Winter Storm — Eastern Polk, North Carolina

2009-12-18 · Eastern Polk, North Carolina

Wider weather episode

A strengthening area of low pressure moved out of the Gulf of Mexico, across southern Georgia, and then up the southeast coast. As the low passed south of the region, snow became heavy across the foothills and piedmont during the afternoon, and continued to fall heavily throughout the afternoon and evening. Snowfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour became common over the foothills. The heavy, wet snow combined with gusty winds to cause a few trees and power lines to fall. Scattered power outages were reported.

Total accumulations over the foothills ranged from 4-6 inches in the lower elevations near the piedmont to as much as 14 inches closer to the Blue Ridge. Over the piedmont, the snow mixed with rain and sleet at times, which cut down on the amount of accumulation, especially in areas closer to the I-85 corridor. Total accumulations ranged from 2 inches near the I-85 corridor, to 6 or 7 inches in areas along and north of I-40.

After the storm ended, continuous melting and refreezing of ice and snow resulted in several mornings of treacherous driving across the area, with numerous accidents reported.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 207275. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.