An area of low pressure brought heavy snow mainly across the higher elevations for a 2 day period. The mountains received up to 16 of snow, while the valley had 1 to 4 inches of snow.
Every event with a place to put it; 29 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 MRX wrote it up.
An area of low pressure brought heavy snow mainly across the higher elevations for a 2 day period. The mountains received up to 16 of snow, while the valley had 1 to 4 inches of snow.
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 Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 12, 3:00 PM EST, 3 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
300 PM EST SUN DEC 12 2010
.SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)...
THE CENTER OF THE 500 MB CIRCULATION WILL BE PASSING OVER THE
NORTHERN HALF OF THE AREA BETWEEN 21Z AND 06Z. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE
INCREASING DURING THIS WINDOW. AFTER 06Z...850 MB WINDS INCREASE TO
AROUND 40 KTS AND TURN TO NW...AND IDEAL SETUP FOR UPSLOPE
ENHANCEMENT OF SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN. VERY COLD
TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL GENERATE STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES THIS
EVENING THROUGH MONDAY...WITH PLENTY OF MOISTURE IN THE DENDRITE
GROWTH ZONE FROM A GREAT LAKES CONNECTION. THE GOOD INSTABILITY AND
DEEP MOISTURE WILL MEAN THAT VALLEY LOCATIONS WILL SEE ACCUMULATING
SNOW AS WELL.
NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST REASONING...AND FEW
CHANGES WILL BE NEEDED. SLIGHT UPWARD ADJUSTMENTS TO SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS WILL BE MADE BASED ON TRENDS OF RADAR AND UPSTREAM
OBSERVATIONS...BUT ACCUMULATIONS WILL STILL BE WITHIN THE PREVIOUSLY
FORECAST RANGES. WARMING MIDLEVEL TEMPS MONDAY NIGHT SHOULD BRING AN
END TO SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS...SO WSW END TIMES LOOK GOOD.
ONE ADDITION TO THE WSW PRODUCT WILL BE A WIND CHILL ADVISORY.
EXPECTED WIND CHILL VALUES IN THE TN MOUNTAINS WILL BE EASILY WITHIN
ADVISORY CRITERIA OF -5 TO -14 DEGREES FROM 00Z MONDAY TO 16Z
TUESDAY...WITH THE HIGHEST PEAKS EVEN LOWER. THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF
SW VA WILL ALSO SEE WIND CHILLS IN THIS RANGE...BEGINNING 09Z
TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. WIND SPEEDS IN THE MOUNTAINS WILL
BE MAINLY 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH...WHICH IS CLOSE TO WIND
ADVISORY CRITERIA...BUT SPEEDS ABOVE THAT RANGE SEEM ISOLATED AND
BRIEF ENOUGH NOT TO ISSUE ONE AT THIS TIME.
.LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY)...
DID NOT CHANGE LOW CHANCES FOR OROGRAPHIC SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND HIGHER TERRAIN ALONG THE NORTH CAROLINA
BORDER TUESDAY AS NW FLOW OFF THE GREAT LAKES WINDS DOWN.
TEMPERATURES REMAIN FRIGID WITH EXPECTED SNOW COVER AND ESPECIALLY
WITH WIND CONTINUING. PRESSURE GRADIENT DECREASES LATER IN THE DAY
SO WINDS WILL DROP OFF. ANOTHER VERY COLD NIGHT TUESDAY NIGHT WITH
MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND SNOW COVER. PLACES IN THE NE WILL LIKELY BE A
FEW DEGREES COLDER. WEDNESDAY PATTERN BECOMES MORE ZONAL AS TROUGH
EXITS THE NE STATES. A DEVELOPING SYSTEM ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS
WILL BRING MOISTURE BACK OVER THE COLD AIRMASS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
AND NIGHT BRINGING A MIXTURE OF PRECIPITATION TYPES WITH FREEZING
RAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA.
NORTHERN SECTIONS WILL LIKELY SEE SNOW AND SLEET WEDNESDAY NIGHT
CHANGING TO FREEZING RAIN AND RAIN THURSDAY. HIGHS WEDNESDAY SHOULD
REACH THE MID 30S TO NEAR 40 SOUTH AND MID 20S TO LOWER 30S NORTH.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT TEMPERATURES WILL BE STEADY OR SLOWLY RISE. THURSDAY
SHOULD BE SEVERAL DEGREES WARMER IN THE UPPER 30S TO UPPER 40S. AS
LOW PRESSURE SHIFTS EAST WITH THURSDAY SYSTEM AND TROUGH DEVELOPS
AGAIN ACROSS THE EAST THE RAIN SHOULD CHANGE BACK TO SNOW ACROSS
NORTHERN SECTIONS THURSDAY NIGHT OR FRIDAY. PRECIPITATION ENDS WITH
COLDER TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEKEND. BUT TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARMER
THAN BEHIND THIS EARLY WEEK COLD BLAST.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 20 28 13 30 17 / 60 20 10 0 10
KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN 20 25 11 27 14 / 80 40 10 0 10
OAK RIDGE, TN 19 24 12 27 14 / 80 40 10 0 10
TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 19 22 12 23 8 / 100 90 20 10 10
&&
.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: CHEROKEE...CLAY.
TN...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 AM EST TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS...COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS...
JOHNSON...SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS...SOUTHEAST CARTER...
SOUTHEAST GREENE...SOUTHEAST MONROE...UNICOI.
WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM EST TUESDAY
FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS...COCKE
SMOKY MOUNTAINS...JOHNSON...SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS...
SOUTHEAST CARTER...SOUTHEAST GREENE...SOUTHEAST MONROE...
UNICOI.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: ANDERSON...CAMPBELL...CLAIBORNE...EAST POLK...
GRAINGER...HAMBLEN...HANCOCK...HAWKINS...JEFFERSON...KNOX...
LOUDON...MORGAN...NW BLOUNT...NORTH SEVIER...NORTHWEST
CARTER...NORTHWEST COCKE...NORTHWEST GREENE...ROANE...SCOTT
TN...SULLIVAN...UNION...WASHINGTON TN.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST /6 AM CST/ MONDAY FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES: BLEDSOE...BRADLEY...HAMILTON...MARION...
MCMINN...MEIGS...NORTHWEST MONROE...RHEA...SEQUATCHIE...
WEST POLK.
VA...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 AM EST TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: LEE...RUSSELL...SCOTT...WASHINGTON...WISE.
WIND CHILL ADVISORY FROM 4 AM MONDAY TO 11 AM EST TUESDAY FOR
THE FOLLOWING ZONES: LEE...RUSSELL...SCOTT...WASHINGTON...
WISE.
&&
DGS/TD<!doctype html>
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
29 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement personnel reported 4 inches of snow at Treadway.
Mesonet observation reported 5 inches of snow at E Petros.
Mesonet observation measured 4.5 inches of snow 5 miles SW of Oliver Springs.
Law enforcement personnel reported 4 inches of snow at Wartburg.
Mesonet observation measured 6.8 inches of snow 3 miles WSW of Rutledge.
The NWS observer measured 4.0 inches of snow 5 miles west of Morristown.
Mesonet observation measured 4.4 inches of snow at WNW Tusculum.
A trained spotter measured 5 inches of snow at Luttrell.
A trained spotter measured 5 inches of snow near Greeneville.
Mesonet observation measured 5 inches of snow at Unicoi.
Law enforcement personnel reported 4 inches of snow at Ducktown.
Law enforcement personnel reported 4 inches of snow at Rutledge.
Law enforcement personnel reported 4 inches of snow at Morristown.
Law enforcement personnel reported 6 inches of snow at La Follette.
Law enforcement personnel reported 4 inches of snow at Sneedville.
Law enforcement personnel reported 5 inches of snow at Erwin.
Law enforcement personnel reported 6 inches of snow at Mountain City.
Fire department personnel reported 4.5 inches of snow near Gatlinburg.
The Flag Pond Post Office personnel reported 6.5 inches of snow southwest of Erwin.
The park service personnel reported 5 inches of snow at the park service headquarters. in Gatlinburg.
The park service personnel reported 9 inches of snow at Cades Cove southwest of Townsend.
The park service personnel reported 12 inches of snow at Newfound Gap southeast of Gatlinburg.
Amateur radio personnel reported 8 inches of new snow at Mount Leconte southeast of Gatlinburg.and 16 inches on the ground.
Laurel Bloomery post office personnel reported 4.5 inches of snow at the office.
Trade post office personnel reported 4-6 inches of snow at the office along with 2 foot drifts.
Mesonet measured 4.9 inches of snow 5 miles WNW of Dunlap.
Post office personnel at Elgin reported 6 inches of snow at the office.
Post office personnel at Coker Creek reported 8 inches of snow at the office.
Post office personnel at Petros reported 7.5 inches of snow at the office.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, December 2010
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: 270267, 270268, 270269, 273914, 270270, 270271, 270273, 270274, 270275, 270276, 270277, 270278, 270279, 270280, 270281, 270282, 270283, 270284, 270285, 270286, 270287, 270288, 270289, 270290, 270291, 270292, 270293, 270294, 270295.