Winter Weather in North Carolina, January 2 to 3, 2012

Name: Winter Weather in North Carolina, January 2 to 3, 2012
Start: 2012-01-02T19:00
End: 2012-01-03T16:00
Location: North Carolina

January 2 to 3, 2012 · NWS GSP · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

Snow showers developed across the mountains during the evening behind a very strong cold front. Snow continued off and on through the night and much of the 3rd before ending during the afternoon.

Where it happened

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.

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: 16

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 across the mountains during the evening behind a very strong cold front. Snow continued off and on through the night and much of the 3rd before ending during the afternoon. Total accumulations ranged from a dusting near the southern Blue Ridge to four inches across the Tennessee border counties. Localized higher amounts were reported in the high elevations along the state line, mainly north of the Smokies. Even where little snow fell, temperatures that fell rapidly into the teens resulted in snow sticking to roadways on the night of the 2nd and early on the 3rd. Dozens of accidents occurred across the region.

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 Jan 2, 6:45 PM EST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 2, 6:45 PM EST, 15 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 2, 6:14 PM EST, 46 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

16 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Avery

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Avery forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 36.077, -81.922 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Madison

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.858, -82.706 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Yancey

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM 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, Mitchell

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM 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, Swain

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM 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, Haywood

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Haywood forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.556, -82.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Buncombe

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM 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, Graham

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Graham forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.350, -83.834 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Northern Jackson

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Macon

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Macon forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.150, -83.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Southern Jackson

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Transylvania

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Transylvania forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.202, -82.798 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Henderson

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.336, -82.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Caldwell Mountains

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Caldwell Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.953, -81.546 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Burke Mountains

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Burke Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.750, -81.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, McDowell Mountains

When: January 2, 7:00 PM EST to January 3, 4:00 PM EST
Where: McDowell Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.681, -82.049 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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

Every storm in North Carolina in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, January 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 360995, 360996, 360997, 360998, 360999, 361000, 361001, 361002, 361003, 361004, 361005, 361006, 361007, 361008, 361009, 361010.