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with these storms in the past across our region. Some memorable snowstorms were noted in March of 1980, December of 1989, and recently, November of 2000.
Lighter snowfalls (3 inches or less) are more common over eastern North Carolina. Weak low pressure areas, fronts, and upper level disturbances are responsible for producing light snow several times a year across the region. Accumulations are often just a dusting of snow flurries, but about once a year, one of these systems will have the right combination of cold air and moisture, to produce a slushy 1 to 2 inch accumulation.
Sleet and Freezing Rain
Sleet and freezing rain occur when warm, moist air is forced up over a shallow layer of dense, cold air at the surface. The moisture rises into clouds which begin to precipitate as rain since temperatures within the lower to sub cloud layer are above freezing. As the rain encounters the shallow cold air near the ground, it begins to re-freeze, forming pellets of frozen rain drops known as sleet. If the cold air mass is very shallow, the rain will remain liquid until reaching the ground, where it then freezes upon contact with objects such as trees, power lines, and bridges.
Ice storms can be extremely
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