The mountain area is experiencing one of its worst winters on record – with at least another month of snow remaining.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning until 6 a.m. Thursday for Avery, Alleghany, Ashe, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey counties, saying 6 inches or more of new snow could fall by daybreak Thursday. That would be on top of several days’ worth of snow that has fallen already this week.
In the lower elevations, it will be much more peaceful in coming days. High pressure will bring clear skies and gradually warming temperatures to the Charlotte metro region through Saturday.
A persistent flow of cold, unstable air from the Great Lakes is responsible for the mountain snows. As the moist air hits the mountains, it rises, the moisture condenses, and it falls as snow. A National Weather Service observer in Avery County has reported 8 inches of new snow since Monday morning.
Forecasters say they expect about 2 new inches today in mountain valleys, 4 inches in higher elevations, and 6 inches or more at elevations above 3,500 feet facing the Tennessee border.
As of Wednesday morning, Boone had received nearly 70 inches of snow this season. The National Climate Data Center reports Boone’s seasonal average is 35.5 inches, and the all-time record is 103.4 inches, set in the winter of 1959-60.
Forecasters say the snow machine – the persistent northwest flow of moist, unstable air – will come to an end Thursday. The mountains are expected to get partial clearing during the day, and perhaps a weekend without additional snow. However, another storm system is expected to move across the Southeast next Tuesday, perhaps bringing more wintry precipitation.
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Yippee, we can't wait!
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