Ice Storm in Caldwell Mountains, North Carolina

Moisture and precipitation overspread the western North Carolina late in the evening of the 17th and continued into the morning of the 18th in association with an area of low pressure moving along the Gulf Coast. Enough cold air was trapped along the eastern Blue Ridge escarpment to allow much of this precipitation to fall as freezing rain. By the time the precipitation tapered off during the morning of the 18th, total ice accretion was generally around one quarter inch, although spotty amounts closer to one half inch were reported. Due to warm road temperatures, accretion was primarily limited to elevated surfaces and limited travel difficulties.