Winter Storm — Alleghany, North Carolina

2021-02-18 · Alleghany, North Carolina

Event narrative

Skywarn-trained weather spotters and a member of the general public observed ice accumulations from freezing rain ranging from 0.15 to 0.4 inches in thickness across portions of Alleghany County, including around the communities of Glade Valley, Sparta and Piney Creek. Key impacts: power outages; hazardous travel conditions; tree damage; schools closed.

Wider weather episode

A complex low pressure system brought 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 a widespread mixture of freezing rain and sleet across the large portions of the northwest North Carolina only days after a similar winter storm moved across the region. Freezing rain accumulations were highest east of the Blue Ridge, with locally higher accretions of 0.5 inch in thickness. The icing from this freezing rain weighed down trees and tree limbs, as well as power lines and power poles, causing some to snap. The power grid was already fragile from heavy ice accumulations from a few days before, and many communities lost power again due to downed powerlines that had only recently been restored. Multiple trees and tree limbs were snapped by the weight of ice accumulations. The widespread winter storm conditions resulted in numerous travel delays, with schools across the region closed.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 943695. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.