High Wind — Watauga, North Carolina

2024-03-10 to 2024-03-11 · Watauga, North Carolina

Event narrative

Gusty winds blew down numerous trees and power lines across the county, which resulted in considerable power outages. The highest wind gust reported in the county was 59 mph from the KTNB AWOS at Boone.

Wider weather episode

A deepening area of low pressure departed off the New England coast, while high pressure moved eastward from the Plains. This pressure gradient caused gusty northwest winds that began during the day on March 10 and persisted into the early morning hours of March 11. The wet ground from rainfall on March 9 made trees and power lines more vulnerable to being blown down from these high wind gusts, which resulted in notable power outages.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1156004. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.