February 16th, 2013 Snow Event

Event Synopsis

An upper level trough moved across the region on Saturday February 16, 2013. The first round of precipitation associated with this upper trough moved through the Midlands and CSRA during the morning hours with mainly rain as the dominant precipitation type. However, there were reports of snow mixing in with the rain at times and some locations reported a changeover to all snow but most of the snow melted due to warm ground conditions.

Later in the afternoon the axis of the main upper trough moved across the Carolinas with very cold temperatures at 500 mb. Large difference in temperature from the lower levels to the upper levels of the atmosphere combined with significant dynamical forcing, provided enough instability and lift to support convection, as there were many locations that reported thundersnow.

The radar imagery during the event showed a band of precipitation that moved across mainly the northern and central Midlands late Saturday afternoon and early evening. Most of the precipitation associated with this more intense, second band fell in the form of snow across the northern Midlands, while the central Midlands saw a mixture of graupel, snow, sleet, and rain. Snowfall amounts within the snowband across the northern Midlands were generall around an inch or two, though some localized higher amounts were reported in parts of northern Lancaster and Chesterfield counties.

- 2013 Feb 17 MODIS Hi-Res Visible satellite imagery showing the snow across northern SC.
(click for larger image)

- Radar imagery during peak snowfall around 6 PM 2013 Feb 16. (click for larger image)

- Radar imagery during peak snowfall around 7 PM 2013 Feb 16. (click for larger image)

- Radar imagery during peak snowfall around 8 PM 2013 Feb 16. (click for larger image)

Photos from across the Midlands (click for a larger image)
Columbia Metro Airport Courtesy NWS employee	Ballentine, SC Courtesy NWS employee	Bishopville, SC Courtesy Christi Johnson
Cassett, SC Courtesy WIS TV	Forest Acres, SC Courtesy Denver Murray	Lexington, SC Courtesy Jodi Paige
Near Pageland, SC Courtesy Roland Dickson	Elgin, SC Courtesy Sherra Scott	Winnsboro, SC Courtesy WLTX TV
Near Liberty Hill, SC Courtesy NWS employee	Lugoff, SC Courtesy WACHFOX	Near Liberty Hill, SC Courtesy NWS employee