Winter Weather, Avery
- When
- March 4, 8:00 PM EST to March 5, 11:00 AM EST
- Where
- Avery forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 36.077, -81.922 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather in North Carolina, March 4 to 5, 2012
Snow showers developed over the far western mountains of North Carolina, from Madison County north during the evening and continued through the overnight before ending during late morning. Snow accumulations ranged from around an inch or less across the lower elevations of Madison County to four inches, with locally higher amounts above 3000 feet.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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 the far western mountains of North Carolina, from Madison County north during the evening and continued through the overnight before ending during late morning. Snow accumulations ranged from around an inch or less across the lower elevations of Madison County to four inches, with locally higher amounts above 3000 feet.
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 Mar 4, 7:33 PM EST, 27 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 4, 7:33 PM EST, 27 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
733 PM EST SUN MAR 4 2012
.SYNOPSIS...
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK ACROSS THE REGION INTO MONDAY
FOLLOWED BY DRY HIGH PRESSURE MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. HIGH
PRESSURE WILL SHIFT OFFSHORE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY ALLOWING WARMER
TEMPERATURES TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/...
AS OF 715 PM...THE CURRENT FORECAST IS ON TRACK WITH THE SWIFTLY
MOVING CLIPPER SYSTEM UPSTREAM NOW SPREADING DEEPER MOISTURE BACK
INTO ERN TN. WILL CONTINUE TO FEATURE HIGH END ADVISORY
ACCUMULATIONS IN THE NRN MTNS OVERNIGHT THROUGH MON MORNING GIVEN
THE STEEP LAPSE RATES UNDER THE TROUGH...FAIRLY DEEP FORCING FOR A 6
HOUR WINDOW...AND MOISTURE EXTENDING INTO THE FAVORED SNOW CRYSTAL
GROWTH TEMPERATURES. SREF MEAN QPF VALUES FROM KAVL TO KTNB HAVE
ALSO TICKED UP THROUGH THE DAY TO SUPPORT HIGHER SNOW TOTALS THAN
PREVIOUSLY FOR THE HIGH TERRAIN. WINDS HAVE DECOUPLED THIS EVENING
AND THE LAKE WIND ADVISORY WILL EXPIRE ON SCHEDULE. HOWEVER...DEEP
MIXING ALONG WITH COLD ADVECTION WILL PRODUCE LAKE WIND ADVISORY
CONDITIONS AGAIN ON MONDAY...SO A NEW LAKE WIND ADVISORY WILL BE
HOISTED IN AREAS WHERE NO WINTER PRODUCTS ARE IN PLACE.
ON MONDAY MORNING...SOME ISOLD TO SCT SNOW SHOWERS COULD BREAK
CONTAINMENT EAST OF THE MTNS AND SPREAD LIGHT SNOW EWD ALONG THE
INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR. THIS MAY PROVIDE SOME DRIVE TIME SNOW SHOWER
ACTIVITY...BUT LITTLE TO NO ACCUMULATION IS CURRENTLY EXPECTED IN
LOWER TERRAIN AREAS GIVEN THE WARM SOIL CONDITIONS.
&&
.SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AS OF 210 PM SUNDAY...SHUD BE A QUIET WX PERIOD FOR THE SHORT RANGE.
UPPER RIDGE AXIS MOVES INTO THE AREA TUE THEN TO THE COAST ON WED.
AT THE SFC...CENTER OF HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN MON NITE THEN TO THE
COAST BY THE END OF THE DAY. THE CENTER MOVES OFF SHORE WED BUT THE
PRESSURE RIDGE WILL REMAIN ORIENTED E-W ACROSS THE AREA. EXPECT
CLEARING SKIES AND DIMINISHING WINDS MON NITE WITH LOWS AROUND 10
DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. WINDS BECOME SLY TUE AS THE HIGH MOVES EAST.
THICKNESSES WILL HOLD NEARLY STEADY OUTSIDE OF THE MTNS BUT INCREASE
SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE MTNS. WITH SUNNY SKIES...EXPECT NEARLY STEADY
HIGHS A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL OUTSIDE OF THE MTNS AND INCREASING TO
SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL ACROSS THE MTNS. CIRRUS WILL INCREASE TUE NITE
BUT MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES EXPECTED WITH LOWS RISING TO AROUND 5 DEGREES
BELOW NORMAL. LOW CLOUDS INCREASE FROM THE SOUTH WED AFTERNOON IN
THE DEVELOPING SLY FLOW. HOWEVER THE BULK OF THE DAY WILL BE MOSTLY
SUNNY. HIGHS RISE TO AS MUCH AS 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL NORTH AND
EAST...BUT REMAIN NEAR NORMAL NE GA/UPSTATE WHERE CLOUDS MOVE IN
FIRST.
&&
.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...
AT 2 PM EST SUNDAY...THE ECMWF AND GFS AGREE THAT AN UPPER TROUGH
WILL BE LOCATED OVER HUDSON BAY ON THURSDAY...WITH AN UPPER LOW
OVER AZ AND NM. BY FRIDAY THE GFS BECOMES FASTER WITH BOTH ITS
NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN STREAM...BRINGING THE TROUGH TO THE ATLANTIC
AND THE LOW INTO THE PLAINS. NEITHER MODEL MOVES ITS UPPER LOW VERY
MUCH INTO NEXT WEEKEND...WHILE RIDING DOWNSTREAM DOMINATES THE
SOUTHEAST AS THE EASTERN CANADIAN TROUGH PROGRESSES. HPC PREFERRED A
BLEND OF THE GFS AND ECMWF.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL LINGER OVER THE CAROLINAS AND GEORGIA ON
THURSDAY...WHILE A COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE OH AND MID MS RIVER
VALLEYS. THE FRONT MOVES SLOWLY ACROSS THE OH AND MS RIVER VALLEYS
EARLY FRIDAY...THEN CROSSES THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS LATE FRIDAY...
REACHING SOUTH GA ON SATURDAY. GULF INFLOW...MOISTURE AND POPS
INCREASE AHEAD OF THE FRONT. DRY HIGH PRESSURE FOLLOWS THE FRONT ON
SATURDAY. THIS HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE TO THE EAST COAST ON
SUNDAY...WHILE A WAVE ON THE OLD FRONT CROSSES THE GULF STATES.
ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE OVER THE FRONT AND THE RIDGE TO ITS NORTH WILL
CAUSE CLOUDS TO RETURN LATE IN THE WEEKEND...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF
PRECIPITATION...MAINLY OVER NE GA AND UPSTATE SC. TEMPERATURES WILL
RUN ABOVE NORMAL AHEAD OF THE FRONT...COOLING TO NEAR NORMAL IN ITS
WAKE.
&&
.AVIATION /01Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
AT KCLT AND ELSEWHERE...DEEPER MOISTURE IS STREAMING TOWARD THE
TERMINAL FORECAST AREA ON WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT AHEAD OF THE NEXT
APPROACHING CLIPPER SYSTEM. THIS WILL MEAN MAINLY VFR LEVEL CLOUDS
DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...EXCEPT MVFR CIGS
LIKELY AT KAVL DURING THE WAVE PASSAGE AFTER 09Z. WILL INCLUDE A
LIGHT SNOW MENTION AT KAVL AND VCSH AT KHKY WITH THE PASSAGE...BUT
JUST MENTION THE CLOUDS FROM KCLT TO THE UPSTATE TAF SITES. WINDS
HAVE DECOUPLED THIS EVENING...BUT SHOULD PICK UP IN THE MORNING
HOURS WITH THE ONSET OF COLD ADVECTION. ROBUST GUSTS TO NEAR 30 KT
WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH MIXING ONCE AGAIN THROUGH MON AFTN.
OUTLOOK...WINDS WILL DIMINISH MONDAY EVENING AS DRY HIGH PRESSURE
BUILDS AND REMAINS THROUGH AT LEAST MID WEEK. MOISTURE WILL RETURN
AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT THU INTO FRI.
AN EXPERIMENTAL AVIATION FORECAST CONSISTENCY TABLE SHOWING THE
PERCENTAGE OF GUIDANCE MEMBERS AGREEING WITH THE SCHEDULED ISSUANCE
CATEGORY IS AVAILABLE AT FOLLOWING LINK (USE LOWER CASE)...
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GSP/AVIATION/TABLES.HTM
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM EST MONDAY FOR GAZ010-017-
018-026-028-029.
NC...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM EST MONDAY FOR NCZ035>037-
051>053-056>059-062>065-068>072-082-501>510.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EST MONDAY FOR NCZ033-
048>052.
SC...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM EST MONDAY FOR SCZ001>014-
019.
&&
SYNOPSIS...CSH
NEAR TERM...HG
SHORT TERM...RWH
LONG TERM...JAT
AVIATION...HGHazardous weather outlook, Mar 4, 7:58 PM EST, 2 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 758 PM EST SUN MAR 4 2012 NCZ033-048>050-060100- AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL- 758 PM EST SUN MAR 4 2012 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST MONDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...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. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NCZ051-052-060100- SWAIN-HAYWOOD- 758 PM EST SUN MAR 4 2012 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST MONDAY... ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM EST MONDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...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. SNOW SHOWERS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN THE LOWER MOUNTAIN VALLEYS OUTSIDE OF THE ADVISORY. ANY ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO AROUND AN INCH OF SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. LAKE WIND ADVISORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. NCZ053-059-501-503-505-060100- BUNCOMBE-NORTHERN JACKSON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-BURKE MOUNTAINS- MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS- 758 PM EST SUN MAR 4 2012 ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM EST MONDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SNOW SHOWERS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AFTER MIDNIGHT. BY MORNING...ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO POSSIBLY 2 INCHES COULD DEVELOP ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE RIDGE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. LAKE WIND ADVISORY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF MONDAY MORNING. ONLY A VERY LIGHT ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE RIDGE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ058-062>065-068>072-082-507>510- SCZ001>014-019-060100- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-GRAHAM-MACON- SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON- MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS- GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-OCONEE MOUNTAINS- PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE- GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK- ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 758 PM EST SUN MAR 4 2012 ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM EST MONDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. LAKE WIND ADVISORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. NCZ035>037-056-057-502-504-506-060100- ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GREATER CALDWELL-GREATER BURKE- EASTERN MCDOWELL- 758 PM EST SUN MAR 4 2012 ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM EST MONDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SCATTERED RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS MAY DEVELOP OVER THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS MONDAY. MAINLY SNOW IS EXPECTED NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE AND A LIGHT DUSTING IS POSSIBLE IN COLDER LOCATIONS. THE PRECIPITATION WILL END QUICKLY FROM MID MORNING THROUGH NOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. LAKE WIND ADVISORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. GERAPETRITIS
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Weather, Yancey
- When
- March 4, 8:00 PM EST to March 5, 11:00 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, Mitchell
- When
- March 4, 8:00 PM EST to March 5, 11:00 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, Madison
- When
- March 4, 8:00 PM EST to March 5, 11:00 AM EST
- Where
- Madison forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 35.858, -82.706 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Kentucky, March 4 to 5, 2012
- Damaging Winds and Strong Wind in Florida, March 4, 2012
- High Surf in Hawaii, March 4 to 7, 2012
- Heavy Snow in Kentucky, March 4 to 5, 2012
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, March 4, 2012
- High Wind in Montana, March 4 to 5, 2012
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, March 4, 2012
- Winter Weather in Iowa, March 4, 2012
- Heavy Snow in Indiana, March 4 to 5, 2012
- Winter Weather in Kentucky, March 4 to 5, 2012
- Blizzard in Alaska, March 4 to 5, 2012
- Damaging Wind in Florida, March 4, 2012
More
Every storm in North Carolina in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, March 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 372588, 372591, 372592, 372593.