Today's barometric pressure in Durham, a 48-hour pressure chart, and a risk score for weather-triggered migraine and headache, based on pressure drops, humidity, and temperature changes.
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Durham sits at 123 metres in the eastern Piedmont, low enough that Atlantic influence reaches the city more readily than it does the Triad to the west. Pressure averages 1003 hPa, and tropical systems occasionally push far enough inland to matter.
Worst season for migraines: January through March. The cool season carries most of the frontal activity and the sharpest changes. Late summer and autumn introduce a separate pattern, when the remnants of tropical systems track inland and produce prolonged rainfall and depressed pressure.
Common triggers in Durham: inland tropical remnant systems, extended depressed pressure over several days, heavy spring pollen loads. Tropical remnants reaching central North Carolina lose their wind but keep their moisture and their low pressure, sometimes sitting over the region for days. That extended depression is a distinct trigger pattern from the quick frontal passages of winter. The Triangle's tree cover also produces one of the heaviest pollen seasons in the country each spring, layering an allergen trigger over the barometric one.
Typical pressure: Durham averages 1003 hPa at rest, measured at the city's own elevation rather than corrected to sea level, and storm systems can push readings down to 988 hPa. Swings of 6-11 hPa over 24 hours are common during active weather and fall within the range most associated with pressure-triggered migraines.
2026 index: Durham is not one of the 100 metros ranked in our 2026 U.S. Migraine Risk Index, which shows how they compare.
Can Durham weather trigger migraines?
Yes. Durham experiences 6-11 hPa barometric pressure swings, and research shows pressure drops are one of the most common migraine triggers. The city's specific patterns include inland tropical remnant systems, extended depressed pressure over several days, heavy spring pollen loads.
What time of year are migraines worst in Durham?
In Durham the most barometrically volatile stretch of the year falls in January through March. That is when weather is most likely to play a part, if weather is a trigger for you at all. See when migraine weather season starts across the U.S.
Is there a barometric pressure headache forecast for Durham?
This page works as one. Many people call a headache that arrives with a weather change a barometric pressure headache, and this forecast tracks the pressure drops, humidity and temperature swings behind that idea. The score covers the next 24 hours in Durham and the chart shows the next 48. It is built on migraine research, so treat it as a rough guide for other headaches. A sudden, severe headache needs urgent medical care, whatever the weather.
Your own forecast
This page shows the weather risk for everyone in Durham. The MigrAid app learns yours. It saves the barometric pressure, humidity and temperature with every migraine you log, shows whether Durham's swings really line up with your attacks, and alerts you when conditions match your own trigger history.