Over the past 24 hours a massive snowstorm blanketed parts of the North Carolina mountains, with accumulations far surpassing initial expectations.
In Yancey County’s Wolf Laurel, residents measured nearly 12 inches of snow by 9:30 p.m., while Avery County’s Banner Elk area saw 15 inches, accompanied by snow drifts reaching three feet. Jefferson in Ashe County reported 7 inches by 9 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Over a foot or more of snow fell across the higher elevations in the North Carolina mountains since yesterday.
Photo Credit: Timm Davis & See Sugar Mountain, NC pic.twitter.com/dTTigh6vOX
— NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) January 16, 2024
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Haywood County officials advised against driving on snow-covered roads by early afternoon. The weather service initially forecasted 8 inches of snow along the Mitchell-Yancey county line, but by 9 p.m., almost 12 inches had fallen in Wolf Laurel.
Additional snowfall of 4 to 6 inches was expected in Graham and Swain counties by late Monday night, with up to 2 inches in the valleys. A winter storm warning remains in effect until 7 a.m. Tuesday for Ashe, Avery, Swain, Graham, and Watauga counties.
A winter weather advisory is also in place for Alleghany, Haywood, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Northern Jackson, Surry, Wilkes, and Yancey counties, anticipating several more inches of snow.