A strong low pressure system moved eastward across the Gulf Coast on its way through the Carolinas. Deep moisture was lifted in the colder resident air mass across the Southern Appalachian region.
Every event with a place to put it; 47 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 strong low pressure system moved eastward across the Gulf Coast on its way through the Carolinas. Deep moisture was lifted in the colder resident air mass across the Southern Appalachian region. This pattern resulted in heavy snowfall amounts in the range of five to ten inches with locally greater totals across Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.
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 8, 10:02 PM EST, 1 hour 58 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Morristown TN
1002 PM EST Sat Dec 8 2018
.DISCUSSION...
As the winter weather events approaches late tonight into early
Sunday morning models are beginning to come in to better agreement
but still highly uncertain where the strong gradient in snowfall
totals will setup. A surface lows is currently tracking along the
northern Gulf as an upper level trough progresses across the
Lower Mississippi River Valley. Surface temperatures are currently
in the 30s areawide. There are a few locations in the higher
elevations and in SW VA that are currently below freezing but most
of us will need help from some dry air advection and dynamic
cooling from heavy precipitation.
Looking at the current radar, the main band of precipitation that
will bring snowfall to the area is still back in Arkansas. Models
have this rotating through the forecast area Sunday morning. In
fact, some of the NAM model soundings indicate around 100 J/Kg of
elevated CAPE early Sunday. The lift is fairly impressive in this
band as the surface low transitions to the GA coast. Snowfall
totals will be highly dependent upon where this band tracks and
just how much cooling occurs under this precipitation. With models
continuing to trend towards higher amounts in this band, adjusted
amounts up slightly for locations in extreme NE TN and SW VA.
Most models suggest there will be a strong gradient in amounts
just to the north of the Knoxville metro area. Model soundings
have a nearly isothermal profile along the 0 degree Celsius
isotherm below 700 mb or so for portions of the central and
northern Tennessee Valley. Based on the latest guidance and
forecast went ahead and extended the warning and advisory slightly
southwestward.
Also, for the update cut back on snowfall totals across the
southern Valley. Model soundings suggest that most locations will
stay enough above freezing to keep precipitation mostly rain. Even
if there was a brief mixture, do not think much would be able to
stick with temperatures staying just a couple of degrees above
freezing.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Chattanooga Airport, TN 37 40 36 43 / 100 90 50 40
Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport, TN 34 38 32 41 / 100 100 50 30
Oak Ridge, TN 34 39 32 43 / 100 100 40 30
Tri Cities Airport, TN 30 34 28 40 / 100 100 40 20
&&
.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...Winter Weather Advisory from 1 AM Sunday to noon EST Monday for
Cherokee.
Winter Storm Warning until noon EST Monday for Clay.
TN...Winter Weather Advisory from 1 AM Sunday to noon EST Monday for
Anderson-East Polk-Grainger-Jefferson-Knox-Morgan-NW Blount-
North Sevier-Southeast Monroe-Union.
Winter Storm Warning until noon EST Monday for Campbell-
Claiborne-Hamblen-Hancock-Hawkins-Northwest Carter-
Northwest Cocke-Northwest Greene-Scott TN-Sullivan-
Washington TN.
Winter Storm Warning until noon EST Monday for Blount Smoky
Mountains-Cocke Smoky Mountains-Johnson-Sevier Smoky
Mountains-Southeast Carter-Southeast Greene-Unicoi.
VA...Winter Storm Warning until noon EST Monday for Lee-Russell-Scott-
Washington-Wise.
&&
MAHazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Morristown TN 340 PM EST Sat Dec 8 2018 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-092045- 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- 340 PM EST Sat Dec 8 2018 /240 PM CST Sat Dec 8 2018/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of Southwest North Carolina...East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. .DAY ONE...Tonight and Sunday ...A STRONG EARLY SEASON SYSTEM WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR A SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACROSS PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS TONIGHT AND SUNDAY... Widespread precipitation will move across this evening through Sunday as a strong low pressure system approaches the area. Precipitation will be mainly rain this evening, except for snow across the higher elevations. A transition from rain to snow and sleet is expected early Sunday morning across the northern Plateau, northeast Tennessee, southwest Virginia, and parts of southwest North Carolina. Significant snow accumulations are expected, especially areas north of interstate 40, with the heaviest snowfall over the higher terrain. The wintry precipitation will taper off late Sunday morning and afternoon to drizzle or flurries. Scattered rain and snow showers are anticipated Sunday night and Monday morning. Travel may become difficult late this weekend and early next week, especially over higher terrain and across bridges and overpasses. Please stay tuned for later updates to the forecast concerning this potential winter storm. Please refer to the latest Winter Weather Message (WSW) Products .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday Night through Saturday ...Rain and Snow Showers Likely Sunday Night and Monday Morning... Rain and snow showers are likely Sunday night and Monday morning, especially over southeast Tennessee and southwest North Carolina. Light snow accumulations are possibly across elevated and grassy surfaces, especially over the higher elevations. Another strong storm system will move across the area Thursday Night through Saturday. This system may produce a mountain wave high wind event Thursday night and Friday morning. On the cold side of the system, rain may change to snow late Friday and Saturday. Snow accumulations are possible across the higher elevations. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to call in their snowfall totals tonight into Monday.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
47 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Ten inches of snow was reported at Newfound Gap.
Four inches of snow was reported at Erwin.
Three inches of snow was reported 4 miles north of Watauga.
Three inches of snow was reported 4 miles north of Watauga.
Three inches of snow was reported at Elizabethton.
Three inches of snow was reported at Mount Carmel.
Three inches of snow was reported at Kingsport.
Three inches of snow was reported at Gray.
Three inches of snow was reported at Gray.
Three inches of snow was reported at Rogersville.
Three inches of snow was reported at Russellville.
Three inches of snow was reported at Russellville.
A snowfall depth of 9.3 inches was reported at the Tri-Cities Airport in Blountville. This amount established a record as the all time daily snowfall total for the month of December.
Twelve inches of snow was reported at Mountain City.
Six inches of snow was reported at Church Hill.
Ten inches of snow was reported 3 miles northeast of Doeville.
Six inches of snow was reported 4 miles south southwest of Okolona.
Six and a half inches of snow was reported 2 miles southeast of Bristol.
Six and a half inches of snow was reported 2 miles southeast of Bristol.
Five inches of snow was reported at Hampton.
Eight inches of snow was reported one mile northwest of Kingsport.
Eight inches of snow was reported three miles west of Bristol.
Eight inches of snow was reported one mile northeast of Colonial Heights.
Nine and a half inches of snow was reported 4 miles southeast of Bloomingdale.
Eight inches of snow was reported at Blountville.
Five inches of snow was reported 2 miles north northwest of Fincastle.
Four inches of snow was reported 3 miles east southeast of Johnson City.
Six and a half inches of snow was reported at Fall Branch.
Eleven inches of snow was reported one mile north northeast of Gray.
Six inches of snow was reported 2 miles west northwest of Greeneville.
Five inches of snow was reported 2 miles east northeast of Morristown.
Eleven inches of snow was reported 2 miles west northwest of Mount Carmel.
Nine and a half inches of snow was reported 3 miles northeast of Colonial Heights.
Nine and a half inches of snow was reported 3 miles northeast of Colonial Heights.
Four inches of snow was reported one mile east southeast of Johnson City.
Eleven inches of snow was reported one mile north northeast southeast of Gray.
Four inches of snow was reported at Morristown.
Ten and a half inches of snow was reported 4 miles northeast of Rogersville.
Twelve inches of snow was reported 1 mile northwest of Kingsport.
Three and a half inches of snow was reported 5 miles northwest of Chucky.
Eight inches of snow was reported 4 miles east southeast of Gray.
Four and a half inches of snow was reported 2 miles east of Gray.
Three inches of snow was reported at radio station WCRK in Morristown.
Three inches of snow was reported 2 miles southwest of Roan Mountain.
Three inches of snow was reported 2 miles southwest of Roan Mountain.
A snowfall depth of 3.3 inches was reported 4 miles south southwest of Greeneville.
Eight inches of snow was reported 3 miles south southeast of Bloomingdale.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, December 2018
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: 792924, 792926, 792927, 792928, 792930, 792931, 792932, 792933, 792934, 792935, 792936, 792937, 792938, 792939, 792940, 792941, 792942, 792944, 792945, 792947, 792948, 792949, 792950, 792951, 792952, 792954, 792955, 792956, 792958, 792959, 792962, 792964, 792966, 792968, 792970, 792972, 792973, 792975, 792977, 792984, and more.