Tennessee, 2019

Heavy Snow in Tennessee, December 2, 2019

December 2, 2019 · NWS MRX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Deep moisture and a relatively strong upper level disturbance trailing behind a strong frontal system brought a period of snowfall to the Southern Appalachian region. Much of the effective snowfall occurred in the higher terrain as orographic lift strengthened in the northwest flow behind the surface frontal system.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 MRX wrote it up.

Deep moisture and a relatively strong upper level disturbance trailing behind a strong frontal system brought a period of snowfall to the Southern Appalachian region. Much of the effective snowfall occurred in the higher terrain as orographic lift strengthened in the northwest flow behind the surface frontal system.

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 Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 1, 6:32 PM EST, 8 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 1, 6:32 PM EST, 8 hours 28 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 1, 3:47 PM EST, 11 hours 13 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

1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Sevier/Smoky Mountains

When
December 2, 3:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where
Sevier/Smoky Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
35.785, -83.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall accumulated to a depth of 4.5 inches at Mount LeConte and 4 inches at Newfound Gap.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Tennessee in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, December 2019

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: 859410.