North and South Carolina to be pummeled by 'above average' snow as rare winter storm hits

Areas of North Carolina and South Carolina will experience “above historical average of snowfall” this winter, meteorologists said.

In fact, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are expecting the entire Southeast region to see above average precipitation this season.

This surge in expected wintry conditions in the South is largely due to this year’s El Niño, in which moisture-rich storm systems track through the Gulf of Mexico and along the East Coast.

El Niño winters usually bring widespread snowfall for most of North Carolina, and this year is no different.

Frank Strait, from South Carolina’s State Climatology Office, told Daily Express US: “During El Niño winters, the primary storm track usually is found over [the] southern tier of states, resulting in more precipitation for that area than usual.”

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Strait added: “This also increases the odds for winter storms in South Carolina, as we usually see occasional intrusions of air masses cold enough for snow and ice this far south.”

Tyler Roys, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, said that cities like Greenville in South Carolina to Asheville in North Carolina will see above average snowfall.

AccuWeather’s current predictions for this winter show Asheville seeing up to 20 inches of snow, while Greenville will see up to 10 inches.

But areas of North Carolina are not new to seeing this much snow.

In the winter of 2009 to 2010, Greensboro, North Carolina, had more than 16 inches total of snowfall, according to Corey Davis, the assistant state climatologist at the State Climate Office of North Carolina.

Davis said: “We do think that most areas are likely to see at least one measurable snow event during this winter, just based on the historical odds in El Niño events like this one.

“During any winter, snow is most common in North Carolina in January and February, so our best chances at snow may happen later in the season.”

Strait added this winter’s snow predictions are rare for South Carolina, as the state does not usually see much snowfall.

He said: “One winter storm could cause two to three times the average seasonal snowfall for most points in South Carolina.”

Davis also said that climate change has a large impact on changing winter weather patterns, adding: “As temperatures warm, our average snow totals are decreasing, and events that may have fallen as all snow a few decades ago are now more marginal, often with a transition between snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain.

“On the state level in North Carolina, we have seen our wintertime low temperatures trending warmer by almost one degree per decade over the past 60 years.”

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