Deep and moist air was lifted over a chilly air mass in place across the Southeastern United States as a low pressure system moved northeast from the Central Gulf of Mexico through the Middle Atlantic Coast. Heavy snowfall occurred across the Southern Appalachian region northwest of the pressure system's path.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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.
Deep and moist air was lifted over a chilly air mass in place across the Southeastern United States as a low pressure system moved northeast from the Central Gulf of Mexico through the Middle Atlantic Coast. Heavy snowfall occurred across the Southern Appalachian region northwest of the pressure system's path.
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 Jan 6, 6:40 AM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Morristown TN
640 AM EST Fri Jan 6 2017
.AVIATION...
MVFR cigs will prevail through the day, with some light snow moving
through at times. As a low pressure system approaches, snow
intensity will pick up tonight, reducing visibility to MVFR as
well with some periods of IFR vis possible. Winds will be
northerly at 8-12 kts through the forecast period.
&&
.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...Winter Storm Warning from 7 PM this evening to 10 AM EST
Saturday for Cherokee-Clay.
TN...Winter Storm Warning from 7 PM this evening to 10 AM EST
Saturday for Blount Smoky Mountains-Cocke Smoky Mountains-
East Polk-Johnson-NW Blount-North Sevier-Northwest Carter-
Northwest Cocke-Northwest Greene-Northwest Monroe-Sevier
Smoky Mountains-Southeast Carter-Southeast Greene-Southeast
Monroe-Sullivan-Unicoi-Washington TN-West Polk.
Winter Weather Advisory from 7 PM this evening to 10 AM EST
Saturday for Anderson-Campbell-Claiborne-Grainger-Hamblen-
Hancock-Hawkins-Jefferson-Knox-Loudon-Morgan-Roane-Scott TN-
Union.
Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM EST /3 PM CST/ this afternoon
to 7 AM EST /6 AM CST/ Saturday for Bledsoe-Bradley-
Hamilton-Marion-McMinn-Meigs-Rhea-Sequatchie.
VA...Winter Weather Advisory from 7 PM this evening to 10 AM EST
Saturday for Lee-Russell-Scott-Washington-Wise.
&&
DGSHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 411 AM EST FRI JAN 6 2017 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-070915- 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- 411 AM EST FRI JAN 6 2017 /311 AM CST FRI JAN 6 2017/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR HEAVY SNOW ALONG THE EAST TENNESSEE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS...EASTERN TENNESSEE VALLEY...AND SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM WILL BRING WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 7 INCHES THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU...WESTERN TENNESSEE VALLEY...AND SOUTHWEST VRIGINIA FOR LIGHTER SNOW OF 1 TO 3 INCHES FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. SUBFREEZING TEMPERATURES THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY WILL ALLOW FOR SNOW TO ACCUMULATE QUICKLY...PARTICULARLY ON UNTREATED ROADS. THIS CAN RESULT IN DANGEROUS TRAVEL TO MOTORISTS TONIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY MORNING. SHOULD THE SNOW MOVE IN EARLIER...DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS MAY EXIST FOR THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING COMMUTE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ROAD CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY REMAIN POOR THROUGH SATURDAY AS HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW FREEZING. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SNOWFALL REPORTS WILL BE NEEDED TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Morristown TN 614 AM EST Fri Jan 6 2017 TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-082-083-VAZ001-002-005-006-008-061700- 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-Bledsoe-Rhea-Lee-Wise-Scott- Russell-Washington- Including the cities of...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...Pikeville...Dayton...Jonesville... Wise...Norton...Gate City...Lebanon...Abingdon 614 AM EST Fri Jan 6 2017 /514 AM CST Fri Jan 6 2017/ ...SNOW THIS MORNING WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE... AN AREA OF SNOW WILL CROSS EAST TENNEESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA THIS MORNING...PRODUCING LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS. A DUSTING TO A HALF INCH OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE. WITH COLD TEMPERATURES IN PLACE...SNOW WILL LIKELY STICK TO UNTREATED ROADS. MOTORISTS NEED TO BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES WHERE SLIPPERY SPOTS OFTEN DEVELOP FIRST. DGS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
A snow depth of six inches was measured at Abingdon.
A snow depth of 3.5 inches was measured at Wise.
A snow depth of 5 inches was measured fives mile south southeast of Abingdon.
A snow depth of 3.5 inches was measured fives at Castlewood.
A snow depth of 3.5 inches was measured fives at Castlewood.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, January 2017
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: 669112, 669113, 669108, 669109, 669110.