RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — NASA astronaut and two-time NC State alumna Christina Koch is being awarded North Carolina’s highest civilian honor.

Koch, along with five others, will receive the North Carolina Award for Science. The award is given to people who have made significant contributions to the state and nation in fine art, literature, public service, and science.

Koch is being recognized for science and will be presented the award by Gov. Roy Cooper at a ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 14.

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Koch grew up in Jacksonville, and earned her B.S. in electrical engineering and physics from NC State in 2001, followed by an M.S. in electrical engineering in 2002.

In 2019, she broke the record for the longest continuous time in space by a woman.

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Though Western North Carolina has seen a few chilly days in mid-November, AccuWeather says it isn’t indicative of how winter will go this year.

Previous reporting from the Citizen Times shows that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agrees that winter 2024 might feel more like an extension of fall. There are multiple factors that could contribute to this warmth, from climate change to the presence of La Niña.

Here’s what AccuWeather forecasters are saying about snow and temperatures for N.C. and the Asheville area during the upcoming winter season.

Will there be snow in North Carolina, Asheville this year?

Though it’s impossible to tell in advance, many major meteorological organizations say it’s shaping up to be a particularly warm winter. With only one significant snow event recorded by the NC Climate Office in Buncombe County last winter, it may be a fair assumption to believe the area will at least receive very little snow.

When will the first snow in Asheville be?

AccuWeather’s long-range predictions place the first snowfall of the season several months away on Feb. 1, 2025, for the Asheville area. Temperature predictions for the same date are a high of 47 and low of 20 degrees.

The snow event recorded by the NC Climate Office in Buncombe County last winter began Jan. 18.

What is AccuWeather’s winter forecast for North Carolina?

This year, AccuWeather forecasts say that a combination of La Niña, above-average water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and mild Pacific air occasionally flowing into the Plains and East will mean a warmer than average winter for the Southern states.

Temperatures throughout the season could run more than 3 degrees above the historical average for most of the region. In total, only three days of the organization’s long-range predictions for the Asheville area (which currently span until Feb. 12) are predicted to have snow (or ice, sleet, etc.) this winter.

What is NOAA’s winter forecast for North Carolina? 

According to NOAA maps, average temperatures from November through January 2025 will have a 40%-60% chance of being higher than average for much of the state.

Average snowfall in NC, winter temperatures

Data for Asheville winters from the NOAA’s most recent 30-year normals includes:

• December – Average temperature 41.4 degrees, average snowfall 2.5 inches.
• January – Average temperature 38.7 degrees, average snowfall 3.6 inches.
• February – Average temperature 42.1 degrees, average snowfall 1.9 inches.

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.

Debris torn from Western North Carolina and East Tennessee by flooding rivers largely dumped into one East Tennessee reservoir, and the cleanup of a hazardous debris field is taking the coordination of local, state and federal agencies.

Three rivers that swelled to deadly levels during Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27 – the French Broad, Nolichucky and Pigeon – start in North Carolina and empty into Douglas Lake. They transformed the waters of the popular recreation and fishing destination to brown muck and left a one-square-mile island of wreckage after the historic floods.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency warned residents to stay off the lake until further notice, as the debris could be dangerous or even deadly, though the agency did not provide a specific timeline for the cleanup. Two other state agencies issued a boating safety advisory and a water contact advisory in October.

Lined with vacation homes against a scenic mountain backdrop, Douglas Lake is mostly within Jefferson County, though it also touches Cocke, Hamblen and Sevier counties. In the days after the flooding, Douglas Dam released around 450,000 gallons of water a second and helped the Tennessee Valley Authority prevent $406 million in flood damage, though some downstream communities experienced flooding.

TEMA, which is leading the cleanup effort, hired TVA in early November to lead removal and disposal of the debris, TVA spokesperson Melissa Greene told Knox News. TVA owns and operates Douglas Dam, the hydroelectric facility that impounds the French Broad River to create the lake.

Multiple federal agencies help TEMA clean Douglas Lake

TVA installed a 4,000-foot floating boom across the lake upstream of Dandridge on Oct. 3 to catch debris and protect infrastructure downstream. The utility also added floating buoys and lights to warn boaters.

Photos and videos showed a debris field largely composed of splintered wood, though it appeared to contain household items and parts of buildings as well.

Federal agencies involved in the cleanup include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to TEMA.

TEMA did not specify the exact roles of the federal agencies supporting the effort.

“We are committed to restoring normal conditions and protecting the well-being of the community throughout this process,” TEMA Director Patrick Sheehan said.

After setting up the agency relationships, the next step is removing the debris with equipment both on land and water, according to a TEMA webpage about the cleanup. The agencies will then set up temporary disposal sites, organize the debris and haul it away.

Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com.

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