Monthly Archives: November 2014

1977-78 Winter Season

Original National Weather Service Data Forms submitted by Roy L. Wells, Jr., for the official station of Wise 1 SE located on the campus of University of Virginia’s College At Wise.

The 1977-78 Winter Season

This was the second of back-to-back harsh winters in the mountains, and across most of the eastern United States, with even more snowfall and prolonged snow depth than observed during the 1976-77 Winter ( especially in upper elevations, above 3000 feet, of the High Knob Massif ).

October 1977

Official National Weather Service Report
Official National Weather Service Report For October 1977

November 1977

Official National Weather Service Report
Official National Weather Service Report For November 1977
The first big snowfall event of this winter was a SW Upslope Flow episode featuring 16″ of reported snow depth in Big Stone Gap and 11″ ( at 5 PM observation time ) in Wise on November 27.  This event started a LONG snow cover season in the High Knob Massif.

December 1977

Official National Weather Service Report
Official National Weather Service Report For December 1977

January 1978

Official National Weather Service Report
Official National Weather Service Report For January 1978
Although snow had already been covering upper elevations in the High Knob Massif for a long time ( since November 26 in places ), snowfall on January 9 marked the beginning of another long and harsh wintry period that featured 1″ or more of snow depth at my observing station in Clintwood ( elevation just 1560 feet ) during the entire interval from January 9 to March 11.

February 1978

Official National Weather Service Report
Official National Weather Service Report For February 1978

A deep snowpack developed amid upper elevations of the High Knob Massif, with Otis & Nancy Ward measuring a mean depth of 42″ at their home in the Robinson Knob community of the massif ( elevation 3240 feet ).

*This contrasted with mean snow depths that reached 14″ at my observing station in Clintwood ( elevation 1560 feet ) where around 19 days during the winter featured double digit depths.

Steve Blankenbecler reported depths of more than 4 feet along northern slopes heading into Eagle Knob, where he said it was like “driving through a tunnel” to reach the site for Virginia-Kentucky Communications near the summit.

March 1978

Official National Weather Service Report
Official National Weather Service Report For March 1978

April 1978

Official National Weather Service Report For April 1978
Official National Weather Service Report For April 1978

A general 73″ to 82″ of snowfall was observed in the Wise and Clintwood area during the 1977-78 Winter Season.

It is not known how much snow fell in upper elevations of the High Knob Massif during this 1977-78 season; however, given snow amounts during the past 25 years have tended to be double or more than observed in Wise and Clintwood  it was a significant amount.

The 1977-78 Winter produced an official snowfall total of 26.2″ in the Tri-Cities of the Great Valley of northeastern Tennessee, with 21.1″ in Knoxville.

1976-77 Winter Season

Original National Weather Service Data Forms submitted by Roy L. Wells, Jr., for the official station of Wise 1 SE located on the campus of University of Virginia’s College At Wise.

The 1976-77 Winter Season

October 1976

Official National Weather Service Report for October 1976
Official National Weather Service Report For October 1976

November 1976

November 1976
Official National Weather Service Report For November 1976

December 1976

Official National Weather Service Report For December 1976
Official National Weather Service Report For December 1976

January 1977

Official National Weather Service Report For January 1977
Official National Weather Service Report For January 1977

February 1977

Official National Weather Service Report For February 1977
Official National Weather Service Report For February 1977
The observation site of Wise 1 SE had a southern exposure at its elevation of 2560 feet above sea level, so it represents the least amount of snow cover days for the middle elevation zone.
The observation time of 5:00 PM, in addition, tends to represent less snow depth than stations where the recorded 24-hour snow depth is during the morning ( i.e., snow depths often decrease during afternoon hours even during some snowstorms unless temps are very cold and snow is falling steadily to heavily ).

The harsh nature of the 1976-77 winter is illustrated by weather records of Elizabeth & Addison Stallard, which show snow cover visible across the head of Powell Valley from December 20, 1976 to March 11, 1977. A continuous stretch of 82 days! Quite impressive for a snow shadowed locale which typically has only a fraction of snow cover days observed across the high country above.

**Northern slope sites, especially in upper elevations, had almost constant snow cover from mid-November into mid-March during the 1976-77 winter.

March 1977

Official National Weather Service Report For March 1977
Official National Weather Service Report For March 1977
Although 68″ of snow were measured in Wise during the November-March period of the 1976-77 Winter, total water equivalent precip was much below average with only 10.16″  during these 5 months ( a winter dominated by cold air and  mostly low density falls of snow ).

That changed rapidly in early April 1977.

April 1977

Official National Weather Service Report For April 1977
Official National Weather Service Report For April 1977

A total of 7.75″ of mostly rain fell in Wise during April 2-5 as part of the Great Flood of April 1977.  More precipitation in water equivalent form than measured during the entire November-February period combined.

Rainfall totals of more than 12.00″ were estimated by a follow up study along windward facing mountain slopes, with the High Knob Massif likely having among the most.

*A total of 0.8″ of snow fell at the end of this event in Wise, with 2-3″+ of snow falling in parts of the mountain area at the conclusion of this flood.

October 2014

Climate Data For October 2014

Rugged Mountain Flank of High Knob Massif
Rugged Mountain Flank of High Knob Massif – October 2014

October 2014 was milder and much wetter than average.

Climate Statistics

( Lower Elevations of Russell Fork Basin )
Clintwood 1 W – Elevation 1560 feet
Average Daily MAX: 63.9 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 41.1 degrees
MEAN: 52.5 degrees
Highest Temperature: 78 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 30 degrees
Rainfall: 5.36″
2014 Precipitation: 44.21″

( Northern Base of High Knob Massif )
City of Norton – Elevation 2141 feet
Average Daily MAX: 62.3 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 39.1 degrees
MEAN: 50.7 degrees
Highest Temperature: 77 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 26 degrees
*Rainfall: 8.24″
2014 Precipitation: 47.66″

*Wettest October On Record ( since 1983 )

( Along the Tennessee Valley Divide )
Nora 4 SSE – Elevation 2650 feet
Average Daily MAX: 62.2 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 47.0 degrees
MEAN: 54.6 degrees
Highest Temperature: 77 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 34 degrees
Rainfall: 5.87″
2014 Precipitation: 40.34″

Big Cherry Lake of High Knob Massif - October 2014
Big Cherry Lake of High Knob Massif – October 2014
October 2014 was especially wet across upper elevations of the High Knob Massif, with a general 9.00″ to 10.00″+ of total rainfall.
Superintendent Gary Hampton, of the Big Stone Gap Water Plant, reported 9.40″ at Big Cherry Dam and 8.91″ at the Water Plant down in South Fork Gorge ( above Cracker Neck of Powell Valley ).
*This was the most October rainfall reported in the High Knob Massif area since around 7.00″+ fell in Maple Gap during October 2002.  This is typically the driest month of the year in this area.
South Fork of Powell River Gorge - Big Stone Gap Water Plant
South Fork of Powell River Gorge – Big Stone Gap Water Plant
Although the best color in upper elevations was observed during the October 4-17 period, this was an atypically long color season that varied from conditions that never really peaked at the main summit of the massif ( likely due to so much wind driven rain ) to color which lingered through late month amid lower elevations and sheltered locations.
It was a brilliant color show in the massif off the highest peaks.
Beautiful Autumn Colors & Water Reflections - Upper Norton Reservoir
Beautiful Autumn Colors & Reflections At Upper Norton Reservoir – High Knob Massif
Vivid Autumn Colors In High Knob Massif
Vivid Autumn Colors In High Knob Massif – October 2014
Little Stony Creek Valley of High Knob Massif - October 2014
Little Stony Creek Valley of High Knob Massif – October 2014
Little Stony Creek Whitewater - October 2014
Little Stony Creek Whitewater – Little Stony Gorge of High Knob Massif – October 2014
Reference Color Peak 2014 & Whitewater ROARS for more photographs of this color peak and churning whitewater.
Autumn At Powell Valley Overlook of High Knob Massif
Autumn At Powell Valley Overlook of High Knob Massif – October 2014
Although a Halloween Winter Storm developed, all the snow began falling after morning observation times and will be reported for the month of November 2014.