The snowstorm of December 7 to 10, 2018

The Regional Snowfall Index is NOAA’s ranking of snowstorms east of the Rockies by how much snow fell, over how wide an area and on how many people, region by region: the area and the population above four snowfall thresholds set for each region, weighted against that region’s own history. A storm is scored in each region it reached, on a scale from 1, notable, to 5, extreme.

Events

406

Deaths

1

Injuries

2

Damage

$711,000

Episodes

46

Every winter weather episode the Weather Service filed east of the Rockies in these dates. A few may belong to another system on the same days. 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.

• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 6 to 7, 20182 eventsWeak flow over the eastern Great Lakes allowed moisture to pool over Lake Ontario. As a short wave approached, flow increased from the southwest, and pushed moisture on shore to the east of the lake.
• Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 6, 20181 eventLake effect snow showers impacted northern Herkimer and Hamilton counties in New York on Thursday, December 6th, ahead of a cold frontal passage.
• Winter Weather in California, December 6, 2018$250,000 · 1 eventThe low pressure system which was responsible for the strong winds in portions of the central California interior on December 4 and 5 made an eastward turn on December 6 and pushed inland across southern California.
• Heavy Snow in Texas, December 7 to 8, 201816 eventsA slow moving upper low moved east across the northern Permian Basin late in the night on Friday before exiting the region Saturday afternoon. Northwest of this low, a large deformation zone developed accompanied by moderate to heavy snow.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Arkansas, December 7 to 9, 201830 eventsCanadian high pressure was setting up over the Ohio Valley, and was bringing subfreezing temperatures and dry conditions to northern sections of the state. A storm system was approaching from the southwest, with moisture thrown into the cold and dry air.
• Heavy Snow in New Mexico, December 7 to 8, 20182 eventsAn upper level low pressure system moved slowly east across the southwestern United States on December 7th and 8th while a potent back door cold front moved into eastern New Mexico.
• Winter Weather in Texas, December 8, 20186 eventsA cold Canadian airmass moved into West Central Texas on December 7, dropping temperatures into the lower 30s.
• Heavy Snow in North Carolina, December 8 to 9, 20186 eventsA mixture of rain and snow developed across the North Carolina mountains during the afternoon of the 8th, transitioning to all snow in most areas by early evening. The snow became heavy at times during the evening into the overnight.
• Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Tennessee, December 8 to 9, 201815 eventsLow level cold air filtered into the region while low pressure tracked along the Gulf Coast. Warm air lifting over the cold airmass resulted in precipitation across the Mid-South. Across northwest Tennessee temperatures dropped below freezing resulting in freezing rain.
• Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Arkansas, December 8 to 9, 20187 eventsLow level cold air filtered into the region while low pressure tracked along the Gulf Coast. Warm air lifting over the cold airmass resulted in precipitation across the Mid-South. Across Northeast Arkansas temperatures dropped below freezing resulting in freezing rain.
• Heavy Snow in North Carolina, December 8 to 9, 20184 eventsA mixture of rain and snow developed across the mountains and southern foothills of North Carolina during the afternoon and evening of the 8th, transitioning to all snow in most areas by early evening. The snow became heavy at times during the evening into the overnight.
• Heavy Snow in South Carolina, December 8 to 9, 20183 eventsA mixture of rain and snow developed across the South Carolina mountains during the afternoon and evening of the 8th, transitioning to all snow in most areas by early evening. The snow became heavy at times during the evening into the overnight.
• Heavy Snow in Georgia, December 8 to 9, 20181 eventA mixture of rain and snow developed across the higher elevations of the Georgia mountains during the afternoon and evening of the 8th, transitioning to all snow in most areas by early evening. The snow became heavy at times during the evening into the overnight.
• Winter Weather in Missouri, December 8 to 9, 20182 injured · 5 eventsA low pressure system moved east across Mississippi and Alabama, spreading a wintry mix into extreme southern parts of southeast Missouri. Most of the impacts were felt south of U.S. Highway 60, especially from southern Butler County to New Madrid County.
• Winter Weather in Tennessee, December 8 to 9, 2018$45,000 · 9 eventsA slow moving upper level storm system brought several rounds of winter weather to much of Middle Tennessee from December 8, 2018 through December 10, 2018. A mix of rain and snow fell early in the day on December 8, with light snow accumulations in some areas.
• Winter Weather in Kentucky, December 8 to 9, 20188 eventsA low pressure system moved east across Mississippi and Alabama, spreading a wintry mix across southern parts of western Kentucky. The primary type of precipitation was freezing rain, which glazed elevated surfaces with around one-tenth inch of ice.
• Ice Storm in Kentucky, December 8 to 9, 20184 eventsA storm system moving east through the Gulf states brought wintry precipitation to southern Kentucky December 8-9, 2018.
• Winter Storm in North Carolina, December 8 to 9, 20181 death · $175,000 · 9 eventsA low pressure system tracked eastward along the Gulf Coast and spread moisture northward toward the Mid Atlantic. Meanwhile, high pressure to the north allowed temperatures to fall into the 20s, which caused the moisture to mostly fall as heavy snow.
• Heavy Snow in North Carolina, December 8 to 9, 20182 eventsRain and snow developed across the Great Smoky Mountains, the Nantahala Mountains, and surrounding areas during the evening of the 8th and continued into the overnight.
• Winter Storm in Virginia, December 8 to 10, 2018$200,000 · 27 eventsA low pressure system tracked eastward along the Gulf Coast and spread moisture northward toward the Mid Atlantic. Meanwhile, high pressure to the north allowed temperatures to fall into the 20s, which caused the moisture to mostly fall as heavy snow.
• Winter Storm in North Carolina, December 8 to 9, 20185 eventsRain and snow developed shortly after midnight across the North Carolina Piedmont, becoming all snow in most areas by daybreak, with some sleet mixing in along and south of the I-85 corridor.
• Winter Storm in South Carolina, December 8 to 9, 20184 eventsA mix of rain and snow developed during the evening across the foothills and northern Piedmont of South Carolina, becoming all snow by late evening. The snow continued into the overnight hours, while some sleet mixed in for locations along and south of I-85 after midnight.
• Winter Weather in Missouri, December 8 to 9, 20182 eventsLow level cold air filtered into the region while low pressure tracked along the Gulf Coast. Warm air lifting over the cold airmass resulted in precipitation across the Mid-South. Across the Bootheel temperatures dropped below freezing resulting in freezing rain.
• Winter Storm in Alaska, December 8 to 9, 20181 eventSoutherly flow aloft and a warm front caused new snowfall for upper Lynn Canal on the night of 12/8 into the morning of 12/9. The impact was snow removal and poor driving conditions on the Klondike Highway, but the Haines Road temperatures warmed too much for significant snow.
• Winter Storm in North Carolina, December 8 to 9, 20181 eventA mix of rain and snow developed during the evening across portions of the southern North Carolina Piedmont, becoming all snow by late evening. The snow continued into the overnight hours, while some sleet mixed in for locations along I-85 after midnight.
• Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Kentucky, December 8 to 9, 2018$41,000 · 19 eventsAn early season winter storm system tracked across the southeastern United States from the evening of December 8th through December 9th. This brought a wintry mix of precipitation, including freezing rain, to far southeast Kentucky, beginning late in the evening on the 8th.
• Heavy Snow in North Carolina, December 8 to 9, 201814 eventsSnow developed across northwest North Carolina around midnight the morning of the 9th, and began accumulating quickly. Moderate to heavy snow continued through the morning of the 9th before tapering off during the early afternoon.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Georgia, December 8 to 10, 20184 eventsOn December 8th through the 10th, a surface low developed along an old stationary front across the northern Gulf of Mexico and moved across south Georgia spreading moisture into the northeastern portion of the state.
• Heavy Snow in Tennessee, December 9 to 10, 201847 eventsA 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.
• Heavy Snow in Virginia, December 9 to 10, 201827 eventsA 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.
• Winter Storm in West Virginia, December 9, 20185 eventsA low pressure system tracked eastward along the Gulf Coast and spread moisture northward toward the Mid Atlantic. Meanwhile, high pressure to the north allowed temperatures to fall into the 20s, which caused the moisture to mostly fall as heavy snow.
• Winter Storm in Virginia, December 9, 201840 eventsLow pressure tracking northeast just off the southeast and Mid Atlantic coasts produced snowfall totals between three inches and fourteen inches across central, south central, and eastern Virginia.
• Winter Weather in Virginia, December 9, 20185 eventsLow pressure tracking northeast just off the southeast and Mid Atlantic coasts produced snowfall totals between one half inch and three inches across portions of eastern and southeast Virginia.
• Winter Weather in Maryland, December 9, 20183 eventsLow pressure tracking northeast just off the southeast and Mid Atlantic coasts produced snowfall totals between one half inch and three inches across portions of the Lower Maryland Eastern Shore.
• Winter Weather in North Carolina, December 9, 20183 eventsLow pressure tracking northeast just off the southeast and Mid Atlantic coasts produced snowfall totals between one half inch and three inches across portions of Interior northeast North Carolina.
• Winter Storm in North Carolina, December 9, 20181 eventLow pressure tracking northeast just off the southeast and Mid Atlantic coasts produced snowfall totals between two inches and seven inches across portions of interior northeast North Carolina.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in North Carolina, December 9 to 10, 201825 eventsStrong Cold Air Damming and a Miller-A storm track from the northern Gulf of Mexico to off the NC coast, brought record early heavy snowfall of 8 to 15 inches to parts of central NC on December 9th and 10th.
• Heavy Snow in Virginia, December 9, 20182 eventsA strong southern stream low pressure system crossed the Gulf States on the 8th and 9th, moving out to sea late on the 9th. This storm brought significant snowfall to the central and southern Appalachians.
• Heavy Snow in West Virginia, December 9, 20187 eventsA strong southern stream low pressure system crossed the Gulf States on the 8th and 9th, moving out to sea late on the 9th. This storm brought significant snowfall to the central and southern Appalachians. The snow started early on the 9th and continued through the afternoon.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Virginia, December 9, 201818 eventsAn area of low pressure developed along the Gulf Coast on December 8th and tracked northeastward along the North and South Carolina coastlines during the daytime hours on the 9th, strengthening to around 1000mb by the evening.
• Winter Weather in Alabama, December 9, 20182 eventsDuring the morning hours, light snow fell in northwest Alabama, but only a dusting on grassy or elevated surfaces was reported. During the afternoon and evening hours, a light snow accumulation occurred on portions of the higher elevations of northeast Alabama.
• Winter Weather in West Virginia, December 9, 20181 eventAn area of low pressure developed along the Gulf Coast on December 8th and tracked northeastward along the North and South Carolina coastlines during the daytime hours on the 9th, strengthening to around 1000mb by the evening.
• Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Maryland, December 9, 20183 eventsAn area of low pressure developed along the Gulf Coast on December 8th and tracked northeastward along the North and South Carolina coastlines during the daytime hours on the 9th, strengthening to around 1000mb by the evening.
• Winter Weather in Tennessee, December 9 to 10, 20181 eventA light snow accumulation occurred atop the Cumberland Plateau during the afternoon and evening hours. The accumulation was mainly on grassy or elevated surfaces above an approximate elevation of 1200 Feet AGL. Valley locations received only rainfall or a few wet snow flakes.
• Winter Weather in Tennessee, December 9 to 10, 20187 eventsAfter a break in precipitation during the afternoon on December 9, a mix of rain and snow developed across the southeastern half of Middle Tennessee from the late evening hours on December 9 into the morning hours on December 10.
• Winter Storm in Alaska, December 10 to 11, 20181 eventAnother warm front caused heavy snow on the Klondike Highway on 12/10. Impact was snow removal by DOT and poor driving conditions. No damage was reported.

The snowstorm of November 23 to 28, 2018The snowstorm of January 11 to 13, 2019Snow nowEvery winter storm filed

NOAA NCEI Regional Snowfall Index, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.