Iceagewhereartthou

Ok, thanks. I would be interested to see a more detailed history. Here is a link for the top ten snowfalls. https://www.weather.gov/cae/Snowfall_Total_Records_cor.html

Is there a good site showing a detailed history of CAE snowfall? Their NOAA site only has the monthly CF6 info for the past five years but I don't see anything beyond that or an overview of monthly historical snowfall. The GSP NOAA site has historical monthly snowfall charts for AVL, CLT, and GSP.

Let me preface this by saying this would be true of anywhere, but I think it's very true of the upstate. If you haven't lived here, it's hard to appreciate just how strange the climate can be from county to county and town to town. There is something about the western upstate (west of Spartanburg) and NEGA that makes it really hard to get a good snowfall, despite having several ingredients you would normally consider good for snowfall relative to the rest of the upstate. The counties of Oconne, Pickens, and Greenville are closest to the mountains, slightly higher elevations, among the farthest North in the state, and many times the coldest in the state. The elevaton changes cause some oddities and many outlying areas are significanly colder at night that the urban areas, even though those are generally colder than other urban areas of the state. Being in Easley, I am generally 5-10 degrees colder than Greenville on clear nights; just tonight I left DT at 39 degrees and it was 31 when I arrived at my house 20 minutes later. But this isnt true when systems come through. Despite these apparent advantages, the western upstate routinely fares worse in winter storms than eastern, and sometimes even southern, upstate locales. The onyl systems that come to mind that we have fared better on were Jan 87, Jan 88, and Jan 2011; all of which were cold snowsorms where we werent waiting on cold or timing. We also did better on March 93 (and Jan 96), but that was simply a placement factor, below us was mix to rain. Most other big storms for our area resulted in either a min for the wetsern upstate or a complete skip. This storm, last Dec storm, Jan last year, March 2017, Feb 2014, Feb 2004 (2 feet eastern upstate flurries western) 2003 (CLT 10 inches, western upstate 2-3), Jan 2000 (aka Carolina Crusher - flurries here), the list goes on and on, from year to year. We're too far north for southern sliders (1973, 1989, last year CHS coastal snow), too far West for coastal snows and Noreaters (generally), not high enough for Miller B and apps runners, too far west for CAD events without a crazy warm nose, too far east for TN valley snows that get MS/AL/GA/TN/NC. We typically get the most rainfall throughout the year due to mtn proximity, but suffer dryslots in winter setups. Were typically colder/cooler 95% of the time but suffer warmnoses worse than anybody. Look at a list of largest snowfalls in SC history and Greenville/Pickens/Oconee cities are behind. Rock Hill, Florence, Columbia, Spartanburg, Gaffney have all had larger snowfalls, including many smaller towns across the state. Heck, even MYB had like 12-14 form the 89 storm. Here are a couple reasons why I think all this is true. We have taller mtns on the NNE, N, NW, W, and even WWS. This creates a lower lying pocket ( though still higher than the rest of the upstate) that makes it very difficult for CAD and CAA to penetrate. CAA coming over the mtns either results in downslope warming, or skips over us to other points in the upstate outside the eddy area the mtns create (similar to the eddy effect in a river except here the air skips over the immediate lee, cooling areas further away from the pocket). In CAD situations lke this last one; the cold takes too long to work this far SW (or never does) but is colder in eastern upstate, and for longer, so they get more snow. In Miller Bs we have too much downslope warming and the darn warmnose, that is much worse here than N,NE, or East of us. We also are in the perfect min area for many coastal transfer setups- we lose the energy from the original low as it approaches and the coastal low takes over. So we don't get as much as areas further west because of the loss of energy, but then we miss out on the energy from the new coastal low as well, that places farther east get in on. And within the western upstate are areas that perform even worse realtive to the rest of it; with Clemson being one of them. This is a great place to live for many reasons, but it is an incredibly frustrating place to live for winter weather lovers, even compared to the rest of the upstate, let alone NC.

I'd love to have to find that out for myself. The biggest snow I've had IMBY since Storm of the Century in 93 was 8 inches from 1/2011, and that was awesome. I think this winter will go much like 09/10 and its going to be a blockbuster for NC, heck, it already has been. I wouldn't be surprised if many NC locations set seasonal records this year and it already has a great start. I think for the rest of us this storm epitomized how it will be. Upstate and NEGA will get some sloppy seconds, but will never get to dine at the big table. I'm sure there will be some cutters that will be good for the TN/ MS/AL crew, and there may be another coastal like last year, but it doesn't seem there is any setup that can deliver big for the ATL - GSP -CAE crowd; or if there are they belong to yesteryear.

Maybe we'll have to move to Wake county in order to see a good snowfall!

now that you mention it...

Yep. NWGA and coastal areas got it big last year. NC gets it big every year. Need an ATL to GSP to FLO to CAE big dog.

After a low of 30, had a high of 35. Had dropped back down to 33 but now back to 34. Waiting on more rain!

For all the same peeps who got it this time, AND will get more tonight... I think us GA and SC people see how this winter's going to go...

Looking at models it looks like the upstate will miss out on any snow from the upper level low tonight, except possible extreme eastern or southeastern upstate. Some even showing it to our south all the way to the Midlands. While I won't begrudge the Midlands any snow, it would have been nice for some NEGA /western upstaters to get in on that since the warm nose from Hades visited us last night.

Great decision, there's nothing more special! Forget about snow, that can happen anytime. Congratulations man!

Not for my area, it went up.

Eh, huh? Did they increase totals? That's not the map I saw earlier. What is the reasoning for the increase?

I've just come to the sudden reallization that I'm a terrible parent. We had told our son it may snow today. He got up this morning and looked out of his window, then came into our room to dejectedly report "Daddy, all I see is rain." I tell you, teaching my son to be a snow lover AND a Gamecock fan while living in the upstate is setting him up for a life of heartache... what am I doing!

I'm in Easley! Actually I'm the very northern tip of Easley and usually a couple degrees colder than much of Easley and the 123 corridor - so maybe I have a shot (begging and pleading)? Verbatim though, I would get an inch of sleet while my parents 7 miles north would get 5-6 inches! Guess I'll have to take a trip to let the kiddos play.

Per WYFF radar already snow showing up in AVL area.

I am actually pretty confident we'll get some more chances this winter, even in the upstate, and even for other areas of SC. The pattern for Nov and Dec have been very wet and below normal temps. El Nino yes, but this seems like an even better pattern so far. We had 3 rains in the mid 30s in Nov and already a winter threat in early Dec. I think we get several more legitimate shots between now and early March. I really think the 1-20 to I-85 crew will have a good shot this year. Last year it was the crowd below I-20, and it's always the 1-40 crowd, but we haven't gotten a true 20/85 storm with good snowfall in awhile.

That actually looks way better for SC for frozen. Shows .75 -1.25 falling with temp below freezing; maybe all ice though.

I think it's becasue the area that will get it is so small. It used to be in these bigger systems that the lower upstate would get some too; Laurens, even Abbeville and Greenwood. It looks like people in the golden strip and Anderson area could get completely blanked. Plus I think it's harder to be excited about ice for most. While I'll take sleet over nothng, snow is the king. Most of the actual 85 corridor will see very little of that if any (unless there are big surprises). Plus, it's always harder to see someone not that far away get multiple times what you do.

Just caught a few minutes of John and Chris on facebook, pretty much going with what the NAM is showing; 1-4 around 85 (basically mix) all rain a few miles south. A few miles north 4-8, and few more miles north 8-12. Basically if you are NE of a line from Lake Jocassee to Pumpkintown, to Tigerville, to Northern Sptbg you will have a big snow. If you go about 25 miles south you may get nothing but cold rain. Their in house radar also shows Mtn snow starting in the mid morning tomorrow but not until after midnight tomorow for upstate, and then only lasting a few hours. They have all upstate temps rising above freezing by about noon tomorrow, then maybe falling back below for alittle while for northern areas tomorrow night. So quick snow to mix north of 85 going to all rain (take a pic while you can) then maybe some zr sunday night i guess? Huge cutoff with this system, going to be a no show for many, and small even for some and a big even for a few (in the upstate). Must be nice to live in NC!

Pretty sure that's not something I want to participate in.

Just caught up from afternoon runs, looks like we have a lot of cold rain on the way. It's about time, the mud in my yard was just drying up from the last one. Too bad I won't have power to charge my camera or I'd take a pic for you.

Ah, didn't know you could do that - pretty cool!

Maybe I should say 2M temps instead of "ground temps" (soil temps). Im a big believer that 2M temps are important no matter what others say. March 09, thunder snow for several hours, crazy rates - never got more than 4 or 4.5 inches b/c 2M temp wouldn't drop below 34. Areas north and east of me where temp was below freezing got a foot or more.