Ice Storm in North Carolina, December 14, 2003

Name: Ice Storm in North Carolina, December 14, 2003
Start: 2003-12-14T06:00
End: 2003-12-14T12:00
Location: North Carolina

December 14, 2003 · NWS GSP · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Freezing rain began during the early morning hours, and ice accretion of around 1/2 inch had occurred by noon. Numerous trees and power lines fell under the weight of the ice.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
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Heat and drought
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Fire, smoke and dust
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $3,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

Freezing rain began during the early morning hours, and ice accretion of around 1/2 inch had occurred by noon. Numerous trees and power lines fell under the weight of the ice.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 14, 3:58 AM EST, 2 hours 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 14, 3:58 AM EST, 2 hours 2 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 14, 5:23 AM EST, 37 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Dec 14, 3:33 AM EST, 2 hours 27 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Henderson

When: December 14, 6:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.336, -82.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm: Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, December 2003

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: 5380272.