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Wintry April Fools? (1-2) Surprise Storm

Big early April snows that occurred in the SE and that were major in places that weren’t just in the mountains include 1915 and 1987. Raleigh got a top 10 snow in 1915 with 10”! 1987 and 1915 were both during El Niño just like 2019.
Actually, the 10” of snow at Raleigh in 1915 is tied for 6th biggest on record if I’m not mistaken.
 
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Charlotte measurable snow in April:

1. 1880: 3.5” on 4/8-9 from 0.49” liquid and it never got below 33. Highs were in the 50-55 range those 2 days and was 78 just two days earlier!

2. 1881: 0.1” on 4/1 from 0.01” liquid; El Niño

3. 1904: 0.8” on 4/20 from 0.26” liquid; high of 52 and low of 32 that day; high the day before was 72

4. 1915: 0.6” on 4/3 from 0.09” liquid; low was 32 and high was 42; El Niño

5. 1982: 0.1” on 4/8 from 0.76” liquid; lowest was 35 and high was 47;

So, over the last 100 years, Charlotte has gotten measurable snow only once in April and that was only 0.1” (in 1982).
 
Webberweather53 said:
Even a dusting would double my total snow output for the season considering that almost all of what I picked up in early Dec was sleet
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Well, Webb, is this one really going to happen or is it another OTS whiff for us? Do you think it has legs? I can see some snow-islands in the precip shield, but I can't wrap my head around a major storm this late.
 
According to a history book on Mecklenburg County, Charlotte received five inches of snow from the April 15, 1849 snowstorm. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources says 6 inches of snow was measured in that storm in Columbia. David Ludlum in his book on Early American Winters says four inches of snow fell in Fayetteville, NC and around six inches of snow was measured near Wilmington, NC. The Mecklenburg County history book account also mentions that it was not until mid-summer 1849 that trees made a "respectable shade." Sounds similar to what happened to the trees after the April 2007 freeze.
 
Look at this sounding for NW of Charlotte. That is a heavy snow sounding. You will probably never see this again in April...
1554053634594.png
 
Eric said:
According to a history book on Mecklenburg County, Charlotte received five inches of snow from the April 15, 1849 snowstorm. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources says 6 inches of snow was measured in that storm in Columbia. David Ludlum in his book on Early American Winters says four inches of snow fell in Fayetteville, NC and around six inches of snow was measured near Wilmington, NC. The Mecklenburg County history book account also mentions that it was not until mid-summer 1849 that trees made a "respectable shade." Sounds similar to what happened to the trees after the April 2007 freeze.
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Wow that's pretty incredible! I knew there had to be at least one decent April snowstorm in Charlotte, just don't think even over a 125 year record that there's really enough data to pick one up because internal variability is so large.

0.8" being the largest CLT Apr snow from 1895 onwards is likely a pretty weak record for CLT given that 4-5" fell in extreme eastern NC w/ comparable or worse climo as recently as 1989.
April 10-11 1989 NC Snowmap.png
 
If this happens, it would be still another not occurring during or near a -NAO:


DB6978A8-B886-48BD-958D-55873AEFD126.gif
 
12Z EPS ? for your viewing pleasure: Charlotte is in sweet spot with mean of 1”, but keep in mind EPS cold bias meaning take this with a grain:
99C00B21-5C67-420F-82CC-213A32905131.png
 
The stronger the storm the more north it will trend. Watch out blue ridge of NC. I would favor Virginia over SC in a setup like this.
 
BirdManDoomW said:
The stronger the storm the more north it will trend. Watch out blue ridge of NC. I would favor Virginia over SC in a setup like this.
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By the time it reaches Virginia BL temps will be a major issue for them since it would be later in the afternoon, western NC/ upstate SC has better timing as it would start in the morning and occur with lower nighttime temps, I’d favor areas around 85 and north, Virginia could and will probably see some snow but timing is not on there side as much
 
That’s another thing, I hope we can get some radiational cooling tommorow night then things cloud up, that would only help out
 
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