Major Winter Storms of the Southeast's past

[NCHurricane]

March 80 was awesome, but Dec 2000 was the only time I've encountered thundersnow and it had incredible rates under the band that produced the thunder. I ended up with between 10-17" depending on the location in my yard.

 

 

We were officially put in the 5" band (when i lived in southern Beaufort Co), but I think I got a little more than that....

[Isopycnic]

January 6-7 1996

 

The sleet and snowpack stated around for almost a month after this event.

 

[FallsLake]

January 6-7 1996

 

The sleet and snowpack stated around for almost a month after this event.

 

accum.19960107.gif

That was my favorite storm as well; even over the 2' storm. The 4-6 shown over our area was mosly sleet. As you stated, it had staying power because it was (of course) sleet and the cold that followed. One week after the storm, US 1 from Wake Forest down to Raleigh still only had one lane opened. To make things worse, we received an ice storm (1/2" freezing rain)  a week later that made walking a nightmare. There was another storm that dropped 8" of sleet on Raleigh, but I was not here for that storm.  

[frazdaddy]

That was my favorite storm as well; even over the 2' storm. The 4-6 shown over our area was mosly sleet. As you stated, it had staying power because it was (of course) sleet and the cold that followed. One week after the storm, US 1 from Wake Forest down to Raleigh still only had one lane opened. To make things worse, we received an ice storm (1/2" freezing rain)  a week later that made walking a nightmare. There was another storm that dropped 8" of sleet on Raleigh, but I was not here for that storm.

I remember both, great storms. The 8 inch storm was the first time I had seen that much sleet. It was strange seeing the ground covered and the rooftops mostly clear.

[FallsLake]

I remember both, great storms. The 8 inch storm was the first time I had seen that much sleet. It was strange seeing the ground covered and the rooftops mostly clear.

This sounds dramatic, but I think that 8" sleet is a record for anywhere in the world. I'm sure there's been larger storms but they were not officially recorded.

[frazdaddy]

This sounds dramatic, but I think that 8" sleet is a record for anywhere in the world. I'm sure there's been larger storms but they were not officially recorded.

Wasn't that mid 80's March 24/25 1983?

[FallsLake]

Wasn't that mid 80's March 24/25 1983?

Not sure, I think it was late 80s when I was at college in Boone.  It's listed in that NC winter events site but I don't have that link on this computer.

[griteater]

This sounds dramatic, but I think that 8" sleet is a record for anywhere in the world. I'm sure there's been larger storms but they were not officially recorded.

Dramatic is good   

 

Here's the big damming sleeter (86-87 was a great winter)

 

[/url]

[frazdaddy]

That's the one. Good find Grit.

[downeastnc]

March 80 was awesome, but Dec 2000 was the only time I've encountered thundersnow and it had incredible rates under the band that produced the thunder. I ended up with between 10-17" depending on the location in my yard.

 

2000_snowstorm.jpg

2000_snowstorm2.jpg

 

We were officially put in the 5" band (when i lived in southern Beaufort Co), but I think I got a little more than that....accum.20001204.gif

 

Yeah I was in Greenville for 1980 and 2004 we had thunder in both though, and they say we had 6-8" but I had 15" on my car at the end of it and the bottom 2 stairs on the stairs at my apt where under snow and we measured a solid 12-14" everywhere....but it was a heavy wet snow and it settled down to around 8-10" by the next day, it was also really windy for that one and that plus the wind left some cool snow hangs, I will put a crappy sideways pic with a cool hang here ( you can see a bigger one on the next building over) its a pic of a pic since I haven't scanned in my old snow pics yet....got some 1980 ones around here somewhere

[Brick Tamland]

My top 3:

 

1. Jan 25, 2000 Carolina Crusher

2. Jan 2-3, 2002

3. Dec 2010 on Christmas

 

 

I really would love to see something like this again.

 

[downeastnc]

1973 storm write up is  fun to read, my dad said it was around 8-10" here ( I was born in 72 so not even 1 yet when this happened ) and that it was a really cold snow......also at the end of the report is a list of snowfalls recorded in the 1700-1800's

 

http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/papers/NOAATECHEDSNCC2free.pdf

[NCSNOW]

My top 5 that I was fortunate enough to expierence first hand IMBY:

 

Feb 2004 (17 inches/ with Thunder) Randolph County

Jan 2000 Carolina Crusher ( only 15 my side of County/ Suprise Element made this even more unique) Randolph County

Superstorm 93 ( 15 in Cullowhee/ Official Blizzard warning that Saturday) Jackson County

December 2002 ( Massive Crippling Ice Storm: Over a inch and a half of Freezing rain with temps in low 20's) Randolph County

December 2010 ( 5 inches on Christmas Day / Hard to duplicate that timing again) Randolph County

 

Other storms for NC I expierenced that I remeber off top of head that where unique:

 

January 1988 ( Murphy to Manteo / pretty widespread 5 to 7 inches :  Nash County heading back to Jackson County

May 1992 Freak Snowstorm  (61 Inches top Mt Pisgah / 12 riding home for summer Balsm pass)Jackson County

[BullCityWx]

Several reasons that storm may even be my #2: 

1. 10" of snow from roughly .2 liquid equivalent. Look it up. 
2. Thunder and lightning
3. The event originally was pegged as a 1-3" snow. 
4. It lasted forever on the ground


These AFDs is from RAH's past events page: 


 

FXUS62 KGSP 230227

AFDGSP

 

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC

927 PM EST WED JAN 22 2003

 

IN SHORT...NO MAJOR CHANGES TO ONGOING FCST. DRY ATMOS OVER THE CWFA 

BEGINNING TO MOISTEN AS EVIDENCED BY LOW CLOUD FORMATION. NO REPORTS 

OF SNOW YET...BUT HIER REFLECTIVITIES ON RADAR JUST NOW ENTERING 

CWFA. ALSO SNOW NOW BEING REPORTED IN SOME AREAS TO OUR WEST. EXPECT 

SNOW TO BEGIN SOON IN NC MTNS...SO WILL REMOVE TIMING WORDING THERE. 

WILL LEAVE SOME SORT OF TIMING WORDING ELSEWHERE AS WILL STILL BE 

SOME TIME BEFORE SNOW BEGINS IN EARNEST. CURRENT WARNING/ADVISORY 

AREAS LOOK GOOD SO EXPECT NO CHANGES THERE.

 

HOWEVER THERE COULD BE A FLY IN THE OINTMENT. MDLS HAVE INDICATED 

SFC AND H85 MESO LOW FORMING IN LEE OF MTNS DUE TO STRONG DYNAMICS. 

THIS LOW HAS FORMED OVER THE UPSTATE ACCORDING TO OUR LOCAL SFC 

ANALYSIS. SELY SFC WINDS HAVE DEVELOPED AND THIS COULD BE THE CAUSE 

OF THE LOW CLOUD DECK. NO LOW SEEN ON 00Z H85 CHART...BUT EVEN 

LATEST RUC SHOWING THIS FEATURE FORMING. DAY SHIFT EXPECTED 

THIS...SO WARNING ALREADY IN PLACE FOR PORTIONS OF THE UPSTATE. IF 

THIS DEVELOPS FURTHER...IT COULD LEAD TO SOME AREAS OF WARNING 

CRITERIA SNOW OVER PORTIONS OF CLT METRO AREA AND NW PIEDMONT. GIVEN 

THE UNCERTAINTY WILL LEAVE THOSE AREAS IN ADVISORY...BUT WILL 

MENTION POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED HIER SNOW IN WSW.

AFDGSP

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
400 AM EST THU JAN 23 2003

QUITE A HECTIC MORNING...AS NUMEROUS CONCERNS FOR THE FIRST 2
PERIODS. SNOWFALL TOTALS HAVE BEEN HEAVIER THAN ANTICIPATED...
ESPECIALLY RIGHT ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE...WHERE ACCUMS AS HIGH AS 6
INCHES HAVE BEEN REPORTED. SNOWFALL RATIOS HAVE BEEN QUITE
HIGH...WITH ONE SPOTTER REPORTING 5" OF SNOWFALL WITH ONLY 0.16"
LIQUID EQUIVALENT. RADAR TRENDS/SHORT RANGE MODELS INDICATE SNOW
TAPERING OFF RAPIDLY FROM WEST TO EAST AROUND DAYBREAK...EXCEPT
ALONG THE MAIN SPINE OF THE APPALACHIANS...WHERE STRONG UPSLOPE FLOW
AND VERY FAVORABLE THERMAL PROFILES WILL RESULT IN CONTINUED
SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THEREFORE...THE WSW WILL BE
MAINTAINED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY ALONG THE TENNESSEE
LINE...AND THROUGH MID MORNING EAST OF THERE.

ONCE THE SNOW ENDS...CONCERN TURNS TO WIND AND PARTICULARLY WIND
CHILL VALUES LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. GFS AND ETA DEPICT 40
TO 50 KNOT H8 WINDS ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS LATE THIS
AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. WITH TEMPS FALLING...AND WINDS
INCREASING AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...WIND CHILLS WILL BE APPROACHING
AVISORY CRITERIA EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS...AND WARNING CRITERIA IN THE
MOUNTAINS BY SUNSET. WILL HOIST ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS AS
APPROPRIATE. EXPECT WINDS TO BE FLIRTING WITH HIGH WIND CRITERIA
ABOVE ABOUT 3000 FEET...SO A HIGH WIND WARNING WILL BE ISSUED FOR
THE NORTHERN MNTNS...WITH A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE
NC MNTNS.

AFTER WINDS DIE DOWN FRIDAY MORNING...CWFA WILL ENJOY A MUCH NEEDED
RESPITE FROM ACTIVE WEATHER FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE OF DAYS.

FCSTID = 4
GSP 28 9 34 15 / 50 0 0 0
AND 28 9 35 16 / 50 0 0 0
CLT 28 10 34 15 / 70 0 0 0
HKY 25 10 32 13 / 60 0 0 0
AVL 20 5 27 11 / 80 0 0 10

[NCummingWx93]

I'm sure there were lots I would have favored that happened before, during and after I was born but I will list the favorites from those that I remember.

 

My top 5

 

#1: January 2011. Had about half a foot (hard to tell with drifts) but the drifts were the most significant since the blizzard of '93.

#2: Blizzard of 93. Don't remember very much, only reason it's #2 but I remember waking up that morning to a ton of snow. I remember very high drifts and digging into the snow not being able to get to the ground.

#3: January 2002. It had to have snowed 24 hours straight without stopping. Beautiful snow too. Between 5 and 6"

#4: January 2000 Icestorms. First was worse

#5: February 2015 icestorm. Had between 1/4-1/2" of ice on trees/powerlines. Didn't all melt for several days. Sun came out next day and was so beautiful seeing the ice glisten off the trees. Only thing better than seeing sun shine off snow is seeing it shine off ice. Amazing, astonishing, beautiful!

 

BTW, my number 5 was nothing but rain in Atlanta, even as far north as Alpharetta or so, very sharp gradient. It was an unpredicted icestorm. Gotta love sneaky CAD at its finest!

[griteater]

Several reasons that storm may even be my #2: 

1. 10" of snow from roughly .2 liquid equivalent. Look it up. 

2. Thunder and lightning

3. The event originally was pegged as a 1-3" snow. 

4. It lasted forever on the ground

 

It was hard for anyone to be bullish on that event, especially after the Dec 2000 debacle of a similar type setup with upper system approaching from the northwest.  Having said that, I thought this was a good call from HPC (WPC now) indicating "Heavy Snow Possible" east of the mtns...this was their map from the morning of Jan 22.  That was a special event for sure.

 

[BullCityWx]

It was hard for anyone to be bullish on that event, especially after the Dec 2000 debacle of a similar type setup with upper system approaching from the northwest.  Having said that, I thought this was a good call from HPC (WPC now) indicating "Heavy Snow Possible" east of the mtns...this was their map from the morning of Jan 22.  That was a special event for sure.

 

 

Huh, I never saw that map. 

 

Really, it had everything a good storm has. It overperformed, contained thunder snow and had temps dropping through the 20s into the teens and pretty decent wind in the middle of the event. It'll probably always be in my top 5.

[Blue_Ridge_Escarpment]

This was by far my most favorite storm. 16 inches of snow with 3 foot drifts. Temp hovered in the upper teens the entire event and didn't see the freezing mark for about a week and a half.  I had snow in my back yard until mid Feb thanks to the help from this store. Wow what a winter 09-10 was!

 

 

 

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/20091218/

[griteater]

Huh, I never saw that map. 

 

Really, it had everything a good storm has. It overperformed, contained thunder snow and had temps dropping through the 20s into the teens and pretty decent wind in the middle of the event. It'll probably always be in my top 5.

The kind of snow I like most - cold, light, and dry

[Met1985]

This was by far my most favorite storm. 16 inches of snow with 3 foot drifts. Temp hovered in the upper teens the entire event and didn't see the freezing mark for about a week and a half. I had snow in my back yard until mid Feb thanks to the help from this store. Wow what a winter 09-10 was!

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/20091218/

Yep that was an awsome storm. We had like 18 inches of the wettest snow iv ever seen. Some of these communities up in the mountains they had to bring in front end loaders to clear the snow because it was so deep.

[frazdaddy]

ALL TOGETHER NOW... "All I want for Christmas is my 2 foot snow"

[yotaman]

Anyone remember the January cold blast of 1985? I lived in Virginia Beach. I remember the going to church with temps in the 40's and coming out to snow and temps in the 20's. We ended up with about 6 inches of snow and the temp bottomed out at -4F Monday morning. It was the first time I had ever experienced below zero temps.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_1985_cold_wave

 

http://www.weather.gov/mhx/Jan211985EventReview

[tonysc]

February 1973 hands down for me.

 

http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article14420804.html

 

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9814321

[downeastnc]

Wish I could find more on the Feb 24th 1989 event we had to have had at least 12" here in that one and then we had 12" in the Dec 22nd 1989 storm....that was a good year lol, two footers inside of 10 months.

 

this is for the Feb storm

 

1989... A total of thirty-three cities in the eastern U.S. reported new record low temperatures for the date, and an Atlantic coast storm spread heavy snow from Georgia to southern New England. Snowfall totals in New Jersey ranged up to 24 inches in May County, with 19 inches reported at Atlantic City. Totals in North Carolina ranged up to 18 inches in Gates County, and winds along the coast of North Carolina gusted to 70 mph at Duck Pier. Strong winds gusting to 52 mph created blizzard conditions at Chatham MA.​

[griteater]

Wish I could find more on the Feb 24th 1989 event we had to have had at least 12" here in that one and then we had 12" in the Dec 22nd 1989 storm....that was a good year lol, two footers inside of 10 months.

 

this is for the Feb storm

 

1989... A total of thirty-three cities in the eastern U.S. reported new record low temperatures for the date, and an Atlantic coast storm spread heavy snow from Georgia to southern New England. Snowfall totals in New Jersey ranged up to 24 inches in May County, with 19 inches reported at Atlantic City. Totals in North Carolina ranged up to 18 inches in Gates County, and winds along the coast of North Carolina gusted to 70 mph at Duck Pier. Strong winds gusting to 52 mph created blizzard conditions at Chatham MA.​

 

There were actually 2 storms in late Feb 1989.

 

Feb 17-18

Edenton - 6.0

Raleigh - 6.2

Greenville - 2.0

 

Feb 23-24 - This storm was wide reaching with accumulations across all of NC, and light accumulations (~1 inch) down to Macon and Savannah.  Around 4 inches in Columbia.

Edenton - 10.0

Raleigh - 4.9

Greenville - 11.0

[packbacker]

Interesting seeing lots of memorable Nina snow storms being mentioned. Also interesting seeing years 89, 93, 96, and 10/11 getting mentioned, those were all ninas that followed nino's. We will have to remember that next year when JB goes warm/snowless.

[Coach B]

1. Jan 88 - Deep powder

2. Jan 11 - Again deep powder. Shut down schools for over a week.

3. Jan 85 - Multiple big snows and cold on this side of the Apps

4. Feb 94 - Massive ice storm over here

[downeastnc]

There were actually 2 storms in late Feb 1989.

 

Feb 17-18

Edenton - 6.0

Raleigh - 6.2

Greenville - 2.0

 

Feb 23-24 - This storm was wide reaching with accumulations across all of NC, and light accumulations (~1 inch) down to Macon and Savannah.  Around 4 inches in Columbia.

Edenton - 10.0

Raleigh - 4.9

Greenville - 11.0

 

So I do remember it right, seems like it was a really cold storm too and that makes sense if it was snowing in Savannah....so that makes my top 5

 

Mar 1980--20-24"

Dec 3 2000--15"

Feb 24 1989--12"

Dec 25/26 2010--11"

Dec 22/23 1989--10-12"

 

interestingly 3 of my top 5 have been in Dec.....

 

[yotaman]

There were actually 2 storms in late Feb 1989.

 

Feb 17-18

Edenton - 6.0

Raleigh - 6.2

Greenville - 2.0

 

Feb 23-24 - This storm was wide reaching with accumulations across all of NC, and light accumulations (~1 inch) down to Macon and Savannah.  Around 4 inches in Columbia.

Edenton - 10.0

Raleigh - 4.9

Greenville - 11.0

 

I remember both those storms. We had about a foot each time in Va Beach. I also remember the temp soaring up to near 80 in between the storms and right afterward. A very weird February.

[mitchnick]

3/1/80 is one of the very few snowstorms that crushed SE VA and NC and still gave BWI a reasonably decent snow, around 5". Nonetheless, I still vividly recall that night hoping the storm would find a way to move further north and slam us like PD1 had done the winter before. BUT, what really pissed me off over and above missing the best snow was watching Duke beat Maryland in the ACC basketball tournament, 73-72. And in case you didn't notice, "yes", it still pisses me off. Lol

EDIT: some great stories in here, but most of your big hits were very painful misses up here....and did I mention anything about the ACC tournament in 80'?