Bill LeslieBill Leslie's Carolina Conversations
People are always asking me where to take vacation. What's a cool place? What's the most scenic drive? Carolina Conversations attempts to answer those questions and others.

Famous snowstorms

What was your all-time favorite snow in North Carolina? Today’s picturesque coating might rank as one of the finest snowfalls in recent memory.

Read more about Triangle snowstorms through the years.

The most memorable for me was nine years ago when more than 20 inches of snow accumulated in the Triangle. I recall driving to work in my new SUV and feeling thankful for my choice of vehicle.

The previous day it appeared a snowfall of three to four inches was in order but then a moisture machine from the South thrust incredible amounts of fuel into the snow making system.

Laurie Clowers and I were co-anchoring in those days. I recall driving her home that afternoon because it was her only way back to Holly Springs.

As a youngster I faintly remember the three straight snowfalls in March of 1960. I recall my relatives speaking of the snow-choked Swannanoa River near Asheville. Those images inspired a song on my Christmas in Carolina album called “Swannanoa Snow.”

Perhaps the most unusual snowstorm occurred in the spring. In a freak storm on May 7, 1992, Mt. Pisgah just down the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville received a whopping 57 inches of snow. I’ve camped up there and people still talk about that incredible day.

North Carolina’s tallest mountain was pummeled with 50 inches of snow in March of 1993. Mount Mitchell has seen snow in all twelve months of the year. Grandfather Mountain saw two feet of snow on March 16, 1993.

What about you? What was your favorite snow? What made it special? Please share.

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it's been a bunch of years ago, I was living in Nags Head, a rare snow storm had the OBX wrapped up, and this was right at Christmas, so me getting back to Rocky Mount was not going to happen, so me and my 2 room mates braved the cold and snow with our body boards in tow and headed to Jockey's Ridge, we got lucky because they had decided to keep it open and let us use our body boards to slide down one of the steeper sides of the dune, man we had a great time for a few hours, there were quite a few people out that day on that snow covered dune, it was one of the better snow days I've ever had.

Well, of course, the most memorable would be the 20+ inches we received in January 2000...in all my 44 yrs I have never seen that much snow at one time...the most surprising snow was December 26, 2004, and I believe it was a system off the coast similar to this one that brought that snow, although I'm pretty sure the Almighty had something to do with that...you see, that was my first Christmas without both my grandparents, and for the first time in my life, we didn't spend Christmas Eve with them...unsure of how I would handle the holidays, I prayed quite a bit for a sign, a symbol from God that all was right & he was in control...I awoke from a nap Christmas Day afternoon to see the weather report that snow would be coming in overnight. What a heavenly sight it was!

My favorite snow actually happened in Norway. My husband and I were celebrating our 5th anniversary with a 2-week cruise through Europe. On one of our destinations in Norway, we took a bus tour up into the mountains. When we got to the top of the mountain it was snowing. We were wearing warm-weather clothes because it was June 28, 2005!!! Also, for North Carolina, it seems to me that when I was in both elementary school and junior high school we had at least one snowfall like today's each year. I miss those days!!

i don't remember the month, but i think it was in january of 1980. i was living in roxboro, but came home to see my mom over the weekend. went to the drive inn with my brother and sister. the movie was so good we didn't even know it had snowed until we got ready to leave . i got trapped in oxford for 3 days. my mom was the head of hosekeeping at the holiday inn , so we all stayed there until the roads were clear. there was a nice hill behind the motel we sledded down most of the night. boy, i hated to go back to work 3 days later.

Oh boy do I remember that 2000 snow! It was the first time I didn't have to go to work and I got to stay home and play with the kids and their friends. We live on a great hill out in the country so all of the kids ended up over at our house for several days. I finally ran out of food and had to call another mom to come and get them. The whole crowd moved like a school of fish over to her house and there they stayed for another several days. What a great time and what great memories!

In the Western NY town of Oakfield (near Buffalo), I remember the "Blizzard of '77". I was 14. All roads were closed for days. I don't remember the total snowfall, but I do remember people tacking signs to telephone poles that remained after several feet of snow melted in the coming months.

My dad worked at a Steel Mill about 6 miles from our house and was stuck at work for several days. My grandfather passed away in the hospital during the blizzard, and I remember my Mom not being able to be at his side.

It was quite a time!

I was 12 when my dad was the Chief of Police in Cary. Back then, his duties included anything and everything. I remember a huge snow (8-12 inches) and he had to drive the snow plow to clear the roads. After my bath and dressed in my pj's, he let me ride along with him that night. It was thrilling!

I will always remember the 2000 snowstorm. The 25th is my birthday, as well as our wedding anniversary. Although our anniversary that year wasn't romantic, it will always be memorable!! Our youngest child had an ear infection and we couldn't get to the pediatrician's office. He suggested we share the antibiotic our neighbor had recenlty had filled until we could get to a drug store! Fortunately, they did and all was right with the world. That storm brings back WONDERFUL memories!!!!

My favorite snowstorm was the white Christmas of 1989. I was living in Snow Hill and snow is not that common there. I had never seen a white Christmas until that year when a freak coastal low formed and clashed with an extreme arctic air mass. Eastern North Carolina east of Goldsboro saw amount as much as a foot. Blizzard conditions were felt on the outer banks. We as temperatures dip to -4 degrees in Snow Hill. New Bern and Wilmington set all time record lows that were below zero. I will never forget that beautiful cold Christmas. That was the best Christmas ever!!

I can't remember whether it was 1978 or 1979, but we had a terrible snowstorm in Greensboro where I was living at the time. I lived very close to my job in a law firm downtown but couldn't get my MGB out (street parking at my apt.) after the snowplow finally plowed the neighborhoods after about three days. As an aprtment dweller I did not own a shovel or any thing like it. Had to wait until it melted.

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