Winter Storm, Avery
- When
- February 2, 8:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
- Where
- Avery forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 36.077, -81.922 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in North Carolina, February 2 to 5, 2009
Snow showers developed during the evening of the 2nd along the Tennessee border and continued off and on through the overnight hours and through much of the 3rd. One to four inches had accumulated in many areas by the evening of the 3rd.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
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.
Snow showers developed during the evening of the 2nd along the Tennessee border and continued off and on through the overnight hours and through much of the 3rd. One to four inches had accumulated in many areas by the evening of the 3rd. Numerous traffic accidents were reported on I-40 through the Pigeon River gorge in Haywood County. Snow showers increased in coverage and intensity during the late evening, then continued for much of the overnight hours. Snow persisted off and on through much of the 4th. Total accumulations ranged from 1 to 4 inches in the lower valleys, to as much as 8 inches in the higher elevations along the Tennessee border.
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 Feb 2, 7:24 PM EST, 36 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 2, 7:24 PM EST, 36 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
724 PM EST MON FEB 2 2009
.SYNOPSIS...
A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO
WILL TRACK UP THE ATLANTIC COAST TONIGHT AND THROUGH TUESDAY.
NORTHWEST FLOW WILL BUILD OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AS A BROAD AREA OF HIGH
PRESSURE DEVELOPS OVER THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY AND REMAINS OVER THE
WEEKEND.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/...
BACK EDGE OF LIGHT RETURNS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE LIGHT HIGHER
ELEVATION ACCUMS ACRS THE NORTHERN NC MTNS AND POINTS SOUTHWARD...
ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE...BEFORE PIVOTING OUT OF THE MTNS
LATER THIS EVENING. AT THIS POINT...THE ADVISORY NORTHWEST AND WEST
OF ASHEVILLE IS PROBABLY OVERKILL BUT THE PROGRESSIVELY COLD NW
UPSLOPE FLOW...OF MODERATE MAGNITUDE...BUT SHALLOW MOISTURE STILL
COULD RESULT IN ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS ACRS THE TENNESSEE
BORDER COUNTIES INTO THE OVERNIGHT. NUMEROUS PIEDMONT SHOWERS WILL
BE DIMINISHING LATER THIS EVENING...PERHAPS ENDING AS A PERIOD OF
WET SNOW AS COLDER TEMPS ADVECT AND SNOW LEVELS FALL INTO THE
FOOTHILLS. TUESDAY MORNING STARTS OUT QUIET AS MOISTURE WITH THE
FRONT CONTINUES TO PUSH EAST...AND THE NEXT ROUND OF MOISTURE WITH
THE SECOND SHORTWAVE IS STILL IN EAST TN. BY MID MORNING THE
SECOND AROUND OF NORTHWEST FLOW BEGINS...WITH MOISTURE AND UPSLOPE
FLOW INCREASING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. SNOW LEVELS MAY BRIEFLY
RISE TO 1500 FEET IN SOME OF THE VALLEYS AND ALONG THE BLUE
RIDGE...BEFORE DROPPING TO THE VALLEYS FLOORS IN LATE AFTERNOON.
ENOUGH LIQUID PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED FOR OVER ONE INCH OF SNOW
ACROSS MUCH OF THE NC MOUNTAINS....MOSTLY ALONG THE TN BORDER.
MODEL GUIDANCE TRENDED HIGHER WITH MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES...AND THE
FORECAST WILL LEAN TOWARD THE COOLEST OF THE GUIDANCE MEMBERS.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AS OF 230 PM MONDAY...THE MODEL GUIDANCE AGREES THAT WE HAVE ALL THE
INGREDIENTS WE NEED FOR A CLASSIC TEXTBOOK NW FLOW SNOW EVENT
TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. DEEP MOISTURE UP THROUGH THE CRYSTAL
GROWTH ZONE...A GREAT LAKES FETCH...THE PASSAGE OF TWO SHORT
WAVES...DAYTIME SHALLOW CONVECTIVE INSTABILITY...IT HAS IT ALL. FOR
THESE REASONS...WE SHOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE REACHING SNOW WARNING
CRITERIA DURING THIS PERIOD ALONG THE TN BORDER. THOSE ZONES...
INCLUDING BUNCOMBE AND NRN JACKSON...WILL BE UPGRADED TO A WARNING.
NOT SO SURE ABOUT REACHING CRITERIA YET ALONG THE BRP IN THE NRN
FOOTHILL MTN ZONES SO THE WATCH WILL BE CONTINUED THERE. ALSO...WILL
EXPAND THE WATCH TO INCLUDE MACON COUNTY. THE ONLY QUESTION IS WHEN
WILL IT END. GOING WITH THE OLD RULE OF THUMB ABOUT THE NW FLOW SNOW
CUTTING OFF WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE 850MB THERMAL TROF...THAT WOULD
BE AFTER 00Z THURSDAY. THE POTENTIAL IS THERE...SO THE WARNINGS WILL
RUN UNTIL MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY NIGHT...05Z THURSDAY. WE WILL NEED
ADDITIONAL ADVISORIES ACROSS THE REST OF THE MTN ZONES...BUT THIS
DECISION WILL BE LEFT TO LATER SHIFTS.
ELSEWHERE...THE PASSAGE OF THE STRONGER SHORT WAVE TUESDAY NIGHT
COULD BRING SOME SNOW SHOWERS OUT ACROSS THE NC FOOTHILLS/WRN
PIEDMONT SO A SMALL POP WILL BE INCLUDED FOR SNOW SHOWERS. ANY
ACCUMS WOULD BE VERY LIGHT. THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD LOOKS DRY
EAST OF THE MTNS AS THE DOWNSLOPE FROM THE DEEP NW FLOW SHOULD
PREVENT MUCH OF ANYTHING...INCLUDING CLOUDS...FROM HAPPENING. TEMPS
WERE NUDGED TOWARD A GUIDANCE BLEND DURING ALL PERIODS.
&&
.LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
AS OF 230 PM MONDAY...MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT BUILDING UPPER
RIDGE OVER REGION THU NIGHT AND FRI WHILE SFC RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE
N GULF AND MOVES ACROSS N FL. THIS WILL BRING MCLR SKIES AND ABOVE
AVG TEMPS TO THE AREA FRI. FLOW BECOMES MORE ZONAL SAT AS SHORTWAVE
ALOFT TRACKS ACROSS GREAT LAKES BUT 850MB RIDGE AND SFC HI ARE
EXPECTED TO RIDGE IN FROM THE SE COAST FOR WELL ABOVE AVG TEMPS.
LOW LEVEL RIDGING OVER THE AREA SHOULD KEEP TEMPS WELL ABOVE AVG...
BUT ALSO KEEP LOW LEVELS FAIRLY STABLE. BEST MOISTURE RETURN FROM
THE GULF IS EXPECTED TO STAY W AND N OF THE AREA. HOWEVER...AS WEAK
H5 SHORTWAVE MOVES THRU FLAT UPPER RIDGE EXPECT AN INCREASE IN
CLOUDS SAT NIGHT-SUN. GFS IS A BIT MORE AGRESSIVE WITH MOISTURE SO
WITH THIS IN MIND...KEPT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS IN AREA OF
WEAK UPPER FORCING AND UPSLOPE FLOW...OVER NC MTNS ALONG TN BORDER
LATE SAT NIGHT-SUN.
UPPER RIDGE THEN REBUILDS OVER REGION SUN NIGHT-MON WITH SFC AND
850MB RIDGE REMAINING OVER THE SE US. WITH ALL THIS RIDGING IN
PLACE...CONTINUED S FLOW SHOULD ALLOW TEMPS TO RISE INTO THE M60S
ACROSS THE PIEDMONT MON AFTN...WITH L50S TO AROUND 60 MTNS.
&&
.AVIATION /01Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AT KCLT...VSBY RESTRICTIVE SHOWERS WILL AFFECT THE TERMINAL TIL ABOUT
02 UTC WITH A WIND SHIFT TO NW 01-02 UTC. OTHERWISE...VFR LVL
STRATOCU CIGS WILL LINGER THRU THE LATE EVENING HOURS BEFORE
SCATTERING OUT OVERNIGHT. MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND NW WINDS ABT 8-10
KTS TUESDAY MORNING WILL BE WAY TO WSW WINDS AND INCREASING VFR
LVL CIGS AS THE AFTERNOON WEARS ON.
ELSEWHERE ACRS THE FA...NUMEROUS SHOWERS ACRS THE PIEDMONT WILL
DIMINISH DURING THE LATE EVENING HOURS. MVFR LVL STRATOCU AND GUSTY
NNW WINDS WILL LINGER AT KAVL...AND SOME MVFR STRATOCU COULD EFFECT
THE WESTERN UPSTATE THIS EVENING. OUTSIDE OF KAVL...DIMINISHING
CLOUDS TO BE SEEN OVERNIGHT...WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES FA WIDE TUESDAY
MORNING. GUSTY WINDS SHOULD REDEVELOP ACRS KAVL AND THE UPSTATE
TAFS BY AFTERNOON AS CLOUDS INCREASE. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ARE
EXPECTED ACRS THE NC MTNS LATER IN THE DAY.
OUTLOOK...CLOUD COVER WILL REMAIN ALONG THE TN BORDER WITH NC IN
NORTHWEST FLOW TUE NIGHT AND WED...INCLUDING AT KAVL...WHILE FEW
CLOUDS WILL EXISTS EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS. DRY HIGH PRESSURE MOVES
ACROSS THE AREA ON THU AND FRI.
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON FOR NCZ062-501-503-505.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST TUESDAY FOR NCZ033-
048>052-058-059-062-063.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 12 PM TUESDAY TO MIDNIGHT EST
WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR NCZ033-048>053-058-059.
SC...NONE.
&&
SYNOPSIS...JPT
NEAR TERM...CSH/JAT
SHORT TERM...PM
LONG TERM...RB
AVIATION...CSH/JATHazardous weather outlook, Feb 2, 4:40 PM EST, 3 hours 20 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 440 PM EST MON FEB 2 2009 NCZ033-048>052-058-059-032145- AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON- 440 PM EST MON FEB 2 2009 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST TUESDAY... ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TUESDAY TO MIDNIGHT EST WEDNESDAY NIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. WINTER STORM WARNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NCZ053-032145- BUNCOMBE- 440 PM EST MON FEB 2 2009 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TUESDAY TO MIDNIGHT EST WEDNESDAY NIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NCZ062-032145- MACON- 440 PM EST MON FEB 2 2009 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST TUESDAY... ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. WINTER STORM WATCH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NCZ063-032145- SOUTHERN JACKSON- 440 PM EST MON FEB 2 2009 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST TUESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NCZ064-065-507-509-032145- TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-POLK MOUNTAINS- 440 PM EST MON FEB 2 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOW SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE AREA TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A DUSTING TO AN INCH OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE. CLOSER TO THE TENNESSEE LINE HEAVIER SNOW TOTALS ARE EXPECTED. WIND CHILL VALUES TUESDAY NIGHT WILL FALL TO ZERO TO 5 BELOW ZERO AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS. SNOW SHOWERS WILL END FOR THE MOST PART EARLY ON WEDNESDAY... THOUGH VERY COLD TEMPERATURES WILL PERSIST INTO THURSDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NCZ501-503-505-032145- CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-BURKE MOUNTAINS-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS- 440 PM EST MON FEB 2 2009 ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WATCH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-502-504- 506-508-510-SCZ001>014-019-032145- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-ALEXANDER-IREDELL- DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS- UNION NC-GREATER CALDWELL-GREATER BURKE-EASTERN MCDOWELL- GREATER RUTHERFORD-EASTERN POLK-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS- GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS- GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE- LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 440 PM EST MON FEB 2 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. LOW TEMPERATURES TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT WILL FALL INTO THE UPPER TEENS TO LOWER 20S ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON WEDNESDAY MAY NOT REACH FREEZING IN SOME LOCATIONS. A PROLONGED PERIOD OF SUBFREEZING TEMPERATURES CAN FREEZE WATER PIPES THAT ARE POORLY INSULATED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Mitchell
- When
- February 2, 8:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
- Where
- Mitchell forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 36.013, -82.163 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Yancey
- When
- February 2, 8:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
- Where
- Yancey forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 35.899, -82.308 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Madison
- When
- February 2, 8:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
- Where
- Madison forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 35.858, -82.706 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Haywood
- When
- February 2, 8:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
- Where
- Haywood forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 35.556, -82.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- 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
- Lightning Strike in Florida, February 2, 2009
- Heavy Snow and Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, February 2 to 4, 2009
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Virginia, February 2 to 3, 2009
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, February 2 to 4, 2009
- Winter Weather in Kentucky, February 2, 2009
- Winter Weather in North Carolina, February 2 to 4, 2009
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in West Virginia, February 2, 2009
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, February 2 to 3, 2009
- Hail in Texas, February 2, 2009
- Winter Weather in Maryland, February 2 to 3, 2009
- Damaging Winds in Florida, February 2, 2009
- Winter Weather in Tennessee, February 2, 2009
More
Every storm in North Carolina in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, February 2009
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 156331, 156332, 156333, 156334, 156335.