Winter Storm and Winter Weather in North Carolina, December 20, 2004

Name: Winter Storm and Winter Weather in North Carolina, December 20, 2004
Start: 2004-12-20T02:00
End: 2004-12-20T09:00
Location: North Carolina

December 20, 2004 · NWS MHX · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

A winter storm blew through Eastern North Carolina during the early morning hours of the 20th. Winter weather advisories were issued for the entire area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 12 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 17

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 MHX wrote it up.

A winter storm blew through Eastern North Carolina during the early morning hours of the 20th. Winter weather advisories were issued for the entire area. One to three inches of snow was recorded across most of the area. However, a band of snow persisted through mid morning across portions of Beaufort, Pamlico, and eastern Carteret counties producing four to six inches of snow.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 winter weather, 3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Duplin

When: December 20, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Duplin forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.936, -77.933 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Greene

When: December 20, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.485, -77.676 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Jones

When: December 20, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Jones forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.022, -77.355 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lenoir

When: December 20, 2:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where: Lenoir forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.239, -77.641 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Martin

When: December 20, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Martin forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.842, -77.107 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Onslow

When: December 20, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Onslow forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Weather, Pitt

When: December 20, 2:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where: Pitt forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.594, -77.375 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Tyrrell

When: December 20, 2:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where: Tyrrell forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.870, -76.170 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Washington

When: December 20, 2:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.839, -76.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Dare

When: December 20, 2:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where: Western Dare forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.787, -75.781 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Western Hyde

When: December 20, 2:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where: Western Hyde forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.410, -76.148 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Beaufort

When: December 20, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Beaufort forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.486, -76.845 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Craven

When: December 20, 3:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where: Craven forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Storm, Pamlico

When: December 20, 3:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Pamlico forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.152, -76.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Carteret

When: December 20, 4:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where: Carteret forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Weather, Eastern Dare

When: December 20, 4:00 AM EST to 8:00 AM EST
Where: Eastern Dare forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Weather, Eastern Hyde

When: December 20, 4:00 AM EST to 8:00 AM EST
Where: Eastern Hyde forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, December 2004

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: 5430695, 5430698, 5430699, 5430700, 5430779, 5430780, 5430782, 5430783, 5430784, 5430785, 5430786, 5430692, 5430694, 5430781, 5430693, 5430696, 5430697.