North Carolina, 2020

Winter Storm in North Carolina, February 20 to 21, 2020

February 20 to 21, 2020 · NWS AKQ · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Low pressure tracking from the Gulf Coast States east northeast and off the Southeast Coast produced snowfall totals between two inches and five inches across northeast North Carolina.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
7

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 AKQ wrote it up.

Low pressure tracking from the Gulf Coast States east northeast and off the Southeast Coast produced snowfall totals between two inches and five inches across northeast North Carolina.

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 Wakefield, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 19, 6:45 PM EST, 21 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 19, 6:45 PM EST, 21 hours 15 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

7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Bertie

When
February 20, 4:00 PM EST to February 21, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Bertie forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.066, -76.967 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals ranged from three inches to five inches across the county. Windsor reported 3.3 inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Chowan

When
February 20, 4:00 PM EST to February 21, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Chowan forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.127, -76.602 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals ranged from two inches to four inches across the county. Edenton and Smalls Crossroads reported 4.0 inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Gates

When
February 20, 4:00 PM EST to February 21, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Gates forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
36.445, -76.700 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals ranged from three inches to five inches across the county. Gates reported 5.0 inches of snow. Sunbury (1 NW) reported 4.5 inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Hertford

When
February 20, 4:00 PM EST to February 21, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Hertford forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.359, -76.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals ranged from three inches to five inches across the county. Murfreesboro (2 E) reported 5.0 inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Northampton

When
February 20, 4:00 PM EST to February 21, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Northampton forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
36.418, -77.397 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals ranged from three inches to five inches across the county. Conway reported 5.0 inches of snow. Pleasant Hill (1 NNE) and Gaston reported 4.5 inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Pasquotank

When
February 20, 4:00 PM EST to February 21, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Pasquotank forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.265, -76.249 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals ranged from two inches to four inches across the county.

Winter Storm, Perquimans

When
February 20, 4:00 PM EST to February 21, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Perquimans forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
36.177, -76.408 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall totals ranged from two inches to four inches across the county. Belvidere reported 3.5 inches of snow.

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, February 2020

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: 877897, 877898, 877899, 877900, 877901, 877902, 877903.