Cold/Ice/Snow For Christmas 1998

A number of CASI Members were affected by the cold and wintery precipitation in the Eastern US this week. Their reports are below followed by official News Stories at the bottom of the page.

1. Jesse Ferrell (State College PA)

Here at CASI HQ, our low was 10 and high 19 on Dec. 23. The snow fell to our south on Dec. 24 leaving Central PA with a non-white Christmas.

2. Jesse Ferrell (Boomer NC)

I travelled to my parents' house for the Christmas Holiday. Although there was snow and ice on the runway in Philadelphia when I arrived at 9am on Dec. 23, the plane landed smoothly. However the flight from PHL (Philadelphia) to GSO (Greensboro NC) was delayed 3 hours due to the weather. My parents, who live in Boomer, NC (NW NC) had to chainsaw trees out of the way on their way out to pick me up at GSO. The entire area from Boomer to Greensboro was covered with considerable ice on everything from the grass to the trees and automobiles. The main roads were not bad however, during most of the daytime, due in part to the warm spell that the East Coast of the US had gone through recently. The ice melted somewhat in Boomer during the next few days but when I returned to GSO on Sunday the 27th, there was still ice in the trees in most of the area. I understand that Eastern NC also received some snow or sleet and freezing rain late in this period. For conditions in other areas in NC, see the News Stories below. **Update: As of 12/30/98 - 50,000 people in VA are still without power.

Jesse Ferrell - Pictures Of Ice in Boomer NC 12/25

3. Shane Adams (Tallulah Falls GA)

4. Andrew Slater (Sandston VA)

Dec. 24 - 10am: Precip started in Richmond around 1530 hrs on 12/23 as freezing rain. Temps topped @ 31.9 F, but dropped to 23.9 F last night. 1/4 to 1/2 in. of ice covers everything now, with I-64, east of Richmond, closed with 100's of trees reported across it. Widespread power outages have occurred (this message being sent by way of my Dad's laptop). Va. Power now states it may be days before electricity is restored. Precip continues as a mixture of sleet, freezing rain and intermittent snow. Tree limbs are popping left and right. It is downright nasty! Since 0800 hrs the temp has fluctuated between 29 F and 31.8 F, where it is now.

Dec. 27 - 9pm: Power just came back on, after being off for 42 hours. The fact that temps here in Sandston stayed below freezing, with the exception of today's high of 36 F here, allowed our family to dump the contents of the 'fridge onto the porch into coolers and not lose anything.

News Stories:

• CNN: Weather In A Word - Cold! - Dec. 23
• 600,000 Southerners Without Power on Christmas - Dec. 25
• Some Power Coming Back On as Arctic Chill Fades - Dec. 26

© 1998 Central Atlantic Storm Investigators