Extreme Cold/Wind Chill — Watauga, North Carolina

2026-01-26 to 2026-01-27 · Watauga, North Carolina

Event narrative

Several mesonet weather stations reported wind chill values dropping to -15F or lower. The lowest wind chill value recorded was -24F about one mile east-southeast of Blowing Rock.

Wider weather episode

Arctic high pressure arrived by January 27 in the wake of a departing winter storm. However, the pressure gradient between the high arriving and the low departing provided gusty winds that combined with the cold air to provide dangerously low wind chills. Wind chills dropped below -15F during the late evening hours of January 26 into the early morning hours of January 27 in Ashe and Watauga counties.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1303561. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.