Winter Storm — Alleghany, North Carolina

2021-02-13 · Alleghany, North Carolina

Event narrative

Skywarn-trained weather spotters and members of the general public observed ice accumulations ranging from 0.25 to 0.5 inches in thickness across portions of Alleghany County, including around the communities of Sparta, Roaring Gap and Barrett. Modest sleet accumulations of up to 0.1 inches were also observed in spots across the county. Numerous trees and tree limbs were also brought down by the weight of the icing. Key impacts: power outages; hazardous to impossible travel conditions; automobile accidents; widespread tree damage.

Wider weather episode

A complex low pressure system brought with it deep moisture from the Gulf of Mexico as it moved across the central Appalachians, overriding a shallow layer of sub-freezing temperatures within high pressure established across the lower mid-Atlantic. This resulted in widespread freezing rain across the large portions of the Piedmont of North Carolina, as well as a mixture of freezing rain, sleet and some snow further west across the mountains. Freezing rain accumulations across portions of the North Carolina Piedmont were the highest experienced in several years, ranging from widespread 0.25 to 0.5 inch accretions, with locally higher accretions of one inch in thickness. The icing from this freezing rain weighed down trees and tree limbs, as well as power lines and power poles, causing a great many of them to snap. For some counties, there were reports that nearly 90 percent of the residents lost power, with some remaining without power for over a week. Numerous automobile wrecks were noted due to ice causing slick roadway surfaces. Some injuries were noted, but no known fatalities occurred due to this storm.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 943429. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.