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No, it doesn’t rain more at PTI Airport, but certain factors do drive precipitation disparities

If you’ve noticed more rain in and around PTI Airport, it’s coincidental. But, geography and elevation can cause precipitation differences.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Rain, rain, go away, come again another day...or in another neighborhood.

THE QUESTION

Viewer Greg Brown asked, "I heard it rains more consistently near the PTI (Piedmont Triad International) Airport than it does in other places in Greensboro. Is that true? If so, why?"

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

The claim it rains more at PTI Airport than other areas of Greensboro is false. But, certain factors -- like geography and elevation -- do influence how much precipitation certain areas and neighborhoods receive.

WHAT WE FOUND

Meteorologist Christian Morgan looked at rain data from the National Weather Service and found in the last seven days, PTI Airport had 1.11 inches of rain, less than the 1.68 inches in High Point and 2.84 inches in Asheboro. However, it had more than the 1.10 inches in Browns Summit and .95 inches at Greensboro's Lindley Park, an area prone to flooding.

Morgan also acknowledged viewers often hear meteorologists talk about rain at PTI Airport, because that is the Greensboro point place for collecting weather data. But, more rain at PTI Airport on a given day is purely coincidental. 

However, he said it is true certain factors -- like geography and elevation -- can influence how much precipitation a certain neighborhood or county receives.

Take the 'I-40 Corridor,' for example.

"A lot of times, we can say north of I-40, you might see more, south of I-40 you might see less, and the reason for that is a couple of factors, but one people don't realize is the elevation from places like Asheboro up to Greensboro changes quite a bit. Even that amount of elevation can cause a little more snow to fall and cause a little bit more precipitation to fall," Morgan explained.

So, unlike the real estate market, Mother Nature isn't all about location, location, location, but staying on top of the changing forecast with tools like the WFMY News 2 app can help you figure out where she is going next.

Do you see a claim you want verified? Submit a screen shot, along with a selfie video or short paragraph of the question, to Meghann Mollerus via:

Facebook: Meghann Mollerus News

E-mail: VERIFY@wfmy.com

Twitter: @MeghannMollerus

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