Snowiest Day On Record: The Day Iredell County Saw Most Snowfall

MOORESVILLE, NC — Only a few centenarians may remember April 15, 1921, the day it snowed 76 inches in Boulder County, Colorado. Snowfall records for a single day aren’t quite as impressive in Iredell County, according to an analysis of government weather data.

Historical weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows every state in the country, even tropical Hawaii, has seen snow. A February 1936 storm that dumped 6½ inches of snow on Maui was impressive even by Midwest and Northeast standards. The only other time that Hawaii had an extreme snowfall was in December 1958, when the Big Island got 4½ inches.

In Iredell County, the biggest one-day snowfall was March 2, 1927, when 20 inches of snow fell at McHenry’s Bridge about seven miles east of Statesville. In North Carolina, the record goes to Yancy County, when it snowed 36 inches on March 13, 1993, at Mt. Mitchell.

That compares to records in neighboring counties:

• Mecklenburg County — 14 inches: Feb. 15, 1902
• Lincoln County — 14.5 inches, Jan. 22, 1987
• Catawba County — 16 inches, Jan. 22, 1987
• Alexander County — 11 inches, Jan. 6, 1996
• Wilkes County — 20 inches, Dec. 17, 1930
• Yadkin County — 16 inches, Jan. 22, 1987
• Davie County — 12 inches, March 1, 1942
• Rowan County — 19 inches, March 2, 1927
• Cabarrus County — 11 inches, Feb. 27, 2004

With two months of winter left, there are plenty of chances to break those records. The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicted a cold, snowy winter throughout much of the United States, with at least seven big snowstorms from one coast to the other.

In our state, the Old Farmer’s Almanac says North Carolina’s mountains will have plenty of wintry weather, while the rest of the state can look forward to milder, wet weather between now and spring.

The competing Farmers’ Almanac predicts that the eastern two-thirds of the United States can expect a snowy ride through the rest of the winter.

In North Carolina, the Farmers’ Almanac predicts wet and cold conditions in late January, with a dose of very cold air plunging its way into the region by early February. Snow, however, likely won’t hit the forecast in our area until mid February, it said.

In the short term, the seven-day National Weather Service prediction for our area calls for chilly, but fairly dry conditions:

Today (Jan. 21)
Sunny, with a high near 40. North wind 9 to 11 mph.
Tonight
Clear, with a low around 22. North wind 5 to 7 mph.
Wednesday (Jan. 22)
Sunny, with a high near 46. North northeast wind 7 to 9 mph.
Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. North northeast wind around 6 mph.
Thursday (Jan. 23)
Partly sunny, with a high near 48. Northeast wind around 6 mph.
Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35.
Friday (Jan. 24)
Rain, mainly after 8am. High near 47. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Friday Night
Rain before midnight, then showers likely, mainly between midnight and 2am. Low around 40. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Saturday (Jan. 25)
Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.
Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
Sunday (Jan. 26)
Sunny, with a high near 51.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 35.
Monday (Jan. 27)
Sunny, with a high near 53.