NOUS42 KCHS 222119 PNSCHS GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>051-231200- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...FINAL SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 419 PM EST WED NOV 22 2006 ...MAJOR COASTAL STORM IMPACTS THE SOUTHEAST COAST... ...EARLIEST MEASURABLE SNOWFALL RECORDED AT THE CHARLESTON AND SAVANNAH AIRPORTS... ...THUNDER SNOW REPORTED FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE CHARLESTON AIRPORT... ...SNOWS OF 1-2 INCHES REPORTED WELL INLAND... A MAJOR AND HIGHLY UNUSUAL COASTAL STORM DEVELOPED OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. THE STORM BROUGHT A VARIETY OF WEATHER AND IMPACTS TO THE REGION. BELOW IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THOSE IMPACTS. ...SNOW... SLEET AND SNOW WAS OBSERVED ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA ON TUESDAY. THUNDER SNOW WAS REPORTED IN SOME AREAS...MAINLY AROUND THE CHARLESTON METRO AREA DURING THE MORNING HOURS. THUNDER SNOW IS A RARE EVENT NO MATTER WHERE IN THE UNITED STATES YOU ARE...AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN REPORTED AT THE CHARLESTON AIRPORT UNTIL YESTERDAY. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE CHARLESTON METRO AREA AS WELL AS SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA SAW A DUSTING OF SNOW...MAINLY ON ROOF TOPS AND GRASSY AREAS. HOWEVER SNOWS OF 1-2 INCHES WERE REPORTED IN THE FAR INTERIOR AREAS...MAINLY FROM JENKINS COUNTY GEORGIA EXTENDING NORTHEAST THROUGH NORTHERN COLLETON COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA. STORM SNOWFALL TOTALS... MILLEN GA.......... 1 TO 2 INCHES LAWTON GA.......... 1 INCH SYLVANIA GA........ 1 INCH BUTTS GA........... 1 INCH LODGE SC........... 1 INCH MARTIN SC.......... 1 INCH HILLTONIA GA....... 1 INCH SMOAKS SC.......... 1/2 TO 1 INCH SCARBORO GA........ 1/2 INCH DANIEL ISLAND SC... TRACE TO 1/2 INCH CYLO GA............ TRACE MONCKS CORNER...... TRACE AWENDAW SC......... TRACE CHARLESTON SC...... TRACE SAVANNAH GA........ TRACE A PRELIMINARY GRAPHIC OF THESE TOTALS CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/CHS. CLICK ON THE NOVEMBER 21 2006 SNOWFALL TOTALS MAP LINK FOUND UNDER THE TOP NEWS OF THE DAY SECTION. ...SNOW RECORDS... THE CHARLESTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RECORDED A TRACE OF SNOWFALL ON TUESDAY WHICH ACCORDING TO NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER RECORDS BACK TO 1930 IS THE EARLIEST WINTER SEASON CALENDAR DATE ON WHICH SNOW HAS BEEN REPORTED. PREVIOUSLY...THE EARLIEST WINTER SEASON DATE ON WHICH SNOW WAS RECORDED WAS NOVEMBER 25...WHEN A TRACE OF SNOWFALL WAS RECORDED ON THAT DATE IN 1950. ONE NOTE IS THAT FROZEN PRECIPITATION WAS REPORTED AT CHARLESTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN THE FORM OF ICE PELLETS...COMMONLY KNOWN AS SLEET...ON NOVEMBER 5 1995...ALSO AMOUNTING TO A TRACE. SAVANNAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RECORDED A TRACE OF SNOWFALL TUESDAY AFTERNOON WHICH ACCORDING TO NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER RECORDS BACK TO 1950 IS THE EARLIEST WINTER SEASON CALENDAR DATE ON WHICH SNOW HAS BEEN REPORTED. PREVIOUSLY...THE EARLIEST WINTER SEASON DATE ON WHICH SNOW WAS RECORDED WAS NOVEMBER 24...WHEN A TRACE OF SNOWFALL WAS RECORDED ON THAT DATE IN 1950. ...HIGH SURF/BEACH EROSION... LARGE BACK SWELL GENERATED BY THE COASTAL STORM PRODUCED HIGH SURF ALONG THE BEACHES OF SOUTH COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA AND NORTH COASTAL GEORGIA. MODERATE TO LOCALLY SEVERE BEACH EROSION WAS REPORTED IN AREAS...PARTICULARLY ALONG THE BEACHES OF SOUTH COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA INCLUDING HUNTING ISLAND...FOLLY BEACH...ISLE OF PALMS...WILD DUNES AND SULLIVANS ISLAND. ...WIND DAMAGE/POWER OUTAGES... HIGH WINDS KNOCKED DOWN POWER LINES DURING THE DAY TUESDAY RESULTING IN A NUMBER OF POWER OUTAGES UP AND DOWN THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST. POWER COMPANIES REPORTED OUTAGES LASTING FROM TENS OF MINUTES TO SEVERAL HOURS IN SOME COMMUNITIES. THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY REPORTS OF WIND DAMAGE OR POWER OUTAGES ACROSS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. OBSERVED PEAK WIND GUSTS... ...SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA... FOLLY BEACH CITY HALL.............. 44 MPH FOLLY BEACH C-MAN.................. 44 MPH CHARLESTON WATERFRONT PARK......... 44 MPH ISLE OF PALMS...................... 44 MPH CHARLESTON AIRPORT /KCHS/.......... 40 MPH HILTON HEAD ISLAND................. 39 MPH PINEVILLE.......................... 37 MPH EDISTO BEACH....................... 35 MPH CHARLESTON WCIV TV................. 36 MPH GOOSE CREEK........................ 32 MPH SUMMERVILLE........................ 30 MPH MONCKS CORNER...................... 29 MPH SAVANNAH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.. 25 MPH HARLEYVILLE-RIDGEVILLE ............ 23 MPH ...SOUTHEAST GEORGIA... TYBEE ISLAND....................... 37 MPH SAVANNAH AIRPORT/KSAV/............. 31 MPH STATESBORO......................... 30 MPH SPRINGFIELD........................ 29 MPH FORT STEWART....................... 24 MPH NEWINGTON.......................... 22 MPH METTER /RAWS/...................... 20 MPH ...MARINE OBSERVATIONS... BUOY 41004/EDISTO 40NM BUOY/......... 52 KT OR 60 MPH TOWER R8 /SABSOON TYBG1/............. 52 KT OR 60 MPH + CAPERS MID-SHELF BUOY................ 51 KT OR 59 MPH TOWER R2 /SABSOON SPAG1/............. 49 KT OR 56 MPH ++ BUOY 41008/GRAYS REEF/............... 47 KT OR 54 MPH CAPERS NEARSHORE BUOY................ 37 KT OR 43 MPH FRIPP NEARSHORE BUOY................. 37 KT OR 43 MPH + OBSERVATION TAKEN AT 50 METER ELEVATION ++ OBSERVATION TAKEN AT 34 METER ELEVATION THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON WISHES TO THANK THE CHARLESTON...SAVANNAH AND AUGUSTA BROADCAST MEDIA...OUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOTTERS...AS WELL AS THE VARIOUS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ACROSS THE REGION FOR THEIR HELP WITH THIS STORM. IF YOU HAVE ANY PICTURES OF SNOW...OR WANT TO REPORT MEASURABLE SNOW AMOUNTS...PLEASE EMAIL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AT CHS.SKYWARN@NOAA.GOV. REPORTS AND PICTURES OF WIND DAMAGE...BEACH EROSION OR HIGH SURF ARE ALSO WELCOME AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. $$ ST