Asheville, Western NC Snow: Accumulation at higher elevations

On November 22, 2024By Littum

Shelter capacity is stretched and many mountain school systems are closed as winter weather affects western North Carolina this morning, November 22nd.

Although the chance of accumulation — and even the chance of snowfall — was low for Asheville all week, the area was one of many to see showers early this morning.

Here’s what the National Weather Service is saying about the storms, as well as the weekend’s weather.

When did it start snowing in Asheville?

NWS meteorologist Steve Wilkinson said showers have been so spotty in the Asheville area that it’s hard to tell exactly when the snow started.

“According to the airport, there were some showers that started around midnight or so,” Wilkinson said. “I know there was snow starting north of there in the higher mountains late yesterday afternoon, so it’s possible some parts of Asheville had rain before the airport.”

When will it stop snowing?

Similarly, Wilkinson said that with such spotty showers, it’s hard to tell exactly when they’ll start or stop. What he could say was that the snow will not be long-lived, and certainly will not increase in intensity.

“We could definitely see a few storms, but nothing significant in Asheville specifically.”

Wolf Laurel and other higher elevations may see continued snow, but snow accumulation in Asheville will be slim to none.

What will the weather be like this weekend?

Weather in Asheville this weekend according to NWS forecast will be essentially the opposite of what the area saw this morning and Thursday evening.

Saturday’s high will be near 51 degrees, with mostly cloudy weather turning sunny throughout the day and a breezy night with a low around 29 degrees. On Sunday, the high will be near 63 degrees and the weather will be sunny, the night will be mostly clear with a low around 35 degrees.

Western NC hazardous weather outlook

A hazardous weather forecast was issued by the NWS at 6:40 this morning for the following counties:

Buncombe
Henderson
Caldwell Mountains
Burke the mountains
McDowell Mountains
Rutherford Mountains
Polk Mountains

The outlook called for gusts of 30 to 40 mph in lower elevations, with 40 to 45 mph in higher elevations of the French Broad Valley and the eastern Blue Ridge Escarpment this afternoon, November 22 through tonight. Winds at this speed can blow around loose outdoor objects and have the potential to break down weakened tree limbs or partially uprooted trees.

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Contact her at [email protected].