North Carolina, 2012

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in North Carolina, February 11 to 12, 2012

February 11 to 12, 2012 · NWS GSP · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Snow showers developed over much of the North Carolina mountains during the early morning hours, and continued throughout the day. Snow showers continued off and on across the Tennessee border counties during the evening and early part of the overnight.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
7

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 over much of the North Carolina mountains during the early morning hours, and continued throughout the day. Snow showers continued off and on across the Tennessee border counties during the evening and early part of the overnight. Total accumulations ranged from a couple of inches in the lower valleys, to as much as 8 inches in the higher elevations of the Newfound Mountains and northern mountains.

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 11, 4:44 AM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 11, 4:44 AM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 11, 4:42 AM EST, 1 hour 18 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

4 winter weather, 3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Avery

When
February 11, 6:00 AM EST to February 12, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Avery forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
36.077, -81.922 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Madison

When
February 11, 6:00 AM EST to February 12, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
35.858, -82.706 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Mitchell

When
February 11, 6:00 AM EST to February 12, 3:00 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 Weather, Yancey

When
February 11, 7:00 AM EST to February 12, 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 Weather, Swain

When
February 11, 7:00 AM EST to February 12, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Swain forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
35.487, -83.493 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Buncombe

When
February 11, 7:00 AM EST to February 12, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Buncombe forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
35.611, -82.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Northern Jackson

When
February 11, 7:00 AM EST to February 12, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
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 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, February 2012

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: 367808, 367809, 367810, 367818, 367819, 367820, 367821.