Climate, Time and Money

CLIMATE
Durham is located at 36 degrees N latitude and 78 degrees 55 minutes W longitude.  Durham has a moderate climate with very warm humid summers and mild winters.  The temperature may occasionally drop to below 10 degrees (-12c) on a winter night or climb to just over 100 degrees (38c) on a summer day.  Because the daytime temperature in winter usually rises above freezing, there is seldom an accumulation of ice or snow.  High temperatures and high humidity mark mid-summer days.  It also rains quite a bit here.  If you will be in Durham for at least one year, you will want to bring both warm and cold weather clothes.

TIME
Durham, North Carolina is in the Eastern Time Zone of the United States.

MONEY
It is advisable to have at least US $1,000 in cash and/or traveler's checks to get settled during the first few weeks here at Duke.  It also is advisable to bring a major credit card with you in case of emergencies.  Both Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted in the United States.

You will find it almost essential to have a checking account in the U.S. Shoppers here use checks or credit cards for many purchases and usually carry only enough cash for daily activities. The only full service bank with an office on the Duke Campus is Wachovia Bank and Trust Company. They have a branch office located in Duke Hospital South. All the banks in town can arrange for international transfer of funds from your bank at home.

Coin (cents) denominations are: penny=1 cent; nickel=5 cents; dime=10 cents; half-dollar=50 cents; one dollar=100 cents=$1 (seldom used in this part of the country).

Paper currency (dollars) denominations are: $1, $2 (seldom used), $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, $1,000, $5,000, $10,000. Denominations above $100 are no longer printed, but some of the larger denominations still remain in the hands of private citizens.  All currency in general circulation is the same size and color, which can be confusing at first.

For additional information, go to Banking.