Synoptic Patterns Associated with the Record Snowfall of 1960 in the Southern Appalachians

Record snowfall totals of up to 211 cm blanketed the Southern Appalachians between mid-February and late-March 1960. Snow was reported on average every other day in the higher elevations, and mean temperatures for the period were nearly 6 C below normal. Snow piled up to great depths, with Boone, NC, reporting a maximum depth of 112 cm. Snow drifts buried roads and made travel impossible, requiring food, fuel, and hay to be airlifted into the region. This paper analyzes the synoptic patterns associated with the record snowfall of February and March 1960. Snowfall events are identified using a combination of first order hourly observations and cooperative observer daily snowfall totals. The spatial patterns of snowfall are mapped using a GIS, while mean values for various synoptic fields (e.g. 850 hPa temperature, 500 hPa height) are calculated and compared to 50-year climatological means. Snowfall events during this period are then classified according to the pattern of cyclogenesis and prevailing flow direction