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Can lake effect snow happen in North Carolina?

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Can lake effect snow happen in North Carolina?


Lake effect snow has been a big talker in recent weeks, as it buried parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York in feet of snow around Thanksgiving.

While this phenomenon is common in that part of the country, I wanted to see if it could happen on a smaller scale in North Carolina.

How does lake effect snow happen?

In order to get lake effect snow, you need a specific temperature differential between the surface and the air roughly 3,000 feet above it.

When arctic air moves over these relatively warmer lakes, lake effect snow gets going.

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How lake effect snow forms

It is intense at times too, analagous to a summertime thunderstorm. In one town, you can have feet of snow. Miles down the road, you can have virtually nothing.

That’s what happened in Buffalo in late November.

The Buffalo Bills measured more than two feet of snow outside their stadium, while downtown Buffalo didn’t receive any measurable snow.

Snow falls on Highmark Stadium and surrounding parking lots in Orchard Park, NY., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. The Buffalo Bills play the San Franciso 49ers at Highmark Stadium on Sunday Night Football, Sunday, Dec 1, 2024 at 8:20p. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Just look at these totals from that time frame. They were measuring snow in feet in parts of upstate New York!

Snow totals in late November in upstate New York

So…does it happen in North Carolina?

I found a case study by the North Carolina State Climate Office from January 2014.

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In it, they show an example in Rocky Mount and Wilson.

Arctic air was blowing in after a prior snow storm (yeah…when those used to happen, right?!). Meanwhile, Kerr Lake was relatively warm compared to the Arctic air above.

How lake effect snow happened in Rocky Mount and Wilson in 2014

According to the Climate Office, this generated an additional 1 to 2 inches of snow in places like Rocky Mount and Wilson.

Lake effect snow in 2014 in Rocky Mount and Wilson, NC

The scale of lake effect snow in North Carolina is significantly smaller than that of the Great Lakes.

For example, Lake Erie has a surface area of more than six million acres. On average, it is 62 feet deep and oftentimes closer in proximity to Arctic air masses.

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In comparison, Kerr Lake has a surface area of 50,000 acres (.08% the size of Lake Erie) and it has an average depth of 30 feet.

Therefore, the moisture load from Kerr Lake is obviously going to be significantly less than that of Lake Erie.

Any lake effect snow off Kerr Lake would be highly localized and minimal on comparison to the mammoth storms they see up north.

Another round of lake effect snow up north

Beyond our cold front this week, we won’t see lake effect snow.

However, there are several places in Michigan, northeast Ohio, western Pennsylvania and upstate New York that will see a healthy dose of lake effect in the days ahead.

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Another round of lake effect snow expected in the Northern U.S. this week



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North Carolina

SBI investigating murder in Madison County

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SBI investigating murder in Madison County


The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that they are investigating a murder in Madison County that occurred around 3 a.m. on March 31.

News 13 is working to get more information. This story will be updated.



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North Carolina

Suspect accused of stabbing pregnant woman outside North Carolina Harris Teeter

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Suspect accused of stabbing pregnant woman outside North Carolina Harris Teeter


CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A woman accused of stabbing a pregnant woman in southeast Charlotte earlier this month has been arrested, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Officers responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call just before 11:30 a.m. on March 18 in the 100 block of South Sharon Amity Road. The stabbing happened outside, in the parking lot of a Harris Teeter grocery store.

When CMPD officers arrived, they found a 38-year-old woman who had been stabbed. CMPD said she told them she had been stabbed once during the attack. Her injuries were described as non-life-threatening, and she was treated and later released from the hospital.


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Following the attack, investigators released surveillance footage and were asking anyone who recognized the suspect or vehicle involved to come forward.

On Monday, March 30, police announced they’ve identified the suspect as Marvina Marie Hardy. Hardy was located by CMPD’s VCAT detectives, with the assistance of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Florida Division Law Enforcement, and Florida State Highway Patrol.

Hardy is currently in custody at the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Jail in Florida and is awaiting extradition back to North Carolina. She is facing several charges, including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill/inflict serious injury and battery of an unborn child.

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I fled hellhole LA for my dream life in the country. Look how much better my life is now

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I fled hellhole LA for my dream life in the country. Look how much better my life is now


A woman who once swore by the California dream says wildfires, sky-high costs — and a crackdown on her Airbnb lifeline — pushed her to pack up and flee Los Angeles for good.

Natasha Thomlinson-Clark is one of thousands of Angelinos who have left the state in recent months, driven out by a variety of factors, according to newly released Census data.

The urge to relocate crept in slowly, starting when local ordinances and a risk of fines, forced her to stop relying on a short-term rental to supplement her income.

“I had an Airbnb in West Hollywood that was basically how I survived before,” said Thomlinson-Clark. “They shut down my Airbnb…[it was] very hard for me financially.”

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Then came the final straw when the Palisades Fire forced her and her husband Luke to reconsider their living situation.

Natasha Thomlinson-Clark and her husband Luke decided to leave LA County after the Palisdes Fire. Natasha Thomlinson-Clark
Thomlinson-Clark ditched LA for Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha Thomlinson-Clark

“Then the fires really — that kinda freaked us out a lot,” she said. “We were paying all this money … couldn’t get house insurance. We were basically sitting ducks with no housing insurance.”

“I thought, ‘what are we doing?’”

Within months, Thomlinson-Clark ditched LA for Charlotte, North Carolina — a move she admits was “a bit of a knee-jerk reaction,” but one that quickly paid off.

“We came straight to Charlotte … it was cheaper, it made financial sense to me.”

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The couple snapped up a sprawling 2,800-square-foot home for $660,000 in May 2025 — a price that would barely land a modest property in Southern California.

“What you can buy here is ridiculous compared to California,” she said.

The couple bought a 2,800-square-foot home for $660,000 in May 2025. Natasha Thomlinson-Clark
Los Angeles County lost roughly 54,000 residents, the largest population drop in the nation. Getty Images

The numbers back her up.

Los Angeles County lost roughly 54,000 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, the largest population drop in the nation, according to newly released US Census Bureau data. Once topping 10 million residents, the county has now slipped to under 9.7 million — a steady decline with no clear end in sight.

Experts say affordability is the driving force.

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Realtor.com senior economist Joel Berner noted that LA’s housing affordability score sits at just 0.41, far below the national average of 0.77. Median rent in the county has surged to $2,709 — compared to $1,667 nationwide — leaving many residents priced out.

“Incomes in LA have simply not kept pace with housing costs,” Berner said, adding that many are “squeezed to the point where they have to choose to leave.”

That’s exactly what Thomlinson-Clark did — even if it wasn’t easy.

“I had never thought about leaving LA. If I’m honest, the fires were a big driving force,” she said. “I worked really hard to get to California — specifically, I picked California.”

She insists the move wasn’t political, still, the financial upside has been hard to ignore. After buying her first home ten months ago, she told The Post, she bought a second one last Friday.

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“Money goes much farther here,” she said.

It’s a trend LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger is watching closely.

“Los Angeles County’s population decline is a clear signal that we must stay focused on the fundamentals — public safety and affordability,” Barger said in a statement to The Post. “When people feel safe and can afford to live here, they stay and invest in their communities. If we lose sight of that balance, we risk losing the very workforce and families that make our region strong.”

Even so, Thomlinson-Clark hasn’t completely shut the door on the Golden State.

“Financially it’s better, but you do give up a lot,” she admitted. “California — it’s the sunshine tax you pay. There’s a lot to do in California.”

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“Really tough to leave,” she added. “I can’t say I’ll be here forever.”



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