North Carolina, 2000

Heavy Snow in North Carolina, December 3, 2000

December 3, 2000 · NWS GSP · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

A developing surface cyclone off the Carolina Coast spread abundant moisture into western North Carolina, which was still mired in a cold, winter-like temperature regime. The result was another widespread snowfall.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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
15

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.

A developing surface cyclone off the Carolina Coast spread abundant moisture into western North Carolina, which was still mired in a cold, winter-like temperature regime. The result was another widespread snowfall. Accumulations ranged from a dusting in the northern foothills to more than 6 inches in western Macon County and 5 inches in Henderson County. Most accumulations were in the 1 to 3 inch range.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Avery

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Avery forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.077, -81.922 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Buncombe

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM 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 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Burke forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Heavy Snow, Caldwell

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Caldwell forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Heavy Snow, Cleveland

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Cleveland forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.334, -81.556 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Haywood

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM 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, Madison

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.858, -82.706 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, McDowell

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
McDowell forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Heavy Snow, Mitchell

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Mitchell forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.013, -82.163 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Polk

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Polk forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Heavy Snow, Rutherford

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Rutherford forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Heavy Snow, Swain

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM 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, Yancey

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Yancey forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.899, -82.308 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Henderson

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM 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, Macon

When
December 3, 3:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Macon forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.150, -83.422 (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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5168279, 5168280, 5168281, 5168655, 5168656, 5168657, 5168658, 5168659, 5168660, 5168661, 5168662, 5168663, 5168664, 5168665, 5168666.