Snowfall on January 28-29, 2022

After four years without a significant winter storm across our portion of eastern North and South Carolina, wintry weather visited the area three times in January 2022:

Animation of WPC surface weather maps from 7 pm EST January 28 through 10 am EST January 29, 2022. Source

One to two tenths of an inch of freezing rain fell inland from the coast during the morning of Sunday January 16.
A storm system brought one-quarter inch of freezing rain and sleet along the coast and 2 to 5 inches of snow inland on January 21 and 22.
A cold upper level system moved across the area on January 29 dropping up to three inches of snow.

This final wintry weather event of January was a rather unusual pattern for accumulating snow across our area. Surface low pressure off the coast on January 28 moved quickly north and away from the Carolinas, taking any connection to Gulf or Atlantic moisture out with it. Then a strong upper level low moved directly across North Carolina. Despite only limited moisture that originated from the Pacific Ocean, very cold temperatures aloft and strong upper level forcing were sufficient to squeeze out measurable snow all the way down to the beaches of North and South Carolina. This was the first time since 2014 that snow had fallen in Myrtle Beach where around a half inch accumulated.

Precipitation initially fell as rain during the evening of January 28 as air temperatures were in the upper 30s and lower 40s. As colder air built in, rain changed to snow across Darlington, Bennettsville, and Florence by 3:00 a.m. EST on January 29. The first flakes began to fall along the coast by 6:00 am EST.

Infrared satellite loop from the evening of January 28 through mid morning on January 29, 2022. Clouds associated with the upper level low dropped up to three inches of snow across our area.

Radar loop from the evening of January 28 through mid morning of January 29, 2022. Light snow fell all the way down to the beaches of North and South Carolina

Snow tapered after sunrise inland as the moisture thinned. Snow didn't last but a couple of hours along the coast before the moisture waned here as well. Accumulations ranged from one-half to one inch along the coast to as much as three inches in the Florence, SC vicinity. Clouds broke later in the day and melted off most of the snow.

Visible satellite imagery during the morning of January 29 revealed snow on the ground across portions of eastern South Carolina. The yellow highlight shows where greater than one inch of snow fell, turning the ground white

Visible satellite imagery during the morning of January 29 revealed snow on the ground across portions of eastern South Carolina. The yellow highlighted area shows where greater than one inch of snow fell, turning the ground white.

Location	County	Snow Total	Lat	Lon
Florence	Florence, SC	3.0	34.18	-79.78
4 mi. WNW Cades	Williamsburg, SC	2.0	33.81	-79.86
1 mi. E Bennettsville	Marlboro, SC	1.8	34.63	-79.67
1 mi. W Florence	Florence, SC	1.8	34.18	-79.80
2 mi. E Florence	Florence, SC	1.5	34.18	-79.75
2 mi NW Surf City	Pender, NC	1.0	34.44	-77.58
5 mi. ESE Currie	Pender, NC	1.0	34.44	-78.07
5 mi. NE Rocky Point	Pender, NC	1.0	34.48	-77.83
7 mi. SSW Litchfield Beach	Georgetown, SC	1.0	33.38	-79.15
Conway	Horry, SC	1.0	33.84	-79.06
2 mi. NNW Hampstead	Pender, NC	0.8	34.40	-77.71
Red Springs	Robeson, NC	0.8	34.81	-79.18
Rocky Point	Pender, NC	0.8	34.43	-77.88
Burgaw	Pender, NC	0.5	34.55	-77.93
Darlington	Darlington, SC	0.5	34.30	-79.87
Leland	Brunswick NC	0.5	34.24	-78.01
Wilmington Airport	New Hanover, NC	0.5	34.28	-77.91