North Carolina, 2021

Heavy Snow in North Carolina, January 8, 2021

January 8, 2021 · NWS GSP · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Snow developed across western North Carolina around midnight and continued through the morning of the 8th as an area of low pressure moved across the coastal plain of Georgia and the Carolinas. Heavy snow accumulations were reached across much of the northern mountains during the late morning, before the snow tapered off to scattered snow showers and flurries throughout the afternoon and evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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.

Snow developed across western North Carolina around midnight and continued through the morning of the 8th as an area of low pressure moved across the coastal plain of Georgia and the Carolinas. Heavy snow accumulations were reached across much of the northern mountains during the late morning, before the snow tapered off to scattered snow showers and flurries throughout the afternoon and evening. Total accumulations ranged from 3 to 6 inches across this area, with locally higher totals of as much as 8 inches reported above 4500 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 7, 10:39 PM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 7, 10:39 PM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 7, 10:16 PM EST, 1 hour 44 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 7, 7:55 PM EST, 4 hours 5 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
755 PM EST Thu Jan 7 2021

NCZ068>072-082-508-510-SCZ009-014-080500-
Cleveland-Lincoln-Gaston-Mecklenburg-Cabarrus-Union NC-
Greater Rutherford-Eastern Polk-York-Chester-
Including the cities of Shelby, Kings Mountain, Lincolnton,
Crouse, Gastonia, Charlotte, Huntersville, Matthews, Concord,
Kannapolis, Monroe, Trinity, Indian Trail, Weddington,
Forest City, Rutherfordton, Spindale, Tryon, Columbus,
Mill Spring, Catawba, Rock Hill, Blackstock, Chester, Cornwell,
and Great Falls
755 PM EST Thu Jan 7 2021

...RAIN MIXED WITH WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL SPREAD OVER THE
EASTERN UPSTATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA
THROUGH LATE EVENING...

A large shield of light to moderate rainfall will spread across
the I-77 corridor in the Piedmont of the Carolinas, and also
across the southern foothills of western North Carolina, from the
southwest through late evening. While the precipitation will fall
mainly as rain, snow and sleet will be observed during the
heaviest precipitation. With temperatures mainly in the upper 30s,
no accumulations are currently expected on the ground, but slush
could develop on some elevated surfaces.

HG
Local storm report, Jan 7, 8:05 PM EST, 3 hours 55 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 7, 9:43 PM EST, 2 hours 17 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

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Avery

When
January 8, 12:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Avery forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
36.077, -81.922 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Burke Mountains

When
January 8, 12:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Burke Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
35.750, -81.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Caldwell Mountains

When
January 8, 12:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Caldwell Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
35.953, -81.546 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Mitchell

When
January 8, 12:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Mitchell forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
36.013, -82.163 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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 North Carolina in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, January 2021

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: 940739, 940740, 940741, 940742.