A 60 knot low level jet developed across the Southern Appalachian Region in advance of an upper level trough driving northeast across the Great Lakes. Strong wind gusts were measured across the higher terrain along the Tennessee and North Carolina border as well as terrain in Southwest Virginia.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
A 60 knot low level jet developed across the Southern Appalachian Region in advance of an upper level trough driving northeast across the Great Lakes. Strong wind gusts were measured across the higher terrain along the Tennessee and North Carolina border as well as terrain in Southwest Virginia.
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 Dec 17, 6:30 AM EST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Morristown TN
630 AM EST Sat Dec 17 2016
.AVIATION...
Gusty southwest winds will continue today at each terminal, along
with low VFR to MVFR cigs and vis from passing areas of -RA ahead
of an approaching cold front from the west. While prevailing VFR
conditions are more likely during the day, cigs/vis will help drop
to MVFR after sunset and IFR levels late tonight at each terminal
as drizzle/fog develops ahead of an approaching line of -SHRA that
will likely move in very late in/or after the period.
&&
.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...None.
TN...Wind Advisory until 1 PM EST this afternoon for Campbell-
Claiborne-Hancock-Hawkins-Morgan-NW Blount-North Sevier-
Northwest Carter-Northwest Cocke-Northwest Greene-Northwest
Monroe-Scott TN-Sullivan-Washington TN.
Wind Advisory until 7 AM EST Sunday for Blount Smoky Mountains-
Cocke Smoky Mountains-Johnson-Sevier Smoky Mountains-
Southeast Carter-Southeast Greene-Southeast Monroe-Unicoi.
Wind Advisory until 9 AM CST this morning for Bledsoe-Marion-
Sequatchie.
VA...Wind Advisory until 1 PM EST this afternoon for Lee-Russell-
Scott-Washington-Wise.
&&
AMPHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 417 AM EST SAT DEC 17 2016 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-180930- 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- 417 AM EST SAT DEC 17 2016 /317 AM CST SAT DEC 17 2016/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND POTENTIALLY INTO TONIGHT OVER THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS...AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS OF THE EAST TENNESSEE MOUNTAINS THROUGH TONIGHT AND THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. A COUPLE OF STRONG TO PERHAPS MARGINALLY SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY ALONG THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU. LOCALIZED DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. THE BURN SCAR AREA NEAR GATLINBURG TENNESSEE WILL HAVE A RISK OF MINOR MUD AND/OR DEBRIS SLIDES ON SUNDAY MORNING. RAIN WILL TRANSITION TO SNOW SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT AS THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS MAY BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The 83 mph wind gust was measured at Cove Mountain Tower.
The 58 mph wind gust was recorded at the Campbell county airport in Jacksboro.
The 60 mph wind gust was recorded at the UT Field station in Greenbrier.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, December 2016
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: 668988, 668989, 668991.