An area of low pressured tracked through the region producing heavy snow across southwest Virgina. Even the lower elevations were blanked with snow.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 pressured tracked through the region producing heavy snow across southwest Virgina. Even the lower elevations were blanked with 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 Feb 26, 6:20 AM EST, 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
620 AM EST THU FEB 26 2015
.AVIATION...
FOR THE 12Z TAFS...MOST OF THE SNOW HAS LEFT THE AREA. COULD BE A
FEW LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS AT KTRI THE FIRST COUPLE OF HOURS OF
THIS TAF CYCLE. LOW CONFIDENCE IN CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES THIS
MORNING AS SNOW PACK WILL CAUSE CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES TO BE
SLOW TO COME UP. KCHA SHOULD IMPROVE THE MOST WHILE KTRI WILL
LIKELY HOVER AROUND MVFR CONDITIONS THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY.
CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY IMPROVE TO VFR AT ALL SITES TOWARDS THE
END OF THIS TAF CYCLE AND INTO TOMORROW.
&&
.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...NONE.
TN...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR ANDERSON-
BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS-COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS-GRAINGER-
HAMBLEN-HANCOCK-HAWKINS-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-KNOX-NW BLOUNT-
NORTH SEVIER-NORTHWEST CARTER-NORTHWEST COCKE-NORTHWEST
GREENE-SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS-SOUTHEAST CARTER-SOUTHEAST
GREENE-SULLIVAN-UNICOI-UNION-WASHINGTON TN.
VA...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR RUSSELL-
SCOTT-WASHINGTON.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR LEE-WISE.
&&
ABM/DHHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 414 AM EST THU FEB 26 2015 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-270915- CHEROKEE-CLAY-SCOTT TN-CAMPBELL-CLAIBORNE-HANCOCK-HAWKINS- SULLIVAN-JOHNSON-MORGAN-ANDERSON-UNION-GRAINGER-HAMBLEN- NORTHWEST COCKE-COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTHWEST GREENE- SOUTHEAST GREENE-WASHINGTON TN-UNICOI-NORTHWEST CARTER- SOUTHEAST CARTER-ROANE-LOUDON-KNOX-JEFFERSON-NW BLOUNT- BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTH SEVIER-SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS- SEQUATCHIE-BLEDSOE-RHEA-MEIGS-MCMINN-NORTHWEST MONROE- SOUTHEAST MONROE-MARION-HAMILTON-BRADLEY-WEST POLK-EAST POLK-LEE- WISE-SCOTT-RUSSELL-WASHINGTON- 414 AM EST THU FEB 26 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... MAJOR SNOWSTORM WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST AWAY FROM THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS EARLY THIS MORNING. SNOWFALL RATES HAVE DIMINISHED ACROSS THE AREA ALLOWING THE WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES TO END AREA-WIDE BY DAYBREAK. MAIN CONCERN WILL BE THE MORNING RUSH HOUR COMMUNTE THIS MORNING AS ROADWAYS ARE DANGEROUS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY... ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 1 INCH POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHEST PEAKS. ELSEWHERE...LITTLE TO NO ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. HIGH WILL MAINLY BE IN THE 30S TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... A SERIES OF STORM SYSTEMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AND SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS NEXT WEEK. THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE IN THE FORM OF RAIN. THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE THE POTENTIAL OF FLOODING BY MID-WEEK DUE TO PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN COMBINED WITH SATURATED SOIL FROM RECENT SNOW MELT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
244 AM EST THU FEB 26 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0243 AM SNOW HALLS 36.08N 83.93W
02/26/2015 M6.0 INCH KNOX TN PUBLIC
&&
DHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
313 AM EST THU FEB 26 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0310 AM SNOW LAKE CITY 36.22N 84.16W
02/26/2015 E3.0 INCH ANDERSON TN PUBLIC
0230 AM SNOW GREENEVILLE 36.17N 82.82W
02/26/2015 E4.0 INCH GREENE TN PUBLIC
&&
MBLACKSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 345 AM EST THU FEB 26 2015 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-261800- CHEROKEE-CLAY-SCOTT TN-CAMPBELL-CLAIBORNE-HANCOCK-HAWKINS- SULLIVAN-JOHNSON-MORGAN-ANDERSON-UNION-GRAINGER-HAMBLEN- NORTHWEST COCKE-COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTHWEST GREENE- SOUTHEAST GREENE-WASHINGTON TN-UNICOI-NORTHWEST CARTER- SOUTHEAST CARTER-ROANE-LOUDON-KNOX-JEFFERSON-NW BLOUNT- BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTH SEVIER-SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS- SEQUATCHIE-BLEDSOE-RHEA-MEIGS-MCMINN-NORTHWEST MONROE- SOUTHEAST MONROE-MARION-HAMILTON-BRADLEY-WEST POLK-EAST POLK-LEE- WISE-SCOTT-RUSSELL-WASHINGTON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MURPHY...HAYESVILLE...ONEIDA... LA FOLLETTE...TAZEWELL...SNEEDVILLE...ROGERSVILLE...KINGSPORT... BRISTOL...MOUNTAIN CITY...WARTBURG...CLINTON...OAK RIDGE... MAYNARDVILLE...RUTLEDGE...MORRISTOWN...NEWPORT...COSBY... GREENEVILLE...CEDAR CREEK...JOHNSON CITY...ERWIN...ELIZABETHTON... ROAN MOUNTAIN...KINGSTON...LENOIR CITY...KNOXVILLE...DANDRIDGE... MARYVILLE...CADES COVE...SEVIERVILLE...GATLINBURG...DUNLAP... PIKEVILLE...DAYTON...DECATUR...ATHENS...MADISONVILLE... COKER CREEK...JASPER...CHATTANOOGA...CLEVELAND...BENTON... DUCKTOWN...JONESVILLE...WISE...NORTON...GATE CITY...LEBANON... ABINGDON 345 AM EST THU FEB 26 2015 ...POOR DRIVING CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TODAY ACROSS THE REGION... DUE TO WIDESPREAD HEAVY SNOW OVERNIGHT...DRIVING CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN HAZARDOUS TODAY. TEMPERATURES WILL ONLY RISE A FEW DEGREES ABOVE FREEZING RESULTING IN VERY SLOW MELTING OF THE SNOW THAT IS CURRENTLY ON THE GROUND. SECONDARY ROADS THAT HAVE BEEN UNTREATED WILL REMAIN COVERED IN SNOW AND ICE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. TRAVEL IS DISCOURAGED...IF TRAVEL IS UNAVOIDABLE SLOW DOWN AND DRIVE WITH CAUTION. GIVE YOURSELF EXTRA TIME TO ARRIVE AT YOUR DESTINATION...AND ALLOW EXTRA ROOM BETWEEN YOU AND THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF YOU. KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
523 AM EST THU FEB 26 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0522 AM HEAVY SNOW SWEETWATER 35.60N 84.47W
02/26/2015 E7.0 INCH MONROE TN PUBLIC
&&
MBLACKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
611 AM EST THU FEB 26 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1237 AM SNOW SEVIERVILLE 35.89N 83.58W
02/26/2015 M6.0 INCH SEVIER TN PUBLIC
HEAVY SNOW STILL FALLING WITH ROAD COMPLETELY COVERED
1237 AM SNOW JACKSBORO 36.33N 84.19W
02/26/2015 M1.5 INCH CAMPBELL TN TRAINED SPOTTER
1245 AM HEAVY SNOW CHARLESTON 35.29N 84.76W
02/26/2015 E8.0 INCH BRADLEY TN PUBLIC
1245 AM HEAVY SNOW COSBY 35.81N 83.25W
02/26/2015 E4.5 INCH COCKE TN PUBLIC
1254 AM SNOW 2 N LA FOLLETTE 36.40N 84.13W
02/26/2015 M3.0 INCH CAMPBELL TN PUBLIC
0112 AM SNOW TELLICO PLAINS 35.37N 84.30W
02/26/2015 E8.0 INCH MONROE TN 911 CALL CENTER
0112 AM SNOW WHITE PINE 36.10N 83.30W
02/26/2015 M4.0 INCH JEFFERSON TN PUBLIC
0112 AM SNOW PIGEON FORGE 35.79N 83.56W
02/26/2015 E8.0 INCH SEVIER TN PUBLIC
HEAVY SNOW STILL FALLING...WITH 7 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW
ACROSS TOWN.
0112 AM SNOW BENTON 35.18N 84.65W
02/26/2015 E8.0 INCH POLK TN TRAINED SPOTTER
0145 AM SNOW JONESVILLE 36.69N 83.12W
02/26/2015 E3.0 INCH LEE VA PUBLIC
0203 AM SNOW LOUDON 35.74N 84.36W
02/26/2015 M6.0 INCH LOUDON TN PUBLIC
0203 AM SNOW FARRAGUT 35.87N 84.18W
02/26/2015 M6.0 INCH KNOX TN PUBLIC
HEAVY SNOW STILL FALLING.
0203 AM SNOW OLIVER SPRINGS 36.04N 84.34W
02/26/2015 M3.0 INCH ROANE TN PUBLIC
0205 AM SNOW DANDRIDGE 36.02N 83.42W
02/26/2015 M5.0 INCH JEFFERSON TN 911 CALL CENTER
0205 AM SNOW SWEETWATER 35.60N 84.47W
02/26/2015 M8.0 INCH MONROE TN PUBLIC
0205 AM SNOW TOWNSEND 35.68N 83.75W
02/26/2015 M9.0 INCH BLOUNT TN PUBLIC
0214 AM SNOW SWEETWATER 35.60N 84.47W
02/26/2015 M8.0 INCH MONROE TN PUBLIC
0230 AM SNOW GREENEVILLE 36.17N 82.82W
02/26/2015 E4.0 INCH GREENE TN PUBLIC
0243 AM SNOW HALLS 36.08N 83.93W
02/26/2015 M6.0 INCH KNOX TN PUBLIC
0310 AM SNOW LAKE CITY 36.22N 84.16W
02/26/2015 E3.0 INCH ANDERSON TN PUBLIC
0522 AM HEAVY SNOW SWEETWATER 35.60N 84.47W
02/26/2015 E7.0 INCH MONROE TN PUBLIC
&&
DHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
617 AM EST THU FEB 26 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0616 AM SNOW WHITE PINE 36.10N 83.30W
02/26/2015 E6.0 INCH JEFFERSON TN PUBLIC
0617 AM SNOW KINGSTON 35.87N 84.51W
02/26/2015 E4.5 INCH ROANE TN PUBLIC
&&
DHThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter recorded 4.5 inches of snow in the city of Norton.
An observer recorded 4 inches of snow in Abingdon.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, February 2015
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: 559196, 559197.