NWS Wilmington, NC

Weather Forecast Office

Snow and Ice: February 24, 2015

Low pressure moved northeast along a front well offshore, spreading moisture over cold dry air that covered the Carolinas. Precipitation began as snow before sunrise on February 24, 2015, but transitioned over to sleet and finally to freezing rain during the late morning hours. Within the area covered by the Wilmington, NC office, snowfall up to 1.4 inches was reported from the town of Watha in Pender County, NC. Lighter amounts fell to the south, with the southernmost edge of snow falling very near Myrtle Beach, Conway, and Lake City in southern Florence County, SC

Freezing rain increased in intensity during the afternoon hours along a narrow stripe across southeastern North Carolina. All of the area picked up some freezing rain, ranging from trace amounts in Georgetown, SC up to 0.40" at the Wilmington International Airport. A rare Ice Storm Warning was issued for the Wilmington metro area where multiple bridges and elevated roads were closed during the evening of February 24th due to a dangerous glaze of ice.

***STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL***

.Columbus County, NC...
Evergreen (6 miles east) 0.5"

.New Hanover County, NC...
ILM Airport 0.3

.Pender County, NC...
Watha 1.4"
Burgaw 1.1"
Hampstead (2 miles north-northwest) 0.4"

.Robeson County, NC...
St. Pauls 1.0"
Lumberton 0.5"
Lumber River State Park 0.3"
Lumberton (3 miles southeast) 0.2"

.Marion County, SC...
Mullins (1 mile south-southeast) 0.1"

***STORM TOTAL ICE***

.Brunswick County, NC...
Leland (6 miles west-southwest) 0.25"
Carolina Shores 0.20"
Southport 0.20"

.Columbus County, NC...
Whiteville (6 miles north-northwest) 0.12"

.New Hanover County, NC...
ILM Airport 0.40"
Masonboro (1 mile north) 0.30"
Wilmington (2 miles west-southwest) 0.25"
Seagate (1 mile northeast) 0.25"
Kings Grant 0.25"
Myrtle Grove (1 mile north-northwest) 0.25"
UNCW Campus 0.25"
Porters Neck 0.25"
Ogden 0.19"
Masonboro (1 mile east-northeast) 0.12"

.Pender County, NC...
Currie/Hwy 421 0.27"
Hampstead 0.25"
Burgaw 0.25"

.Robeson County, NC...
Lumberton Airport 0.12"
St. Pauls 0.10"

.Florence County, SC...
Florence Airport 0.21"

.Horry County, SC...
North Myrtle Beach Airport 0.11"

.Williamsburg County, SC...
Hemingway 0.16"

Although no reports were received from south of North Myrtle Beach
and Hemingway, based on airport weather observations from Myrtle
Beach and Georgetown it is inferred small accumulations (less than
1/10th of an inch) of ice occurred here.

Radar loop from 3 am until 6 pm February 24, 2015.

Some local photos:

Page Author: Tim Armstrong
Page Created: February 24, 2015
Last Updated: March 14, 2015