A strong upper level system moved across Central North Carolina in a northwest flow. A surface low pressure center developed near the Triad the evening of February 3rd and then tracked southeast and east across Central North Carolina.
Every event with a place to put it; 16 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS RAH wrote it up.
A strong upper level system moved across Central North Carolina in a northwest flow. A surface low pressure center developed near the Triad the evening of February 3rd and then tracked southeast and east across Central North Carolina. This resulted in a band of two to four inches of snowfall no wider than 20 miles. Given the warm ground temperatures and short duration of the snow roads were clear shortly after daybreak on February 4th.
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 Raleigh, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 3, 7:03 PM EST, 2 hours 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 703 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL TRACK EAST ACROSS THE REGION LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING...BRINGING A CHANCE OF SNOW. COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL FOLLOW THROUGH THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 200 PM TUESDAY... STRONG VORTICITY MAXIMA OVER THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY CONTINUES TO DIVE EAST SOUTHEAST. GFS HANDLED THE PRECIPITATION OVER THE OHIO VALLEY FAIRLY WELL THIS MORNING. SNOW TO WATER EQUIVALENT RATIOS QUITE HIGH AS IND REPORTED LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH WATER EQUIVALENT BUT AROUND 4 INCHES OF SNOW. AIR MASS ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA QUITE DRY AHEAD OF THIS APPROACHING SYSTEM WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE TEENS TO LOWER 20S. INITIAL ONSET OF PRECIPITATION THIS EVENING WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH LOW LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION/ISENTROPIC LIFT OCCURRING AHEAD OF THE SURFACE LOW. THIS INITIAL PRECIPITATION WILL GO MORE TOWARD MOISTENING THE SUB CLOUD LAYER AS WELL AS COOLING THE NEAR SURFACE LAYER VIA EVAPORATION. THIS WILL SET THE STAGE FOR THE STRONG LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE VORTICITY MAXIMA THAT WILL AFFECT THE REGION LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. MODELS ALSO INDICATING A BETTER POTENTIAL FOR SNOW BANDING WITH DECENT LIFT IN THE MID LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE (IN THE FAVORED DENDRITE GROWTH REGION) OCCURRING ABOVE AN AREA OF FRONTOGENESIS NEAR THE SURFACE. THIS PRIME AREA IS OVER THE FAR NORTHERN PIEDMONT INTO THE NORTHERN COASTAL PLAIN. MODEL QPF HAS COME INTO SLIGHTLY BETTER CONSENSUS DEPICTING A QUARTER TO A HALF INCH WATER EQUIVALENT ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY. CUTTING BACK ON THE QPF DUE TO ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS AND FAIRLY FAST SURFACE LOW MOVEMENT YIELDS WATER EQUIVALENT AMOUNTS 0.15 TO 0.30 OF AN INCH. USING SNOW RATIOS OF 18:1 IN THE BEGINNING OF THE EVENT...TRENDING TO 22:1 AFTER 12Z WED EQUATES TO SNOW AMOUNTS OF AROUND AN INCH IN THE TRIAD TO SOUTH OF THE TRIANGLE WITH AMOUNTS CLOSE TO 2 OR 3 INCHES IN THE TRIANGLE AREA...AND 3 TO 4 INCHES NEAR THE VIRGINIA BORDER. WORDS OF CAUTION...IF SNOW RATIOS CHANGE LITTLE AS THIS SYSTEM PROGRESSES EAST SOUTHEAST...SNOW AMOUNTS ACROSS THE PIEDMONT AND THE NORTHERN COASTAL PLAIN WILL BE GREATER WITH WARNING CRITERIA SNOWFALL (3 INCHES IN 12 HOURS) AS FAR SOUTH AND WEST AS BURLINGTON...CHAPEL HILL...RALEIGH AND WILSON. HOWEVER A COUPLE ITEMS MAY RESULT IN LESS THAN EXPECTED SNOW AMOUNTS: 1.) SURFACE LOW CURRENTLY FORECAST TO TRACK EAST SOUTHEAST ALONG A LINE FROM INT TO NORTH OF RALEIGH TO NORTH OF WASHINGTON. IF TRACK IS FARTHER NORTH (PER PREVIOUS MODEL RUNS)...THEN AMOUNTS WILL BE MUCH LESS ALONG THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR. 2.) MAGNITUDE OF DRY AIR CURRENTLY AT THE SURFACE REQUIRES MORE PRECIPITATION TO OVERCOME. THIS WILL ALSO RESULT IN LOWER SNOW AMOUNTS. AS THE LOW AND MID LEVEL CYCLONE DEEPEN ON WEDNESDAY...EXPECT BRISK NORTHWEST WINDS TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA. THIS WILL RESULT IN VERY COLD WIND CHILLS IN THE TEENS TO LOWER 20S ACROSS THE NORTH...AND MID AND UPPER 20S ACROSS THE SOUTH. THESE BRISK NORTHWEST WINDS MAY ALSO RESULT IN CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW...CREATING DRIFTS AND SEVERELY RESTRICTING VISIBILITY AT TIMES. DUE TO THE ANTICIPATED PRECIPITATION AND CLOUD COVERAGE...HAVE LOWERED MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WEDNESDAY 3 TO 4 DEGREES FROM EARLIER FORECAST. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 240 PM TUESDAY... FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY: FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW FAIRLY STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES (950-650 MB OVER 7 C/KM) WEDNESDAY EVENING AS THE MID LEVEL THERMAL TROUGH PASSES OVERHEAD. GIVEN THIS INSTABILITY COMBINED WITH SUFFICIENT RESIDUAL MOISTURE IN THE LOWEST 3 KILOMETERS AND MINOR DYNAMIC LIFT POTENTIAL WITH PASSAGE OF A WEAK VORTICITY MAXIMUM... A FEW FLURRIES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTH AND EAST SECTIONS WEDNESDAY EVENING. OTHERWISE... AS THE COLUMN STEADILY COOLS AND DRIES AS THE MID LEVEL TROUGH SHIFTS OFFSHORE... SKIES SHOULD SLOWLY CLEAR OVERNIGHT... WITH THE NORTHEAST SECTIONS THE LAST TO CLEAR OUT. THE LOW LEVELS REMAIN WELL MIXED ALL NIGHT... AND EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS TO HOLD UP AT 10 TO 15 MPH. SPORADIC GUSTS TO 20 TO 25 MPH ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY IN THE EVENING AS THE COLDER AIR RUSHES IN. STILL EXPECT LOWS AROUND 17 TO 22... WHICH IS IN LINE WITH UPSTREAM TEMPERATURES LAST NIGHT. STRONG SUBSIDENCE ENSUES FOR THURSDAY WITH A DRY AND STABLE COLUMN NOTED ON FORECAST SOUNDINGS AND DEEP DOWNSLOPE FLOW. THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER MOVES FROM NEAR HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA INTO SOUTHERN ALABAMA AND GEORGIA BY DAYS END AS IT RIDGES NORTHEAST INTO NORTH CAROLINA. NO WORSE THAN A FEW CLOUDS... WITH SLIGHT MOISTURE BENEATH THE SUBSIDENCE INVERSION ALOFT... ARE EXPECTED. ACCORDING TO MODEL CONSENSUS... LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES BOTTOM OUT NEAR 1240 METERS THURSDAY MORNING... SO EVEN WITH SOME RECOVERY DURING THE DAY... HIGHS SHOULD BE MUCH BELOW NORMAL... RANGING FROM 34 NORTHEAST TO 39 SOUTHWEST. FOR THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT: QUIET WEATHER WILL HOLD AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE DRIFTS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES THEN MOVES OFF THE COAST. HEIGHTS ALOFT WILL STEADILY RISE BEHIND THE DEPARTING MID LEVEL TROUGH... AND LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES SHOOT BACK UP TO NEAR NORMAL VALUES ON FRIDAY WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE 850 MILLIBAR WARM FRONT. WE SHOULD SEE LITTLE IN THE WAY OF CLOUDS AS PRECIPITABLE WATER REMAINS VERY LOW. EXPECT LOWS 19 TO 25 THURSDAY NIGHT... HIGHS 52 TO 59 FRIDAY... AND LOWS 29 TO 34 FRIDAY NIGHT. -GIH && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 240 PM TUESDAY... FOR SATURDAY: FLAT MID LEVEL RIDGING OVERHEAD AND A VERY DRY AND STABLE PROFILE PERSISTS OVER CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA INTO THE WEEKEND WITH BROAD WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW IN THE LOWEST 3 TO 4 KILOMETERS... DUE TO AN ELONGATED SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE INTERIOR SOUTHEAST STATES OUT OVER THE ATLANTIC. EXPECT MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND BREEZY AND WARM CONDITIONS WITH ABOVE NORMAL THICKNESSES SUPPORTING HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S. FOR SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY: THE OVERALL PATTERN OVER THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEKEND IS A SPLIT FLOW OVER WESTERN NORTH AMERICA WITH DEEP TROUGHING OVER THE U.S. ROCKIES... FLAT RIDGING OVER THE DEEP SOUTH/MID SOUTH/CAROLINAS... AND ACCELERATING FLOW OVER THE GREAT LAKES. THIS PATTERN SHOULD LEAD TO CONTINUED ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR NORTH CAROLINA. HOWEVER... THIS GETS A BIT COMPLICATED BY A BACK DOOR FRONT WHICH IS DRIVEN SOUTHWARD THROUGH NORTH CAROLINA SUNDAY MORNING BY A SHORT WAVE TROUGH SWINGING THROUGH NEW ENGLAND AND THE CANADIAN MARITIMES. THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON THIS FEATURE AND ON EASTERLY ONSHORE OVERRUNNING FLOW PUMPING INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE INTO CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. EXPECT INCREASING CLOUDS LATE SUNDAY NIGHT AND PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY ON MONDAY WITH BRIEFLY COOLER CONDITIONS AS A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER TRACKS OVER THE DELMARVA AREA. WILL HAVE HIGHS IN THE 60S AGAIN SUNDAY BUT DROPPING BACK DOWN TO THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S MONDAY. THIS WEDGING HIGH IS TRANSITORY WITH NO SUSTAINED SUPPORT ALOFT... THUS THE WEDGE REGIME SHOULD BE ABLE TO BREAK UP SOMEWHAT BY TUESDAY MORNING. HOWEVER SOUTHWEST LOW LEVEL WINDS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE DEPARTING HIGH SHOULD LEAD TO AT LEAST PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES THROUGH TUESDAY. WILL HAVE HIGHS REBOUNDING BACK UP INTO THE LOWER TO MID 60S. -GIH && .AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 2 PM TUESDAY... ACCUMULATING SNOW IN THE TRIAD THIS EVENING WITH OCCASIONAL LIFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES. ACTIVITY IS SCATTERED WITH MOST OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA VFR AT THIS TIME. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE ACROSS THE AREA OVERNIGHT WITH LIFR TO IFR CONDITIONS DOMINATING FROM MIDNIGHT TO NEAR SUNRISE. SNOW ENDS AND CEILINGS RISE ABOVE 10000 FEET NEAR OR SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE...WITH OCCASIONAL CEILINGS NEAR 5000 FEET IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTY NORTHWEST SURFACE WINDS FROM MID MORNING TO EARLY EVENING WEDNESDAY. ONCE FIRMLY ESTABLISHED... VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 12 PM EST WEDNESDAY FOR NCZ021>028-038>043-076>078. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 12 PM EST WEDNESDAY FOR NCZ007>011. && SYNOPSIS...HARTFIELD NEAR TERM...WSS SHORT TERM...HARTFIELD LONG TERM...HARTFIELD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 1247 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 NCZ021>028-038>043-076>078-041700- FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE-ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE- DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-CHATHAM-WAKE-JOHNSTON-WILSON-LEE-HARNETT-WAYNE- 1247 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND 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. RESIDENTS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS...AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA SHOULD KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION AND FORECASTS FOR TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE... HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ007>011-041700- PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX- 1247 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. RESIDENTS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS...AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA SHOULD KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION AND FORECASTS FOR TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE... HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ073>075-083>086-088-089-041700- STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-ANSON-RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND- SAMPSON- 1247 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED SNOW FLURRIES ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING... HOWEVER NO ACCUMULATION IS ANTICIPATED... AND HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. GIH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 805 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 NCZ007>009-023>026-039>041-040300- PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-ALAMANCE-ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-RANDOLPH- CHATHAM-WAKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ROXBORO...OXFORD...HENDERSON... BURLINGTON...CHAPEL HILL...DURHAM...LOUISBURG...ASHEBORO... PITTSBORO...RALEIGH 805 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 AREAS OF LIGHT TO OCCASIONALLY MODERATE SNOW WILL DEVELOP EASTWARD ACROSS THE NC PIEDMONT THIS EVENING. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF A DUSTING UP TO AN INCH IN SPOTS WILL OCCUR THROUGH 10 PM. MOST ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR INITIALLY ON GRASSY AND ELEVATED SURFACES SUCH AS CAR TOPS AND ROOF TOPS... THOUGH SOME ACCUMULATION ON AREA ROADWAYS WILL BE POSSIBLE WHERE THE SNOWFALL INTENSITY BRIEFLY INCREASES. WHILE THE SNOW MAY END FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER THIS EVENING... IT SHOULD INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ONCE AGAIN OVERNIGHT. MOTORISTS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION WHILE TRAVELING TONIGHT... AS THE SNOW CAUSES VISIBILITIES TO DECREASE AND ROADWAYS TO BECOME SLIPPERY. MWS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
15 winter weather, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Between one to two inches of snow fell across the county around the time of evening rush hour.
Around one inche of snow fell across the county around the time of evening rush hour.
Between one to three inches of snow fell across the county.
Light to moderate snow fell across the county with up to an inch of snow accumulation near Fort Bragg and south of Fayetteville.
Light to moderate snow fell across the county with up to an inch of snow accumulation north of Lexington and around 2 inches near Denton.
Between one to three inches of snow fell across the county mainly from Tarboro east.
Between two to four inches of snow fell across the county. Due to the warm ground temperatures the roads cleared rapidly once the snow stopped falling.
Between two to three inches of snow fell countywide. Some locations reported up to four inches of snow mainly near Erwin, Dunn and Coats. Due to the warm ground temperatures snow melted rapidly of roads.
Between two to three inches of snow fell countywide. Some locations reported up to four inches. Due to the warm ground temperatures snow melted rapidly of roads.
Between one to three inches of snow fell countywide. Due to the warm ground temperatures snow melted rapidly of roads.
Between one to three inches of snow fell countywide. Due to the warm ground temperatures snow melted rapidly of roads.
Between one to three inches of snow fell countywide. Due to the warm ground temperatures snow melted rapidly of roads.
Between one to two inches of snow fell countywide. Due to the warm ground temperatures snow melted rapidly of roads.
Between one to two inches of snow fell countywide. Due to the warm ground temperatures snow melted rapidly of roads.
Between two to three inches of snow fell countywide. Due to the warm ground temperatures snow melted rapidly of roads.
Between two to two inches of snow fell over northwestern Wayne county. Due to the warm ground temperatures snow melted rapidly of roads.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, February 2009
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: 148522, 148523, 148518, 148519, 148520, 148521, 148534, 148524, 148525, 148526, 148527, 148528, 148529, 148530, 148532, 148533.