_scale:100000|format=dms|display=it}}
| range_coordinates =
| range_coordinates =
| coordinates_ref =<ref name="gnis">{{cite gnis |id=1013745 |name=Mount Mitchell |access-date=2008-12-28}}</ref>
| coordinates_ref = <ref name="gnis">{{cite gnis |id=1013745 |name=Mount Mitchell |access-date=2008-12-28}}</ref>
| topo = [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] Mount Mitchell
| topo = [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] Mount Mitchell
| first_ascent =
| first_ascent =
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}}
}}


'''Mount Mitchell''', known in Cherokee as '''Attakulla''',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ncpedia.org/gazetteer/search/Mount%20Mitchell/0%C2%A0|title=North Carolina Gazetteer|last=Bradford|first=Erin|date=2019-12-05|work=NCpedia|access-date=2020-11-22|language=en-US}}</ref> is the highest peak of the [[Appalachian Mountains]] and the highest peak in mainland eastern [[North America]]. It is located near [[Burnsville, North Carolina|Burnsville]] in [[Yancey County, North Carolina|Yancey County]], [[North Carolina]]; in the [[Black Mountains (North Carolina)|Black Mountain]] subrange of the Appalachians, about {{convert|19|mi|km|0}} northeast of [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]]. It is protected by [[Mount Mitchell State Park]] and surrounded by the [[Pisgah National Forest]]. Mount Mitchell's elevation is {{convert|6684|ft|m|0}} <!---- NOTE: The recent "6699" elevation given on some USGS sites apparently includes the tower atop the mountain. ----> above sea level.<ref name="pb"/>
'''Mount Mitchell''' (''Attakulla'' in [[Cherokee language|Cherokee]])<ref name="Bradford">{{Cite web|url=https://ncpedia.org/gazetteer/search/Mount%20Mitchell/0%C2%A0|title=North Carolina Gazetteer|last=Bradford|first=Erin|date=2019-12-05|work=NCpedia|access-date=2020-11-22|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114150845/https://ncpedia.org/gazetteer/search/Mount%20Mitchell/0%C2%A0|url-status=live}}</ref> is the highest peak of the [[Appalachian Mountains]] and the highest peak in mainland [[North America]] east of the [[Mississippi River]]. It is located near [[Burnsville, North Carolina|Burnsville]] in [[Yancey County, North Carolina|Yancey County]], [[North Carolina]] in the [[Black Mountains (North Carolina)|Black Mountain]] subrange of the Appalachians about {{convert|19|mi|km|0}} northeast of [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]]. It is protected by [[Mount Mitchell State Park]] and surrounded by the [[Pisgah National Forest]]. Mount Mitchell's elevation is {{convert|6684|ft|m|0}} <!---- NOTE: The recent "6699" elevation given on some USGS sites apparently includes the tower atop the mountain. ----> above sea level.<ref name="pb"/> Mount Mitchell is ranked 31st by [[topographic isolation]].


==Geography==
==Geography==
[[File:MountMitchellSurveyorsMark.jpg|thumb|right|Surveyor's mark embedded in the observation tower notes the elevation of 6684 feet above sea level]]
[[File:MountMitchellSurveyorsMark.jpg|thumb|Surveyor's mark embedded in the observation tower notes the elevation of 6684-feet above sea level]]
⚫
[[File:Mount Mitchell Fall Foliage.JPG|thumb|Fall foliage at Mount Mitchell]]
The peak is the highest mountain in the United States east of the [[Mississippi River]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Davis |first1=Donald E. |last2=Colten |first2=Craig E. |last3=Nelson |first3=Megan Kate |last4=Saikku |first4=Mikko |last5=Allen |first5=Barbara L. |title=Southern United States: An Environmental History |date=2006 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=9781851097807 |page=261 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kZsqfbPPHRcC&q=Mount+Mitchell+highest+peak+east+mississippi&pg=PA261 |access-date=22 April 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mount Mitchell State Park {{!}} NC State Parks |url=https://www.ncparks.gov/mount-mitchell-state-park |website=www.ncparks.gov |publisher=State of North Carolina |access-date=22 April 2019}}</ref> and the highest in all of eastern North America south of the [[Arctic Cordillera]]. The nearest higher peaks are in the [[Black Hills]] of South Dakota and the highland foothills of [[Colorado]]. The mountain's [[topographic isolation]] is calculated from the nearest discernible single higher point: Lone Butte, which is 1,189 miles (1,913&nbsp;km) away in southeastern Colorado.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Topographic_isolation&oldid=881597456|title=Topographic isolation|date=3 February 2019|via=Wikipedia}}</ref>
The peak is the highest mountain in the United States east of the [[Mississippi River]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Davis |first1=Donald E. |last2=Colten |first2=Craig E. |last3=Nelson |first3=Megan Kate |last4=Saikku |first4=Mikko |last5=Allen |first5=Barbara L. |title=Southern United States: An Environmental History |date=2006 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=9781851097807 |page=261 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kZsqfbPPHRcC&q=Mount+Mitchell+highest+peak+east+mississippi&pg=PA261 |access-date=22 April 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mount Mitchell State Park {{!}} NC State Parks |url=https://www.ncparks.gov/mount-mitchell-state-park |website=www.ncparks.gov |publisher=State of North Carolina |access-date=22 April 2019 |archive-date=21 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421033925/https://www.ncparks.gov/mount-mitchell-state-park |url-status=live }}</ref> and the highest in all of eastern North America south of the [[Arctic Cordillera]]. The nearest higher peaks are in the [[Black Hills]] of South Dakota and the highland foothills of [[Colorado]]. The mountain's [[topographic isolation]] is calculated from the nearest discernible single higher point: [[Lone Butte, Colorado|Lone Butte]], which is 1,189 miles (1,913&nbsp;km) away in southeastern Colorado.{{CN|date=July 2024}}


==History==
==History==
Mount Mitchell was the highest mountain of the [[United States]] from 1789 until the [[Louisiana Purchase]] in 1803 when [[Mount Elbert]] became the highest mountain claimed by the United States. Mount Mitchell was also the most isolated peak in the United States from 1789 until the [[Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo]] in 1848 when [[Mount Whitney]] became the most isolated.
The [[Cherokee people]], who long occupied this area as part of their homeland, called the mountain ''Attakulla.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ncpedia.org/gazetteer/search/Mount%20Mitchell/0%C2%A0|title=North Carolina Gazetteer|last=Bradford|first=Erin|date=2019-12-05|work=NCpedia|access-date=2020-11-22|language=en-US}}</ref>

European-American settlers first called the mountain Black Dome for its rounded shape. They later named it after [[Elisha Mitchell]], a professor at the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|University of North Carolina]], who first explored the Black Mountain region in 1835. He determined that the height of the range exceeded by several hundred feet that of [[Mount Washington (New Hampshire)|Mount Washington]] in [[New Hampshire]]. The latter had been commonly thought at the time to be the highest point in the United States east of the [[Rocky Mountains]]. Mitchell fell to his death at nearby [[Mitchell Falls]] in 1857, where he had returned to verify his earlier measurements.{{Citation needed|date=August 2021}}
The [[Cherokee people]], who long occupied this area as part of their homeland, called the mountain ''Attakulla.''<ref name="Bradford"/> European-American settlers first called the mountain Black Dome for its rounded shape. They later named it after [[Elisha Mitchell]], a professor at the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|University of North Carolina]], who first explored the Black Mountain region in 1835. He determined that the height of the range exceeded by several hundred feet that of [[Mount Washington]] in [[New Hampshire]]. The latter had been commonly thought at the time to be the highest point in the United States east of the [[Rocky Mountains]]. Mitchell fell to his death at nearby [[Mitchell Falls]] in 1857, where he had returned to verify his earlier measurements.{{Citation needed|date=August 2021}}


<!-- When established as a state park? -->
<!-- When established as a state park? -->
A {{convert|4.6|mile|km|adj=on}} road ([[North Carolina Highway 128|NC 128]]) connects the scenic [[Blue Ridge Parkway]] to a parking lot where a steep paved {{convert|980|ft|m|-1|adj=on}} trail leads through a [[conifer]] forest to the summit. The {{convert|40|ft|m|0|adj=on}} stone observation tower on the summit was torn down in late 2006. A new observation deck was constructed and opened to visitors in January 2009.<ref>
A {{convert|4.6|mile|km|adj=on}} road ([[North Carolina Highway 128|NC 128]]) connects the scenic [[Blue Ridge Parkway]] to a parking lot where a steep paved {{convert|980|ft|m|-1|adj=on}} trail leads through a [[conifer]] forest to the summit. The {{convert|40|ft|m|0|adj=on}} stone observation tower on the summit was torn down in late 2006. A new observation deck was constructed and opened to visitors in January 2009.<ref>{{cite web
{{cite web
| url = http://ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/main.php
| url = http://ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/main.php
| title = Mount Mitchell State Park
| title = Mount Mitchell State Park
| publisher = North Carolina State Parks
| publisher = North Carolina State Parks
| access-date = 2008-12-28 }}</ref>
| access-date = 2008-12-28
| archive-date = 2008-12-26
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081226024244/http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/main.php
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>


==Description==
==Description==
Mount Mitchell was formed during the Precambrian when marine deposits were metamorphosed into [[gneiss]] and [[schist]]. These [[metasedimentary]] rocks were later uplifted during the [[Alleghenian orogeny]].<ref name="Silver2003">{{cite book|author=Timothy Silver|title=Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains: An Environmental History of the Highest Peaks in Eastern America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iIn6nE0QLNYC&pg=PP1|year=2003|publisher=Univ of North Carolina Press|isbn=978-0-8078-5423-5}}</ref> The soils are well drained, dark brown and stony with fine-earth material ranging in texture from sandy clay loam to loam or sandy loam; Burton and Craggey are the most common series around the summit.<ref>[http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/ SoilWeb], University of California-Davis California Soil Resource Lab, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Accessed: 11 January 2016.</ref>
Mount Mitchell was formed during the Precambrian when marine deposits were metamorphosed into [[gneiss]] and [[schist]]. These [[metasedimentary]] rocks were later uplifted during the [[Alleghenian orogeny]].<ref name="Silver2003">{{cite book|author=Timothy Silver|title=Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains: An Environmental History of the Highest Peaks in Eastern America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iIn6nE0QLNYC&pg=PP1|year=2003|publisher=Univ of North Carolina Press|isbn=978-0-8078-5423-5}}</ref> The soils are well drained, dark brown and stony with fine-earth material ranging in texture from sandy clay loam to loam or sandy loam; Burton and Craggey are the most common series around the summit.<ref>[http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/ SoilWeb] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514215427/http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/ |date=2013-05-14 }}, University of California-Davis California Soil Resource Lab, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Accessed: 11 January 2016.</ref>


==Environment==
==Environment==
{{moresources|section|date=August 2022}}
{{more citations needed|section|date=August 2022}}

⚫
The mountain's summit is coated in a dense stand of [[Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest]], which consists primarily of two evergreen species—the [[Picea rubens|red spruce]] and the [[Abies fraseri|Fraser fir]]. Most of the mature Fraser firs, however, were killed off by the non-native [[Balsam woolly adelgid]] in the latter half of the 20th century. The high elevations expose plant life to high levels of pollution, including [[acid precipitation]] in the form of rain, snow, and fog. These acids damage the red spruce trees in part by releasing natural metals from the soil, such as [[aluminum]], and by leaching important [[mineral]]s. To what extent this pollution harms the high-altitude ecosystem is debatable.<ref>Steve Nash, ''Blue Ridge 2020: An Owner's Manual'' (Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1999), pp. 25-28, 61-63.</ref>

⚫
While the mountain is still mostly lush and green in the summer, many dead Fraser fir trunks can be seen due to these serious problems. Reducing air pollution is a difficult issue, as the pollutants are often carried by air to this area from long distances. Sources can be local or hundreds of miles away, requiring cooperation from as far away as the [[Midwest]].

⚫
Wildflowers are abundant all summer long. Young fir and spruce trees do well in the subalpine climate, and their cones feed the birds along with wild [[blueberry]] and [[blackberry]] shrubs.

⚫
The second highest point in eastern North America, [[Mount Craig (North Carolina)|Mount Craig]] at {{convert|6647|ft|m|0}}, is roughly a mile to the north of Mount Mitchell.

⚫
===Climate===
{{climate chart
{{climate chart
| Mount Mitchell
| Mount Mitchell
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| 20.6 | 36.4 | 6.23
| 20.6 | 36.4 | 6.23
| units = imperial
| units = imperial
| float = left
| float = right
| clear = none
| clear = none
| source = NOAA<ref name = NCDC /> }}
| source = NOAA<ref name = NCDC /> }}
⚫
The summit area of Mount Mitchell is marked by a warm-summer [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfb''), with mild summers and long, moderately cold winters, being more similar to southeastern Canada than the [[U.S. Southern States|southeastern U.S.]] The monthly daily average temperature ranges from {{convert|25.1|°F|1}} in January to {{convert|59.6|°F|1}} in July. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the state occurred there on January 21, 1985, when it fell to {{convert|-34|°F|1}}, during a [[January 1985 Arctic outbreak|severe cold spell]]. It is also the coldest average reporting station in the state at {{convert|42.9|°F|1}}, well below any other station.<ref name="weather">

⚫
The mountain's summit is coated in a dense stand of [[Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest]], which consists primarily of two evergreen species—the [[Picea rubens|red spruce]] and the [[Abies fraseri|Fraser fir]]. Most of the mature Fraser firs, however, were killed off by the non-native [[Balsam woolly adelgid]] in the latter half of the 20th century. The high elevations expose plant life to high levels of pollution, including [[acid precipitation]] in the form of rain, snow, and fog. These acids damage the red spruce trees in part by releasing natural metals from the soil, such as [[aluminum]], and by leaching important [[mineral]]s. To what extent this pollution harms the high-altitude ecosystem is debatable.<ref>Steve Nash, ''Blue Ridge 2020: An Owner's Manual'' (Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1999), pp. 25-28, 61-63.</ref>

⚫
While the mountain is still mostly lush and green in the summer, many dead Fraser fir trunks can be seen due to these serious problems. Reducing air pollution is a difficult issue, as the pollutants are often carried by air to this area from long distances. Sources can be local or hundreds of miles away, requiring cooperation from as far away as the [[Midwest]].

⚫
Wildflowers are abundant all summer long. Young fir and spruce trees do well in the subalpine climate, and their cones feed the birds along with wild [[blueberry]] and [[blackberry]] shrubs.

⚫
The second highest point in eastern North America, [[Mount Craig (North Carolina)|Mount Craig]] at {{convert|6647|ft|m|0}}, is roughly a mile to the north of Mount Mitchell.

⚫
===Climate===
⚫
[[File:Mount Mitchell Fall Foliage.JPG|thumb|Mount Mitchell Fall Foliage.]]
⚫
The summit area of Mount Mitchell is marked by a warm-summer [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfb''), with mild summers and long, moderately cold winters, being more similar to southeastern Canada than the [[U.S. Southern States|southeastern U.S.]] The monthly daily average temperature ranges from {{convert|25.1|°F|1}} in January to {{convert|59.6|°F|1}} in July. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the state occurred there on January 21, 1985 when it fell to {{convert|-34|°F|1}}, during a [[January 1985 Arctic outbreak|severe cold spell]] that brought freezing temperatures as far south as [[Miami]]. It is also the coldest average reporting station in the state at {{convert|42.9|°F|1}}, well below any other station.<ref name="weather">
{{cite web
{{cite web
|url = http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/climate/extremes.html
|url = http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/climate/extremes.html
Line 94: Line 97:
}}</ref>
}}</ref>


Unlike the lower elevations in the surrounding regions, heavy snows often fall from December to March, with {{convert|50|in|m|2}} accumulating in the [[Storm of the Century (1993)|Great Blizzard of 1993]] and {{convert|33|in|m|2}} in the [[January 2016 United States blizzard|January 2016 blizzard]].<ref>Dale Neal, "[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/01/25/mount-mitchell-north-carolina-record-snow/79288932/ Mount Mitchell Digs Out From Record 66 Inches of Snow]," ''USA Today'', 25 January 2016.</ref><ref name="weather"/> Due to the high elevation, precipitation is heavy and reliable year-round, averaging {{convert|81.09|in|mm|sigfig=3}} for the year, with no month receiving less than {{convert|5|in|0|abbr=on}} of average precipitation. The summit is often windy, with recorded gusts of up to {{convert|178|mph|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="wind">
Unlike the lower elevations in the surrounding regions, heavy snows often fall from December to March, with {{convert|50|in|m|2}} accumulating in the [[Storm of the Century (1993)|Great Blizzard of 1993]] and {{convert|33|in|m|2}} in the [[January 2016 United States blizzard|January 2016 blizzard]].<ref name="Jan2016SnowfallReport">{{cite report|author=Chris Stachelski|publisher=National Centers for Environmental Information|date=May 6, 2016|access-date=August 23, 2017|title=SCEC Decision: New 24 Hour Snowfall Record For North Carolina|url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-content/extremes/scec/20160506-NorthCarolina-24-Hour-Snow-Rejected.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824010415/https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-content/extremes/scec/20160506-NorthCarolina-24-Hour-Snow-Rejected.pdf|archive-date=August 24, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="weather"/> Due to the high elevation, precipitation is heavy and reliable year-round, averaging {{convert|81.09|in|mm|sigfig=3}} for the year, with no month receiving less than {{convert|5|in|0|abbr=on}} of average precipitation. The summit is often windy, with recorded gusts of up to {{convert|178|mph|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="wind">{{cite web
{{cite web
| url = http://www.ncparks.gov/News/newsletter/print/aug2003.pdf
| url = http://www.ncparks.gov/News/newsletter/print/aug2003.pdf
| title = Mount Mitchell Webcam Activated
| title = Mount Mitchell Webcam Activated
Line 102: Line 104:
| page = 3
| page = 3
| publisher = North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
| publisher = North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
| access-date = 2010-01-06}}</ref>
| access-date = 2010-01-06
| archive-date = 2010-04-16
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100416222523/http://www.ncparks.gov/News/newsletter/print/aug2003.pdf
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>


Mount Mitchell recorded a new state record of {{convert|139.94|in|mm|1}} of precipitation in 2018, which is also the highest total rainfall recorded during a calendar year anywhere east of the [[Cascade Range]] in the [[Contiguous United States]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/12/05/inches-rain-deluged-sperryville-virginia-setting-new-state-record/|title=In 2018, 94 inches of rain deluged Sperryville, Va., setting a state record|last=Livingston|first=Ian|date=2019-12-05|work=Washington Post|access-date=2019-12-08|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
Mount Mitchell recorded a new state record of {{convert|139.94|in|mm|1}} of precipitation in 2018, which is also the highest total rainfall recorded during a calendar year anywhere east of the [[Cascade Range]] in the [[Contiguous United States]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/12/05/inches-rain-deluged-sperryville-virginia-setting-new-state-record/|title=In 2018, 94 inches of rain deluged Sperryville, Va., setting a state record|last=Livingston|first=Ian|date=2019-12-05|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=2019-12-08|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=2019-12-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208145204/https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/12/05/inches-rain-deluged-sperryville-virginia-setting-new-state-record/|url-status=live}}</ref>


&nbsp;<!-- a little space before weather box -->
&nbsp;<!-- a little space before weather box -->


{{Weather box
{{Weather box
| location = Mount Mitchell (1991–2020 normals, records 1980–present)
| location = Mount Mitchell, North Carolina (1991–2020 normals, records 1980–present)
| single line = Y
| single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 61
| Jan record high F = 61
Line 124: Line 130:
| Dec record high F = 64
| Dec record high F = 64
| year record high F = 81
| year record high F = 81

|Jan avg record high F = 51.0
|Feb avg record high F = 52.3
|Mar avg record high F = 58.6
|Apr avg record high F = 66.6
|May avg record high F = 69.6
|Jun avg record high F = 72.7
|Jul avg record high F = 74.0
|Aug avg record high F = 73.3
|Sep avg record high F = 70.8
|Oct avg record high F = 66.5
|Nov avg record high F = 59.0
|Dec avg record high F = 53.5
|year avg record high F = 75.2

| Jan high F = 33.5
| Jan high F = 33.5
| Feb high F = 35.5
| Feb high F = 35.5
Line 163: Line 184:
| Dec low F = 21.4
| Dec low F = 21.4
| year low F = 34.7
| year low F = 34.7

|Jan avg record low F = -6.5
|Feb avg record low F = -0.7
|Mar avg record low F = 3.9
|Apr avg record low F = 14.7
|May avg record low F = 26.2
|Jun avg record low F = 38.9
|Jul avg record low F = 45.4
|Aug avg record low F = 45.5
|Sep avg record low F = 35.2
|Oct avg record low F = 19.8
|Nov avg record low F = 9.2
|Dec avg record low F = 1.6
|year avg record low F = -9.5

| Jan record low F = −34
| Jan record low F = −34
| Feb record low F = −20
| Feb record low F = −23
| Mar record low F = -11
| Mar record low F = -15
| Apr record low F = 1
| Apr record low F = 1
| May record low F = 14
| May record low F = 13
| Jun record low F = 28
| Jun record low F = 27
| Jul record low F = 38
| Jul record low F = 36
| Aug record low F = 32
| Aug record low F = 32
| Sep record low F = 23
| Sep record low F = 23
| Oct record low F = 13
| Oct record low F = 5
| Nov record low F = -2
| Nov record low F = -19
| Dec record low F = -19
| Dec record low F = -22
| year record low F = −34
| year record low F = −34
| precipitation colour = green
| precipitation colour = green
Line 235: Line 271:
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = May 11, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCDC>
| access-date = May 11, 2021
| archive-date = June 28, 2015
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150628163725/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=gsp
| url-status = live
}}</ref><ref name=NCDC>{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00315923&format=pdf
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00315923&format=pdf
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| title = Station: MT Mitchell, NC
| title = Station: MT Mitchell, NC
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)
| access-date = May 11, 2021}}</ref>
| access-date = May 11, 2021
| archive-date = 2021-05-11
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210511211910/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00315923&format=pdf
| url-status = live
}}</ref>
}}
}}


==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|North America|United States|Mountains}}
{{Portal|North America|United States|Mountains}}
⚫
*[[Assault on Mount Mitchell]], bicycling endurance
*[[List of mountains in North Carolina]]
*[[List of mountains in North Carolina]]
*[[Mountains-to-Sea Trail]]
*[[Mountains-to-Sea Trail]]
⚫
*[[Assault on Mount Mitchell]], bicycling endurance
{{clear}}


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{commons and category}}
* [http://ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/main.php Mount Mitchell State Park]
* [http://ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/main.php Mount Mitchell State Park] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081226024244/http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/main.php |date=2008-12-26 }}
*[https://nchighpeaks.org/davis/index.html Mount Mitchell Current Weather Conditions]
*[https://nchighpeaks.org/davis/index.html Mount Mitchell Current Weather Conditions]


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{{Mountains of North Carolina}}
{{Mountains of North Carolina}}
{{North Carolina highest}}
{{North Carolina highest}}

{{authority control}}
{{authority control}}


⚫
[[Category:Appalachian culture in North Carolina]]
⚫
[[Category:Blue Ridge Mountains]]
⚫
[[Category:Blue Ridge National Heritage Area]]
[[Category:Highest points of U.S. states|Mitchell]]
[[Category:Highest points of U.S. states|Mitchell]]
⚫
[[Category:Landmarks in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Mountains of North Carolina|Mitchell]]
[[Category:Mountains of North Carolina|Mitchell]]
⚫
[[Category:Blue Ridge Mountains]]
[[Category:National Natural Landmarks in North Carolina]]
[[Category:National Natural Landmarks in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Two-thousanders of the United States]]
[[Category:Mountains of Yancey County, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Mountains of Yancey County, North Carolina]]
⚫
[[Category:Landmarks in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Southern Sixers|Mitchell]]
[[Category:Southern Sixers|Mitchell]]
⚫
[[Category:Appalachian culture in North Carolina]]
⚫
[[Category:Blue Ridge National Heritage Area]]
[[Category:North American 2000 m summits]]
[[Category:Western North Carolina]]
[[Category:Western North Carolina]]

Latest revision as of 15:57, 7 December 2024

This article is about the North Carolina mountain. For other uses, see Mount Mitchell (disambiguation).
Mount Mitchell
Mount Mitchell, viewed from the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina
Highest point
Elevation6,684 ft (2,037 m)[1]
Prominence6,089 ft (1,856 m)[1]
Isolation1,189 miles (1,914 km)
Listing
Coordinates35°45′53″N 82°15′54″W / 35.764839°N 82.2651221°W / 35.764839; -82.2651221[2]
Geography
Mount Mitchell is located in North Carolina
Mount Mitchell
Mount Mitchell
North Carolina, U.S.
Mount Mitchell is located in the United States
Mount Mitchell
Mount Mitchell
Mount Mitchell (the United States)
LocationYancey County, North Carolina, U.S.
Parent rangeAppalachian Mountains
Topo mapUSGS Mount Mitchell
Climbing
Easiest routeHike

Mount Mitchell (Attakulla in Cherokee)[3] is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in mainland North America east of the Mississippi River. It is located near Burnsville in Yancey County, North Carolina in the Black Mountain subrange of the Appalachians about 19 miles (31 km) northeast of Asheville. It is protected by Mount Mitchell State Park and surrounded by the Pisgah National Forest. Mount Mitchell's elevation is 6,684 feet (2,037 m) above sea level.[1] Mount Mitchell is ranked 31st by topographic isolation.

Geography

[edit]
Surveyor's mark embedded in the observation tower notes the elevation of 6684-feet above sea level
Fall foliage at Mount Mitchell

The peak is the highest mountain in the United States east of the Mississippi River,[4][5] and the highest in all of eastern North America south of the Arctic Cordillera. The nearest higher peaks are in the Black Hills of South Dakota and the highland foothills of Colorado. The mountain's topographic isolation is calculated from the nearest discernible single higher point: Lone Butte, which is 1,189 miles (1,913 km) away in southeastern Colorado.[citation needed]

History

[edit]

Mount Mitchell was the highest mountain of the United States from 1789 until the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 when Mount Elbert became the highest mountain claimed by the United States. Mount Mitchell was also the most isolated peak in the United States from 1789 until the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 when Mount Whitney became the most isolated.

The Cherokee people, who long occupied this area as part of their homeland, called the mountain Attakulla.[3] European-American settlers first called the mountain Black Dome for its rounded shape. They later named it after Elisha Mitchell, a professor at the University of North Carolina, who first explored the Black Mountain region in 1835. He determined that the height of the range exceeded by several hundred feet that of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. The latter had been commonly thought at the time to be the highest point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Mitchell fell to his death at nearby Mitchell Falls in 1857, where he had returned to verify his earlier measurements.[citation needed]

A 4.6-mile (7.4 km) road (NC 128) connects the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway to a parking lot where a steep paved 980-foot (300 m) trail leads through a conifer forest to the summit. The 40-foot (12 m) stone observation tower on the summit was torn down in late 2006. A new observation deck was constructed and opened to visitors in January 2009.[6]

Description

[edit]

Mount Mitchell was formed during the Precambrian when marine deposits were metamorphosed into gneiss and schist. These metasedimentary rocks were later uplifted during the Alleghenian orogeny.[7] The soils are well drained, dark brown and stony with fine-earth material ranging in texture from sandy clay loam to loam or sandy loam; Burton and Craggey are the most common series around the summit.[8]

Environment

[edit]

The mountain's summit is coated in a dense stand of Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest, which consists primarily of two evergreen species—the red spruce and the Fraser fir. Most of the mature Fraser firs, however, were killed off by the non-native Balsam woolly adelgid in the latter half of the 20th century. The high elevations expose plant life to high levels of pollution, including acid precipitation in the form of rain, snow, and fog. These acids damage the red spruce trees in part by releasing natural metals from the soil, such as aluminum, and by leaching important minerals. To what extent this pollution harms the high-altitude ecosystem is debatable.[9]

While the mountain is still mostly lush and green in the summer, many dead Fraser fir trunks can be seen due to these serious problems. Reducing air pollution is a difficult issue, as the pollutants are often carried by air to this area from long distances. Sources can be local or hundreds of miles away, requiring cooperation from as far away as the Midwest.

Wildflowers are abundant all summer long. Young fir and spruce trees do well in the subalpine climate, and their cones feed the birds along with wild blueberry and blackberry shrubs.

The second highest point in eastern North America, Mount Craig at 6,647 feet (2,026 m), is roughly a mile to the north of Mount Mitchell.

Climate

[edit]
Mount Mitchell
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
6.5
 
 
33
17
 
 
5.9
 
 
35
18
 
 
7.1
 
 
41
24
 
 
5.7
 
 
49
31
 
 
5.3
 
 
57
41
 
 
5.7
 
 
63
49
 
 
5.8
 
 
66
52
 
 
7.2
 
 
65
52
 
 
7.5
 
 
60
46
 
 
5.1
 
 
53
37
 
 
6.7
 
 
45
28
 
 
6.2
 
 
36
21
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Source: NOAA[10]
Metric conversion
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
166
 
 
1
−8
 
 
149
 
 
2
−8
 
 
179
 
 
5
−5
 
 
145
 
 
9
0
 
 
135
 
 
14
5
 
 
146
 
 
17
9
 
 
148
 
 
19
11
 
 
182
 
 
18
11
 
 
190
 
 
16
8
 
 
129
 
 
12
3
 
 
170
 
 
7
−2
 
 
158
 
 
2
−6
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm

The summit area of Mount Mitchell is marked by a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), with mild summers and long, moderately cold winters, being more similar to southeastern Canada than the southeastern U.S. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 25.1 °F (−3.8 °C) in January to 59.6 °F (15.3 °C) in July. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the state occurred there on January 21, 1985, when it fell to −34 °F (−36.7 °C), during a severe cold spell. It is also the coldest average reporting station in the state at 42.9 °F (6.1 °C), well below any other station.[11]

Unlike the lower elevations in the surrounding regions, heavy snows often fall from December to March, with 50 inches (1.27 m) accumulating in the Great Blizzard of 1993 and 33 inches (0.84 m) in the January 2016 blizzard.[12][11] Due to the high elevation, precipitation is heavy and reliable year-round, averaging 81.09 inches (2,060 mm) for the year, with no month receiving less than 5 in (127 mm) of average precipitation. The summit is often windy, with recorded gusts of up to 178 mph (286 km/h).[13]

Mount Mitchell recorded a new state record of 139.94 inches (3,554.5 mm) of precipitation in 2018, which is also the highest total rainfall recorded during a calendar year anywhere east of the Cascade Range in the Contiguous United States.[14]

 

Climate data for Mount Mitchell, North Carolina (1991–2020 normals, records 1980–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 61
(16) 		62
(17) 		73
(23) 		73
(23) 		78
(26) 		79
(26) 		80
(27) 		81
(27) 		77
(25) 		73
(23) 		67
(19) 		64
(18) 		81
(27)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 51.0
(10.6) 		52.3
(11.3) 		58.6
(14.8) 		66.6
(19.2) 		69.6
(20.9) 		72.7
(22.6) 		74.0
(23.3) 		73.3
(22.9) 		70.8
(21.6) 		66.5
(19.2) 		59.0
(15.0) 		53.5
(11.9) 		75.2
(24.0)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 33.5
(0.8) 		35.5
(1.9) 		41.0
(5.0) 		50.2
(10.1) 		57.8
(14.3) 		63.8
(17.7) 		66.8
(19.3) 		66.0
(18.9) 		61.4
(16.3) 		53.6
(12.0) 		44.8
(7.1) 		37.7
(3.2) 		51.0
(10.6)
Daily mean °F (°C) 25.1
(−3.8) 		27.0
(−2.8) 		32.3
(0.2) 		41.1
(5.1) 		49.5
(9.7) 		56.3
(13.5) 		59.6
(15.3) 		58.6
(14.8) 		53.8
(12.1) 		45.2
(7.3) 		36.2
(2.3) 		29.6
(−1.3) 		42.9
(6.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 16.7
(−8.5) 		18.5
(−7.5) 		23.6
(−4.7) 		32.0
(0.0) 		41.3
(5.2) 		48.7
(9.3) 		52.3
(11.3) 		51.2
(10.7) 		46.2
(7.9) 		36.9
(2.7) 		27.6
(−2.4) 		21.4
(−5.9) 		34.7
(1.5)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −6.5
(−21.4) 		−0.7
(−18.2) 		3.9
(−15.6) 		14.7
(−9.6) 		26.2
(−3.2) 		38.9
(3.8) 		45.4
(7.4) 		45.5
(7.5) 		35.2
(1.8) 		19.8
(−6.8) 		9.2
(−12.7) 		1.6
(−16.9) 		−9.5
(−23.1)
Record low °F (°C) −34
(−37) 		−23
(−31) 		−15
(−26) 		1
(−17) 		13
(−11) 		27
(−3) 		36
(2) 		32
(0) 		23
(−5) 		5
(−15) 		−19
(−28) 		−22
(−30) 		−34
(−37)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 7.47
(190) 		5.62
(143) 		7.22
(183) 		6.52
(166) 		6.08
(154) 		5.46
(139) 		6.92
(176) 		7.69
(195) 		8.76
(223) 		6.29
(160) 		6.17
(157) 		6.89
(175) 		81.09
(2,060)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 19.2
(49) 		18.6
(47) 		18.5
(47) 		7.1
(18) 		1.4
(3.6) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.7
(1.8) 		3.9
(9.9) 		19.7
(50) 		89.1
(226)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 14.1 12.4 14.1 12.6 14.2 16.1 17.8 16.1 12.7 10.3 10.4 13.1 163.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 6.4 6.5 4.9 2.5 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 2.0 5.2 28.2
Source: NOAA[15][10]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Mount Mitchell, North Carolina". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  2. ^ "Mount Mitchell". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  3. ^ a b Bradford, Erin (2019-12-05). "North Carolina Gazetteer". NCpedia. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  4. ^ Davis, Donald E.; Colten, Craig E.; Nelson, Megan Kate; Saikku, Mikko; Allen, Barbara L. (2006). Southern United States: An Environmental History. ABC-CLIO. p. 261. ISBN 9781851097807. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Mount Mitchell State Park | NC State Parks". www.ncparks.gov. State of North Carolina. Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Mount Mitchell State Park". North Carolina State Parks. Archived from the original on 2008-12-26. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  7. ^ Timothy Silver (2003). Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains: An Environmental History of the Highest Peaks in Eastern America. Univ of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0-8078-5423-5.
  8. ^ SoilWeb Archived 2013-05-14 at the Wayback Machine, University of California-Davis California Soil Resource Lab, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Accessed: 11 January 2016.
  9. ^ Steve Nash, Blue Ridge 2020: An Owner's Manual (Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1999), pp. 25-28, 61-63.
  10. ^ a b "Station: MT Mitchell, NC". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2021-05-11. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Extreme Weather Records". State Climate Office of North Carolina. Archived from the original on 2007-05-12. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  12. ^ Chris Stachelski (May 6, 2016). SCEC Decision: New 24 Hour Snowfall Record For North Carolina (PDF) (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 24, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  13. ^ "Mount Mitchell Webcam Activated" (PDF). The Steward. North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. August 2003. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-04-16. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  14. ^ Livingston, Ian (2019-12-05). "In 2018, 94 inches of rain deluged Sperryville, Va., setting a state record". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2019-12-08. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  15. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on June 28, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
[edit]
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