Winter Storm in North Carolina, January 22, 2016

Name: Winter Storm in North Carolina, January 22, 2016
Start: 2016-01-22T00:00
End: 2016-01-22T21:00
Location: North Carolina

January 22, 2016 · NWS GSP · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

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.

Light snow developed around midnight across the southwest mountains of North Carolina in association with an area of low pressure. The snow became moderate to heavy at times during the pre-dawn hours. By sunrise, accumulations of 2-6 inches were common across the area. Warm air began filtering into the valleys from the southwest through the morning, and by late morning, most of the Little Tennessee Valley and surrounding valleys south of the Smokies had transitioned to rain. Total accumulations ranged from 2-5 inches in the far southwest valleys, to more than a foot across the high elevations and the upper French Broad Valley, where the cold air remained in place through the day.

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 21, 10:37 PM EST, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 10:37 PM EST, 1 hour 23 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 21, 3:56 PM EST, 8 hours 4 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
356 PM EST THU JAN 21 2016

NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501-503-505-507-509-222100-
AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-
NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-
CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-BURKE MOUNTAINS-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-
RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-POLK MOUNTAINS-
356 PM EST THU JAN 21 2016

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM EST
SUNDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN
NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER STORM WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

..FRIDAY...HEAVY SNOW LIKELY. PLEASE SEE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
..SATURDAY...SNOW LIKELY. PLEASE SEE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
..SUNDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..MONDAY...BLACK ICE LIKELY.
..TUESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

NCZ035-502-504-506-508-510-222100-
ALEXANDER-GREATER CALDWELL-GREATER BURKE-EASTERN MCDOWELL-
GREATER RUTHERFORD-EASTERN POLK-
356 PM EST THU JAN 21 2016

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 PM EST
SATURDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE FOOTHILLS OF WESTERN
NORTH CAROLINA...JUST EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER STORM WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

..FRIDAY...HEAVY SNOW LIKELY. PLEASE SEE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
..SATURDAY...SNOW LIKELY. PLEASE SEE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
..SUNDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..MONDAY...BLACK ICE LIKELY.
..TUESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-NCZ036-037-056-057-068-069-SCZ001>003-222100-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-
CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-
356 PM EST THU JAN 21 2016

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 PM EST
SATURDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER
VALLEY OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA...AND THE UPPER PIEDMONT OF NORTH AND
SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER STORM WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

..FRIDAY...WINTRY MIX LIKELY. PLEASE SEE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
..SATURDAY...SNOW LIKELY. PLEASE SEE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
..SUNDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..MONDAY...BLACK ICE LIKELY.
..TUESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

NCZ070>072-082-SCZ004>010-012>014-222100-
GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-LAURENS-
CHESTER-
356 PM EST THU JAN 21 2016

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 PM EST
SATURDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE LOWER PIEDMONT OF NORTH
AND SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER STORM WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

..FRIDAY...DAMAGING ICE POSSIBLE. PLEASE SEE WINTER STORM WARNING
FOR MORE INFORMATION.
..SATURDAY...SNOW LIKELY. FREEZING RAIN WILL TRANSITION BACK TO
SNOW EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...WITH SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS
CONTINUING THROUGH AFTERNOON. PLEASE SEE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
..SUNDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..MONDAY...BLACK ICE POSSIBLE.
..TUESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

GAZ029-SCZ011-019-222100-
ELBERT-ABBEVILLE-GREENWOOD-
356 PM EST THU JAN 21 2016

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 PM
EST SATURDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ABBEVILLE AND GREENWOOD
COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA...AND ELBERT COUNTY GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND 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...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

..FRIDAY...FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE. SEE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
..SATURDAY...SNOW POSSIBLE. PRECIPITATION MAY CHANGE OVER TO SNOW
AS COLDER AIR MOVES IN AS THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES AWAY.
FREEZING TEMPERATURES WILL RESULT IN SLICK DRIVING CONDITIONS ON
UNTREATED ROADS AND BRIDGES DURING THE MORNING HOURS.
..SUNDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..MONDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..TUESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

WIMBERLEY

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 21, 11:54 PM EST, 6 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

7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Swain

When: January 22, 12:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Swain forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.487, -83.493 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Haywood

When: January 22, 12:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Haywood forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.556, -82.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Graham

When: January 22, 12:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Graham forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.350, -83.834 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Jackson

When: January 22, 12:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Macon

When: January 22, 12:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Macon forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.150, -83.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Jackson

When: January 22, 12:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Transylvania

When: January 22, 12:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Transylvania forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.202, -82.798 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2016 Every state in 2016 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, January 2016

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: 613961, 613962, 613963, 613964, 613965, 613966, 613967.