North Carolina, 2018

Cold in North Carolina, January 17 to 18, 2018

January 17 to 18, 2018 · NWS GSP · 21 events in 21 counties and zones

A cold arctic air mass built into western North Carolina on the heels of gusty northwest winds developing west of a storm system moving up the Southeast coast. The gusty winds and cold air passing over a fresh snowpack resulted in low wind chills across much of the high terrain and portions of the foothills.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 21 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
21

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.

A cold arctic air mass built into western North Carolina on the heels of gusty northwest winds developing west of a storm system moving up the Southeast coast. The gusty winds and cold air passing over a fresh snowpack resulted in low wind chills across much of the high terrain and portions of the foothills. Wind chill values from 0 to -10 were common in elevations above 1500 feet or so. Meanwhile, wind chill values of -20 to -30 were measured above about 4000 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 Jan 17, 2:52 PM EST, 3 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 17, 2:52 PM EST, 3 hours 8 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 17, 3:23 PM EST, 2 hours 37 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 17, 4:41 PM EST, 1 hour 19 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 17, 4:51 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 17, 4:56 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 17, 4:59 PM EST, 1 hour 1 minute before
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Local storm report, Jan 17, 5:15 PM EST, 45 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 17, 5:46 PM EST, 14 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

21 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Avery

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Avery forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
36.077, -81.922 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Buncombe

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Buncombe forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.611, -82.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Burke Mountains

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Burke Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.750, -81.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Caldwell Mountains

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Caldwell Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.953, -81.546 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern McDowell

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern McDowell forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.681, -82.049 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Graham

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Graham forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.350, -83.834 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Greater Burke

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Greater Burke forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
35.750, -81.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Greater Caldwell

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Greater Caldwell forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
35.953, -81.546 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Haywood

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Haywood forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.556, -82.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Henderson

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Henderson forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
35.336, -82.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Macon

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Macon forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.150, -83.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Madison

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.858, -82.706 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, McDowell Mountains

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
McDowell Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.681, -82.049 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Mitchell

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Mitchell forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
36.013, -82.163 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Jackson

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Polk Mountains

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Polk Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.279, -82.170 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Rutherford Mountains

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Rutherford Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.402, -81.920 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Jackson

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Swain

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Swain forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.487, -83.493 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Transylvania

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Transylvania forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.202, -82.798 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Yancey

When
January 17, 6:00 PM EST to January 18, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Yancey forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
35.899, -82.308 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, January 2018

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 735759, 735760, 735761, 735762, 735763, 735764, 735765, 735766, 735767, 735768, 735769, 735770, 735771, 735772, 735773, 735774, 735775, 735776, 735777, 735778, 735779.