A strong storm system brought high winds and heavy snow to parts of East Tennessee. The storm began with rain and mountain wave high winds during the early morning hours of 12/24.
Every event with a place to put it; 27 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 storm system brought high winds and heavy snow to parts of East Tennessee. The storm began with rain and mountain wave high winds during the early morning hours of 12/24. In the afternoon, cold air rapidly swept into the area, changing rain to snow. Moderate to heavy snow fell for about 3-4 hours that evening, resulting in several inches of accumulation. Parts of the central and northern Valley reported between 4 and 7 inches of snow, with up to 12 inches reported in the Smoky Mountains. Scattered to numerous snow showers continued into Christmas Day, with only light additional accumulations.
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 24, 12:30 AM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.
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</html>Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Morristown TN 255 PM EST Wed Dec 23 2020 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-242000- Cherokee-Clay-Scott-Campbell-Claiborne-Hancock-Hawkins-Sullivan- Johnson-Morgan-Anderson-Union-Grainger-Hamblen-Northwest Cocke- Cocke Smoky Mountains-Northwest Greene-Southeast Greene- Washington-Unicoi-Northwest Carter-Southeast Carter-Roane-Loudon- Knox-Jefferson-Northwest 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-Russell- 255 PM EST Wed Dec 23 2020 /155 PM CST Wed Dec 23 2020/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southwest North Carolina...east Tennessee and southwest Virginia. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight ...Mountain Wave High Winds Expected from late this Afternoon through Noon Thursday... Strong storm system will move toward the area today producing very windy conditions across the mountains and foothills of far east Tennessee from late this Afternoon through Noon Thursday. Please refer to the high wind warning for more details. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday ...Rain Changing to Snow Thursday Afternoon, Continuing through at least Christmas Morning... ...Dangerous Wind Chills across the Higher elevations late Thursday through Friday night... A strong storm system will move across the Tennessee valley and southern Appalachians Thursday and Thursday night. A period of moderate to locally heavy rain will move across the region Thursday. Rainfall of 1 to 1 1/2 inches are expected with locally heavier amounts across the far east Tennessee Mountains possible. Isolated runoff problems and localized flooding are possible. Very cold air will begin to build into the area on Thursday, and linger through Friday. Rain will change to snow Thursday afternoon and snow showers will linger through at least Friday morning. Snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are possible across northeast Tennessee, southwest Virginia, and far east Tennessee Mountains. Locally heavier amounts are possible the higher elevations. Please refer to the Winter Storm Warning product for more details. For the Plateau, parts of the central valley, and southwest North Carolina, snowfall of 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches are possible. Refer to the Winter Weather Advisory product for more information. Elsewhere, little to no accumulations are anticipated. The very cold airmass along with breezy west to northwest winds from late Thursday through Friday night will produce dangerous wind chills from 5 below zero to 5 above zero across the higher terrain. Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or your local media for the latest updates on this situation. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not needed at this time.
Special Weather Statement...UPDATED National Weather Service Morristown TN 1056 PM EST Wed Dec 23 2020 TNZ081>085-098>100-241200- Sequatchie-Bledsoe-Rhea-Meigs-McMinn-Marion-Hamilton-Bradley- Including the cities of Cagle, Dunlap, Cartwright, Lone Oak, Old Cumberland, Palio, Melvine, Mount Crest, Pikeville, Brayton, Dayton, Evensville, Old Washington, Grandview, Spring City, Big Spring, Athens, Clear Water, Dentville, Etowah, South Pittsburg, Haletown (Guild), Jasper, Martin Springs, Whitwell, Powells Crossroads, Monteagle, Chattanooga, Cleveland, and Tasso 1056 PM EST Wed Dec 23 2020 /956 PM CST Wed Dec 23 2020/ ...Wintry and Turning much colder Thursday and Christmas Day... A strong storm system continues to affect the area tonight and Thursday and will exit the region Christmas Day. Very cold air will build into the area Thursday and linger through Friday night. Rain will change to snow Thursday afternoon. Snow showers will linger through at least Friday morning. With the bulk of the precipitation moving out quickly, accumulations will be very limited with a dusting to a half an inch in general and perhaps approaching an inch in across the highest elevations of the plateau. Colder air rushing in could allow for some black ice to develop. Patches of black ice will be possible Christmas Eve night and linger into Christmas morning so caution is advised on area roads. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or your local media for the latest updates on this situation. TD
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
24 heavy snow, 3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Gust measured by National Park Service equipment at Cove Mountain.
Gust measured by National Park Service equipment at Look Rock Tower.
Gust was measured by the NOAA/ATDD wind tower at Camp Creek.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, December 2020
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: 926536, 926537, 926535, 926541, 926542, 926543, 926544, 926545, 926547, 926548, 926549, 926550, 926552, 926553, 926554, 926555, 926556, 926558, 926559, 926560, 926561, 926562, 926563, 926564, 926565, 926566, 926567.