Cold/Wind Chill in Caldwell Mountains, North Carolina

Gusty northwest winds ushering in an arctic air mass to the southern Appalachians combined with a snowpacked ground to produce frigid temperatures and low wind chill values across the North Carolina mountains on the night of the 7th through the morning of the 8th. By daybreak on the 8th, air temperatures were in the single digits and lower teens across the mountains valleys, while the high peaks and ridge tops saw temperatures below 0. Valley wind chill values ranged from around 0 to -10 across the southern and central mountains, and from -5 to -15 from the French Broad Valley north. The high peaks and ridge tops likely saw wind chill values of -30 or lower at times. Although temperatures warmed slightly and winds abated during the day, conditions remained unseasonably cold across the mountains for a couple of days. Even some valley locations did not warm above freezing until the afternoon of the 10th.