Jan 30th-February 1st 2026 Arctic Blast/ULL Snow OBS Thread.

[John1122]

28 degrees, mostly cloudy skies. Snow is predicted to start here at 2pm then a break for a while before it redevelops.

[kvskelton]

Not an actual ob, per se, but my son (who works there) just let me know that ETSU is closing at 2pm. 

[BlunderStorm]

24F w DP of 20. 0.3"on pavement. Visibility of about one and a half miles. It's been a slow and steady increase in rates since 7AM.

[IndTenn]

Just started in Kingsport, temp 30 dewpoint 15.

 

[John1122]

Snow beginning, 29 degrees. Already have snow on the ground mostly, so everything will stick. We seem to get this and then I get a lull per my forecast.

[Carvers Gap]

Light to moderate snow IMBY.  It is very fine and not sticking yet.  Sun was out and then it was not.  It started snowing immediately after that.  

[bearman]

Snowing to beat the band on top of me in Knoxville, but none is reaching the ground.

[Reb]

Dropped a degree to 35 at downtown island airport

[Carvers Gap]

Kind of surprising to see decent snow, and it not accumulating on grassy nor raised surfaces.  The sun is still kind of poking through.  I thought things would immediately be covered due to the very cold temps.  Nope.  It may stick later, but it is not right now.  Knoxville folks, you are not really missing out...and I am under a decent band.  It is similar to March snows where it snows all day and doesn't accumulate.  Need more rates or lower sun angle.

[Jed33]

Few flurries flying right now here in Morristown.

[Holston_River_Rambler]

state of the state here:

 

with occasional flurries. 

[BlunderStorm]

4 minutes ago, Carvers Gap said:

Kind of surprising to see decent snow, and it not accumulating on grassy nor raised surfaces.  The sun is still kind of poking through.  I thought things would immediately be covered due to the very cold temps.  Nope.  It may stick later, but it is not right now.  Knoxville folks, you are not really missing out...and I am under a decent band.  It is similar to March snows where it snows all day and doesn't accumulate.  Need more rates or lower sun angle.

It's been a slow burn. Looks like a lot more should be sticking than does. Daniel Boone mentioned the cloud layer being thin and come to think of it, rates be darned, it's pretty bright. Neighbors roofs melt as quickly as they accumulate even though it's 25. Where snow was already settled though it seems to stay stuck. We've had a few waves start to paint backroads then back off since I last mentioned the roads.

[Carvers Gap]

1 minute ago, BlunderStorm said:

It's been a slow burn. Looks like a lot more should be sticking than does. Daniel Boone mentioned the cloud layer being thin and come to think of it, rates be darned, it's pretty bright. Neighbors roofs melt as quickly as they accumulate even though it's 25. Where snow was already settled though it seems to stay stuck. We've had a few waves start to paint backroads then back off since I last mentioned the roads.

We've easily burned through at least an inch of accumulation just with melting.  When I look at accumulation maps, I am thinking...well subtract one from that number already.  Not a single flake is sticking.  I am surprised, but interested to see what happens when the sun angle and temp drops.  It isn't even remotely as cold as I thought it would be - we are above freezing.  Rates are probably 10:1 if it was sticking.  Right now it is 0:1.  LOL.  I have seen some snowstorms start like this, and then quickly ramp up.  I have also seen busts start like this....IDK

[bearman]

Yeah

9 minutes ago, Holston_River_Rambler said:

state of the state here:

 

with occasional flurries. 

I have sun here again in Knoxville. Without anything falling,  I am beginning to get nervous that we are not going to overcome this.

[John1122]

The clouds are thick here and the temp is 29 but the snow is very light so far.

[Carvers Gap]

Light to light-moderate(is that even a term?) snow IMBY...snow is finally starting to stick to the tops of my bushes.  

[BlunderStorm]

Low albedo surfaces are feasting on every last lumen they can reach. Well, I've learned one thing for sure. You can be below freezing for days, begin the day enveloped in cloud, have decent rates for hours, air temperatures in the mid 20s and the sun will fight you every tenth of an inch the way. On the gray drive way where I had kept it clean after the last system I can now report 0.75" of accumulation over ambitious sun be darned ☀️❄️

25F.

[John1122]

Finally getting that foggy look, the flakes are small, the temp has dropped a degree and snow is beginning to cover up raised surfaces where the snow had melted off.

[Icy Hot]

Colonial Heights - Temp 30. Little flakes picking up now and ground is turning white.

[Vol4Life]

9 minutes ago, John1122 said:

Finally getting that foggy look, the flakes are small, the temp has dropped a degree and snow is beginning to cover up raised surfaces where the snow had melted off.

You are going to have your 0.5” before the main event even starts!  Lol!

[BuCoVaWx]

It has been snowing consistently for a few hours and until 15-30 minutes ago, it was only sticking to grass and vehicles. The roads and my front porch are lightly covered now.