The Carolinas are widely known for their generally mild, humid subtropical climates, which suggests a winter season free of significant snowfall. However, the answer to whether these states receive snow is a definitive “Yes,” though with major differences based on location and specific weather patterns. This region’s topography creates a highly variable climate, meaning that winter weather ranging from a light dusting to several feet of snow is possible. While snow is not a yearly guarantee for everyone, the geographical diversity ensures that certain areas experience frozen precipitation with regularity.
Overall Snow Frequency and Variability
For the majority of the population residing in the central and eastern parts of the Carolinas, measurable snowfall is an annual possibility rather than a reliable certainty. Major metropolitan areas like Charlotte and Raleigh in North Carolina, and Columbia and Charleston in South Carolina, typically see only light and short-lived accumulations. North Carolina averages about five inches of snow per winter season across the entire state. The snowfall that occurs is often minimal, rarely exceeding a few inches per event, and usually melts quickly due to temperatures rising above freezing. The infrequency of snow in these population centers often leads to a disproportionate level of disruption when a larger storm does strike.
Geographic Divide: Mountains, Piedmont, and Coast
Snowfall frequency and accumulation vary across the states due to three distinct geographical zones.
The Mountain regions of western North Carolina and the extreme northwestern corner of South Carolina consistently receive the highest amounts of snow. High-elevation towns like Boone, North Carolina, average over 25 inches annually, with multiple snow events occurring each winter season. This is due to the mountains forcing air upwards, a process called orographic lifting, which enhances precipitation on the windward slopes.
The Piedmont and Midlands, the central plateau region where many large cities are located, experience moderate and highly sporadic snowfall. Cities in the North Carolina Piedmont, such as Raleigh, average around five to seven inches of snow per year, while the South Carolina Midlands, including Columbia, average just over an inch. This area is often a battleground for precipitation type, frequently receiving a mixture of snow, sleet, and freezing rain.
The Coastal Plain and Lowcountry, running along the Atlantic Ocean, have the lowest frequency and accumulation of snow. Coastal cities in North Carolina average less than two inches annually, and the Lowcountry area near Charleston often goes several years without any measurable snowfall. The moderating influence of the warmer Atlantic Ocean keeps surface temperatures higher, meaning precipitation falls almost exclusively as rain.
Meteorological Conditions Required for Snowfall
The formation of significant snow in the Carolinas depends on the convergence of cold air and moisture. The primary mechanism for widespread snowfall is a weather pattern known as Cold Air Damming (CAD), often referred to locally as the “Carolina Cooler.” This occurs when a strong, high-pressure system directs a wedge of dense, cold, dry air southward, trapping it against the eastern slopes of the Appalachian Mountains.
For snow to develop, a low-pressure system, often an extratropical cyclone moving up the coast (a Nor’easter), must track perfectly to pull moisture from the Atlantic Ocean over this cold air wedge. The incoming moist, warmer air is forced to rise over the trapped cold air dome, causing the moisture to condense and freeze. The depth of the cold air is critical; if the layer of air above the surface is too warm, the snow will melt and refreeze as sleet or freezing rain before reaching the ground. The higher elevations in the mountains aid in maintaining the necessary freezing temperatures throughout the atmospheric column.
Historical Context and Major Snow Events
While regular snow is confined to the mountains, the central and eastern Carolinas are occasionally impacted by major snow events that are exceptions to the regional norm. These storms often occur when the necessary Cold Air Damming setup is extremely deep and persistent, combining with a slow-moving, moisture-rich coastal low. For instance, the infamous “Storm of the Century” in March 1993 dropped over three feet of snow in parts of the North Carolina mountains, while even coastal Wilmington, North Carolina, received over 15 inches of snow during a December 1989 storm.
These heavy snowfalls are highly disruptive because the region’s infrastructure is not designed to handle significant accumulation. A January 2000 storm dropped over 20 inches of snow in the eastern North Carolina Piedmont, including the Raleigh area. Such large, historical events emphasize the potential for heavy snow in areas that typically see very little, demonstrating the volatile nature of winter weather when the perfect meteorological ingredients align.