The Charlotte metro saw mind-blowing snowfall totals as heavy snow fell for hours on Saturday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Saturday’s snowstorm was one for the record books in Charlotte, as bursts of heavy snow fell for hours across North Carolina and South Carolina.Â
The Charlotte metro got hit especially hard with snow and some of the totals are shocking, especially when you consider how little snow we’ve seen over the past few years.Â
RELATED: Where does this weekend’s snowstorm rank among Charlotte’s biggest winter events in history?
How much snow did Charlotte get?Â
A solid 11 inches of snow fell at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where the official measurement is recorded. For historical context, that ties for the fourth-highest single-day snow total in Charlotte history, matching the Dec. 29, 1880 snowstorm.Â
Official totals from the National Weather Service were even higher in some places. The heaviest snow fell along I-85 in Cabarrus, Gaston and Rowan counties. Harrisburg led the way with 13 inches, while China Grove, Kannapolis, Concord and Salisbury all received at least a foot.Â
Heavy snow also fell in the Lake Norman area, with Huntersville, Mooresville and Troutman all recording at least 11 inches of snow.Â
Some totals are preliminary, so there could be some slight changes, as the snow fell for hours and into Sunday morning.Â
Preliminary snowfall totals per the National Weather Service
A decade’s worth of snow in one day
Perhaps most striking is how this single storm compares to recent winters in Charlotte. The last 10 years have averaged just 1.7 inches of snow per season, making Saturday’s snowfall extraordinary by recent standards.
“You could add up all the last 10 years and it doesn’t even equal the snow we got today in some places,” Weather Impact Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich said. “That shows how much snow we had.”