A rare deep south winter storm that blanketed much of the Gulf & Southeast U.S. coast with several inches of snow
NWS Newport / Morehead City, NC
Overview
An upper level storm system moved southeast through the Rockies, then east across the Southern U.S. on January 21-22. This storm system overlapped with an usually cold airmass already in place across much of the U.S., leading to a rare deep south winter storm that blanketed much of the Gulf Coast and Southeast U.S. coast with several inches of snow, including all of Eastern North Carolina. Locally, this winter storm was responsible for producing a swath of 2-6" of snow for much of ENC, with several locations reporting amounts as high as 6-9" of snow. The snow was followed up with unusually cold temperatures, with lows bottoming out in the single digits and teens, with some areas experiencing sub-zero wind chill values.
National snowfall analysis map showing 48 hour accumulations ending at 7 AM on January 23, 2025
Environment
300 mb Analysis: 7 AM, January 21st - 7 AM, January 22nd
Diffluent flow aloft associated with the right entrance region of a 150 kt upper jet provided an area of enhanced lift over the southeast on Tuesday morning. At the same time, a northern stream jet began phasing with the southern stream jet. The diffluent flow aloft increased near the right entrance region of a strengthening 200 kt jet on Tuesday evening as the northern and southern jet streaks continued to phase. By Wednesday morning, the diffluent flow aloft finally began to gradually push offshore as the right entrance region of the fully phased 225 kt jet streak pulled away from the area.
GIF showing the progression of 300 mb analysis maps from Tuesday, January 21st at 7 AM to Wednesday, January 22nd at 7 AM
Storm Prediction Center 300 mb Analysis
500 mb Analysis: 7 AM, January 21st - 7 AM, January 22nd
A positively tilted trough that extended from Quebec to the Southern Plains dove southeastward and enhanced cyclogenesis in the Gulf. As this positively tilted trough continued to move south and east Tuesday evening (21st), it moved into the Ohio and Tennessee River Valleys and enhanced the lift across the Southeast. By Wednesday morning, the upper trough began to weaken as it neared the Mid-Atlantic Coast but continued to promote ample lift.
Storm Prediction Center 500 mb Analysis
Surface Analysis: 7 AM, January 21st - 7 AM, January 22nd
On Tuesday morning, a cold front began to approach from the west while a stationary front began to develop offshore. As the cold front neared the Appalachians by Tuesday evening, it had weakened while the stationary boundary offshore had strengthened as upper-level energy transferred offshore. This promoted the development of surface troughing along the coast, which strengthened overnight. The cold front continued to dissipate overnight while the stalled front pushed well offshore. By Wednesday morning, surface troughing had strengthened and supported an extended period of snow across the Southern Outer Banks and Eastern Carteret County.
GIF showing the progression of surface analysis maps from Tuesday, January 21st at 7 AM to Wednesday, January 22nd at 7 AM
Weather Prediction Center Surface Analysis
Impacts
Snowfall
This winter storm produced a swath of 2-6" of snow for much of ENC, but the highest amounts occurred across the Northern Outer Banks and areas bordering the Pamlico Sound. The top 5 snow amounts are listed below.
Location
Snow Total
Wright Brothers Memorial
9"
Lowland
8.4"
Ocracoke Village
8.3"
Rodanthe
8.0"
Collington
8.0"
Top 5 Snowfall Totals Across Eastern North Carolina
Gazpacho map of snowfall totals across Eastern North Carolina
01 / 03
1
Wright Brothers Memorial
Kill Devil Hills received 9" of snow from this event. This was the highest snow report in Eastern North Carolina, and Kill Devil Hills had not seen more than 6" of snow since the winter storm in January of 2018.
2
Cape Hatteras
Low visibility was documented along the Outer Banks due to strong winds blowing and drifting nearly 6" of snow.
3
Ocracoke
Ocracoke reported nearly 8.5" inches of snow and sleet. Like Kill Devil Hills, Ocracoke had not seen more than 6" of snow since 2018.
Messaging
MHX began messaging this event on January 14th, seven days before impacts began. A variety of messaging techniques were used to reach as many viewers as possible and effectively convey forecast updates and uncertainty. This included twice daily briefings, social media posts on Facebook, Instagram, and X, and coordination with our partners via Slack and live webinars. During these live webinars, our partners could ask questions about the forecast and get immediate feedback.
Discussion of Potential Scenarios
Erik (Warning Coordination Meteorologist) discussed the possible scenarios of the storm track and its intensity. The track played a major role in the type and amount of precipitation that occurred.
A GIF showing part of a webinar discussing the potential scenarios of the storm track
Discussion of the Impact of Dry Air
Identifying when the snow would start was largely influenced by pockets of dry air aloft. In this webinar, Ryan (Science and Operations Officer) explains how the farther apart the temperature line (red) and dew point line (green) are, the drier the air is. In order for snow to fall, the atmosphere needed to moisten, especially in the yellow highlighted area, which is where the snow would form in this scenario (dendritic growth zone).
This helped explain when the onset of snow could be expected, which allowed the public and our partners to plan accordingly.
A GIF showing part of a webinar discussing the impact of dry air on the start time of snow
Evolution of the Snowfall Forecast
This GIF shows the evolution of the snowfall forecast from Sunday, January 19th through Tuesday, January 21st.
A GIF showing the evolution of the snowfall forecast
Final Snow Forecast vs. Snow Totals
This slider shows the final snow forecast and the snow totals reported across Eastern North Carolina.
Photos
Making a snowman on the porch in Bogue
Frozen water in Cape Hatteras
Blowing snow in Cape Hatteras
Driving in the snow in Beaufort
Anchor in the snow in Arapahoe
Horse in the snow in Beaufort
Snow at Bogue Inlet Pier
Snow on Adirondack chairs in Kitty Hawk
Snowy dunes in Mirlo
Snowy roads on the Morehead City Waterfront
Snowy roads in the Northern Outer Banks
Dog sitting in the snow at the Ocracoke Lighthouse
Photos from the public shared via Facebook and X.
Snow at the Avalon Fishing Pier
Making snow angels at the Bodie Island Lighthouse
Snowy dunes at Kitty Hawk Pier
Dogs in the snow at the Ocracoke Lighthouse
Snow covered Highway 24 in Newport
Snow in Swansboro
Horses standing in the snow in Stella
Vehicle on the snowy beach in Pine Knoll Shores
Snow covered road in downtown Swansboro
Snow at the Wright Brothers National Memorial
Snow at the Cape Hatteras Secondary School
Dog playing in the snow
Photos from the public shared via Facebook and X.
Comparison to January 17-18, 2018 Snow Storm
The last comparable event occurred around the same time seven years ago. The 2018 system produced snow amounts that were generally 1-6" east of Highway 17 and 8-10" along the northern Outer Banks. This was the second major winter storm to impact eastern North Carolina in the first three weeks of 2018!
A comparison of the observed snow totals from the January 17-18, 2018 storm and the January 21-22, 2025 storm.
