March Snow: Low in Frequency, Large in Size

Our storm system on the first of March brought snow totals of three to seven inches, with amounts closer to a foot in a few mountain areas.  When it comes to weather, many of us in this part of the country don’t always associate March with snow.  And, with “average” temperatures that rise quickly over the course of the month, winter events are not very common.  But when they occur…look out.  Three of the top ten heaviest snow events for the Greenville-Spartanburg area have occurred in March…and this system was not even close to being one of them.  We would have needed another four to five inches of snow to have made that list.

With longer days providing increasing warmth, winter weather that occurs in March doesn’t typically stick around.  But we still get the occasional cold blast that can provide the chill needed for snow.  Combine that with a weather pattern that typically starts sending deeper moisture into our area, it can be easy to generate some heavy snow.  That “March warming” can also yield the instability to create “thundersnow”.  These are just thunderstorms with snow, and as “typical” thunderstorms produce heavy rain, thundersnow can yield localized, very heavy snow accumulation.

Here’s a look at some of the snow reports from this last system, courtesy of the National Weather Service.  If and when more complete reports arrive, I’ll add those totals to the list.

********************STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL********************

LOCATION       STORM TOTAL   TIME/DATE   COMMENTS
              SNOWFALL     OF
              (INCHES)  MEASUREMENT

GEORGIA

...ELBERT COUNTY…
  ELBERTON           3.0   601 AM   3/2

...FRANKLIN COUNTY…
  CARNESVILLE         6.0   602 AM   3/2   5.0 TO 6.0
  LAVONIA           2.0   603 PM   3/1

...HART COUNTY…
  HARTWELL           8.0   601 AM   3/2   6.0 TO 8.0 IN HARTWELL.

...RABUN COUNTY…
  CLAYTON             T   930 AM 3/2   1 SSW COOP
  MOUNTAIN CITY         0.1   800 AM 3/2   2 SW COOP
  DILLARD             T   700 AM 3/2   1 NNW COCORAHS

NORTH CAROLINA

...AVERY COUNTY…
  FLAT SPRINGS       10.0   900 PM   3/1   2” FROM 7 TO 9PM
  GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN 12.0   900 AM   3/2   FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN
  FLAT SPRINGS         11.1   700 AM 3/2   1 E COOP
  FLAT SPRINGS         3.8   700 AM 3/2   3 NE COCORAHS
  BEECH MOUNTAIN       15.0   730 AM 3/2   COOP
  BANNER ELK           8.0   800 AM 3/2   COOP
  LINVILLE FALLS       4.5   700 AM 3/2   1 NW COCORAHS
  NEWLAND           10.1   700 AM 3/2   2 S COOP

...BUNCOMBE COUNTY…
  ASHEVILLE         3.0 1000 PM   3/1   UNC ASHEVILLE
  BLACK MOUNTAIN       2.5 1130 PM   3/1   W SIDE OF BLACK MTN
  ASHEVILLE           8.5   700 AM 3/2   4 NNE COCORAHS
  ASHEVILLE           5.8   700 AM 3/2   6 NNW COCORAHS
  BARNARDSVILLE         2.4   700 AM 3/2   2 SE COOP
  BLACK MOUNTAIN       3.0   700 AM 3/2   2 W COOP
  WEAVERVILLE         3.0   700 AM 3/2   5 NNW COCORAHS
  ASHEVILLE           3.8   700 AM 3/2   5 ENE COCORAHS
  LEICESTER           3.5   700 AM 3/2   6 NW COCORAHS
  CANDLER             2.5   700 AM 3/2   3 ENE COCORAHS

...BURKE COUNTY…
  MORGANTON         6.0   100 AM   3/2

...CLEVELAND COUNTY…
  KINGS MOUNTAIN       9.0 1133 PM   3/1
  WACO             5.0 1130 PM   3/1
  SHELBY           3.0   136 AM   3/2   10 N

...GRAHAM COUNTY…

  ROBBINSVILLE         0.3   700 AM 3/2   2 NNW COCORAHS

...HAYWOOD COUNTY…
  CANTON           7.0   900 AM   3/2   3 NE CANTON
  CANTON             2.0   700 AM 3/2   1 S COCORAHS
  CLYDE             5.0   700 AM 3/2   2 NNW COCORAHS
  WAYNESVILLE         3.8   700 AM 3/2   5 NW COCORAHS
  WAYNESVILLE         4.5   700 AM 3/2   1 ENE COCORAHS

...HENDERSON COUNTY…
  ETOWAH           6.1   830 PM   3/1   3 NW ETOWAH 3100FT
  HENDERSONVILLE       3.0   705 PM   3/1   SPOTTER REPORT
  FLETCHER           2.0   100 AM   3/2   AVL AIRPORT
  FLETCHER           6.0   427 AM   3/2   1 W FLETCHER
  ETOWAH             1.8   700 AM 3/2   2 NW COCORAHS
  FLAT ROCK           4.0   700 AM 3/2   4 NE COCORAHS

...MACON COUNTY…
  FRANKLIN             T   700 AM 3/2   COCORAHS

...MADISON COUNTY…
  HOT SPRINGS         0.5   700 AM 3/2   COOP
  MARS HILL           4.0   700 AM 3/2   5 NNE COCORAHS
  MARSHALL           3.0   700 AM 3/2   COOP
  MARSHALL           2.7   700 AM 3/2   14 NNW COCORAHS
  MARSHALL           2.7   700 AM 3/2   5 WNW COCORAHS

...MCDOWELL COUNTY…
  MARION             1.0   700 AM 3/2   2 NNW COCORAHS
  OLD FORT           1.0   630 AM 3/2   3 W COOP

...MITCHELL COUNTY…
  LITTLE SWITZERLAND   8.7   115 AM   3/2
  BAKERSVILLE         9.3   700 AM 3/2   5 N COCORAHS
  BAKERSVILLE         5.0   700 AM 3/2   3 SE COCORAHS
  BAKERSVILLE         5.9   700 AM 3/2   2 SE COCORAHS

...POLK COUNTY…
  SALUDA           12.3   930 PM   3/1
  COLUMBUS           4.0   900 AM   3/2
  TRYON             1.7   750 AM 3/2   COOP
  COLUMBUS           2.0   700 AM 3/2   2 E COCORAHS
  COLUMBUS           3.0   700 AM 3/2   7 NNW COCORAHS
  SALUDA             8.5   700 AM 3/2   1 N COCORAHS

...RUTHERFORD COUNTY…
  FOREST CITY         6.0   830 PM   3/1

...TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY…
  BREVARD             1.5   700 AM 3/2   1 NNW COCORAHS
  PISGAH FOREST         2.0   700 AM 3/2   2 NE COOP
  BLANTYRE           3.0   700 AM 3/2   COOP
  BREVARD             0.7   700 AM 3/2   4 S COCORAHS
  ROSMAN             0.5   705 AM 3/2   COOP
  LAKE TOXAWAY         0.5   800 AM 3/2   2 SW COOP

...YANCEY COUNTY…
  BURNSVILLE           3.0   700 AM 3/2   5 N COCORAHS
  BURNSVILLE           8.0   700 AM 3/2   7 SSW COCORAHS
  BURNSVILLE           6.8   700 AM 3/2   8 SE COCORAHS
  BURNSVILLE           9.0   700 AM 3/2   10 SE COCORAHS
  MT MITCHELL         16.0   630 AM 3/2   COOP

SOUTH CAROLINA

...ABBEVILLE COUNTY…
  ABBEVILLE         2.0   553 AM   3/2
  CALHOUN FALLS         0.1   900 AM 3/2   COOP

...ANDERSON COUNTY…
  ANDERSON           5.0 1015 PM   3/1   4 TO 5 AROUND CITY
  PIEDMONT           5.0   800 PM   3/1
  TOWNVILLE         5.0 1246 AM   3/2
  ANDERSON COUNTY     4.5   850 PM   3/1
  IVA               3.2   700 AM 3/2   5 SSW COCORAHS
  SANDY SPRINGS         3.4   700 AM 3/2   2 NE COOP
  WILLIAMSTON         5.0   700 AM 3/2   5 W COOP

...CHEROKEE COUNTY…
  GAFFNEY           7.0 1120 PM   3/1   10 S GAFFNEY
  GAFFNEY           6.0 1010 PM   3/1
  GAFFNEY           8.0   954 AM   3/2   DRAYTONVILLE COMMUNITY
  BLACKSBURG         7.5   800 AM   3/2   3 NW BLACKSBURG

...CHESTER COUNTY…
  CHESTER           3.0   630 AM   3/2   3 TO 6 ACROSS COUNTY

...GREENVILLE COUNTY…
  SIMPSONVILLE       6.5 1025 PM   3/1   6.5 E SIMPSONVILLE
  GREER             4.4   100 AM   3/2   GSP AIRPORT
  MAULDIN           4.0   747 PM   3/1
  SIMPSONVILLE       3.5   159 AM   3/2   4 W
  TRAVELERS REST       1.8   725 AM 3/2   2 NE COCORAHS
  HUNTS BRIDGE         4.0   730 AM 3/2   COOP
  TAYLORS             3.8   700 AM 3/2   3 W COCORAHS
  GREENVILLE           3.0   700 AM 3/2   COOP
  SIMPSONVILLE         4.2   700 AM 3/2   5 N COCORAHS

...GREENWOOD COUNTY…
  GREENWOOD         1.5   543 AM   3/2

...LAURENS COUNTY…
  LAURENS           4.5 1154 PM   3/1   3 MILES NW OF LAURENS
  LAURENS           1.8 1000 AM   3/2

...OCONEE COUNTY…
  FAIR PLAY         5.0   630 AM   3/2
  SENECA             2.0   700 AM 3/2   3 ENE COCORAHS

...PICKENS COUNTY…
  CLEMSON           5.0   630 AM   3/2
  EASLEY           3.0   630 AM   3/2
  PICKENS             3.0   707 AM 3/2   COOP
  TABLE ROCK           4.0   803 AM 3/2   COOP

...SPARTANBURG COUNTY…
  PELHAM           4.5   900 PM   3/1   AT WOODRUFF RD&HWY14
  BOILING SPRINGS     4.4 1030 PM   3/1
  SPARTANBURG         6.0   148 PM   3/2
  MOORE             5.3   700 AM 3/2   5 NW COCORAHS
  WOODRUFF           4.0   700 AM 3/2   5 NW COOP

...UNION COUNTY…
  JONESVILLE         5.0 1044 PM   3/1   4.5 TO 5
  BUFFALO             1.0   700 AM 3/2   2 NE COCORAHS

...YORK COUNTY…
  ROCK HILL         6.0   630 AM   3/2   5 TO 6
  CATAWBA             3.0   700 AM 3/2   COOP
  LAKE WYLIE           4.3   700 AM 3/2   2 SW COCORAHS
  YORK               4.1   700 AM 3/2   6 E COCORAHS