Name: Winter Storm and Winter Weather in North Carolina, February 5, 2010
Start: 2010-02-05T04:00
End: 2010-02-05T11:00
Location: North Carolina

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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: $100,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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 RAH wrote it up.

A low pressure system moving along the North Carolina coast combined with cold air to produce a period of freezing rain and snow over Central North Carolina. Most of the snow and ice accumulation was limited to the northwest piedmont including the Triad and Roxboro.

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 Raleigh, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 5, 3:15 AM EST, 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 5, 3:15 AM EST, 45 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 4, 10:51 PM EST, 5 hours 9 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

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

Winter Storm, Forsyth

When: February 5, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Forsyth forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.131, -80.256 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Up to three inches of snow fell across portions of the county along with up to a quarter inch of freezing rain. Twelve thousand homes in the county were without power at one point during the storm. A total of over fifty thousand people were without power in North Carolina. North Carolina Highway patrol responded to over 725 calls involving vehicle accidents. Numerous trees fell due to the weight of the freezing rain.

Winter Storm, Guilford

When: February 5, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Guilford forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.080, -79.789 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Up to three inches of snow fell across portions of the county along with up to a quarter inch of freezing rain. A total of over fifty thousand people were without power in North Carolina. North Carolina Highway Patrol responded to over 725 calls involving vehicle accidents. Numerous trees fell due to the weight of the freezing rain.

Winter Storm, Person

When: February 5, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Person forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.390, -78.972 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Up to three inches of snow fell across portions of the county along with up to a quarter inch of freezing rain. A total of over fifty thousand people were without power in North Carolina. North Carolina Highway Patrol responded to over 725 calls involving vehicle accidents. Numerous trees fell due to the weight of the freezing rain.

Winter Weather, Alamance

When: February 5, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Alamance forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.044, -79.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Between one to two inches of snow fell across the county. Snow mixed with some light freezing rain.

Winter Weather, Davidson

When: February 5, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Davidson forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 35.793, -80.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Between one to two inches of snow fell across the county. Snow mixed with some light freezing rain.

Winter Weather, Granville

When: February 5, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Granville forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.304, -78.653 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Around one inch of snow fell across the county. Snow mixed with some light freezing rain.

Winter Weather, Orange

When: February 5, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Orange forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.061, -79.121 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Around one inch of snow fell across the county. Snow mixed with some light freezing rain.

Winter Weather, Vance

When: February 5, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Vance forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.365, -78.408 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Around one inch of snow fell across the county. Snow mixed with some light freezing rain.

Winter Weather, Warren

When: February 5, 4:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.397, -78.107 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Around one inch of snow fell across the county. Snow mixed with some light freezing rain.

What these are

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

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, February 2010

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: 216546, 216547, 216548, 216550, 216551, 216553, 216554, 216555, 216557.