North Carolina, 2000

Heavy Snow in North Carolina, December 19, 2000

December 19, 2000 · NWS GSP · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

The latest in a sprightly succession of Arctic cold fronts crossed the region on the 18th and 19th. Abundant low level moisture and an upper level disturbance riding over the new surge of cold air provided the ingredients for the latest round of snow.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
16

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.

The latest in a sprightly succession of Arctic cold fronts crossed the region on the 18th and 19th. Abundant low level moisture and an upper level disturbance riding over the new surge of cold air provided the ingredients for the latest round of snow. The heaviest snow accumulations, in general, were north and west of Asheville, especially near the Tennessee border. The northern half of Mitchell County recorded 5 to 6 inches of new snow...as did the higher-terrain Highlands/Cashiers area of southern Jackson and Transylvania counties in the southern mountains. Buncombe, Transylvania and Macon counties each reported numerous 4 inch accumulations, with most other mountain locations reporting between 1 and 3 inches. Foothill locations, especially those closest to the mountains, racked up some impressive totals as well, with Marion and Morganton each reporting 2 to 3 inches. Farther east, in the northwest piedmont, accumulations were limited to less than 2 inches. More than 200 traffic accidents were reported from the region due to the wintry weather.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Alexander

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Alexander forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.921, -81.177 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Buncombe

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Buncombe forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.611, -82.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Burke

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Burke forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Heavy Snow, Caldwell

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Caldwell forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Heavy Snow, Catawba

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Catawba forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.663, -81.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Davie

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Davie forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.929, -80.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Graham

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Graham forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.350, -83.834 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Haywood

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Haywood forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.556, -82.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Henderson

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Henderson forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.336, -82.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Iredell

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Iredell forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.807, -80.873 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, McDowell

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
McDowell forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Heavy Snow, Northern Jackson

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Polk

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Polk forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Heavy Snow, Rutherford

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Rutherford forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Heavy Snow, Swain

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Swain forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.487, -83.493 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Transylvania

When
December 19, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Transylvania forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.202, -82.798 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, December 2000

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5168822, 5168823, 5169184, 5169185, 5169186, 5169187, 5169188, 5169189, 5169190, 5169191, 5169192, 5169193, 5169194, 5169195, 5169196, 5169197.