We intend to hunker down today and stay indoors, but first we had to photograph the snowy scene on North Dogwood Trail (above) and measure the snow accumulation. By our crude method—a yardstick, inserted in several places—our area in Southern Shores received about six inches.
Reports by Dare County Emergency Management, which The Outer Banks Voice has relayed on its website, indicate that more snow fell in Kill Devil Hills and points south—up to nine inches of accumulation.
We saw the first snow flurries at 4:09 p.m. yesterday, but we did not see when the snow ended early this morning. (If you did, please update us.)
According to an intrepid dog walker whom we met during our assessment, all of the snow-covered residential streets he traversed in Southern Shores (and this guy travels with his snow-savvy dogs) are slick with ice underneath, making walking dangerous.
He reported seeing mostly pick-up trucks on the road. An SUV and a landscaping truck with a crew (!) drove past us on North Dogwood Trail while we were talking, and we saw a Southern Shores police sedan turn right on East Dogwood Trail from South Dogwood Trail at the three-way-stop intersection.
Some of you may remember the last appreciable snowfall on the Outer Banks, which occurred in January of 2018. According to The Outer Banks Voice, Southern Shores reported close to 10 inches then.
Other significant snowfalls occurred in January of 2002 and 2003, with up to eight inches reported. The Raleigh News & Observer has posted archival photographs of Outer Bankers sledding at the Wright Brothers Memorial, engaging in snowfall fights, and otherwise enjoying/tolerating the snowfalls of 22 and 23 years ago.
We recall a snowstorm in 1996 that drew us out of the house for a walk to the beach to witness that transformed natural splendor. Unfortunately, we fell on black ice on the Dick White Bridge, hitting our head, and did not make it that far.
(We also remember our vehicle doing a 360-degree tail spin while turning left slowly on to U.S. Hwy. 158 from Southern Shores at the “big” Welcome Center intersection when we thought it was safe to travel. It may have been in 2018. We turned around and drove home.)
Please be safe and careful out there! Do not underestimate the hazards. They are there, sometimes hidden.
We welcome your posts about the road and snow conditions where you are. What are you experiencing? For area updates, we recommend you check The Voice or dial into Dare County Emergency Management at DareNC.gov/Winterstorm.
It looks like our best snow-plowing equipment—rays of sunshine—will not arrive until Friday, according to the National Weather Service, but the daytime temperature should rise above freezing tomorrow. The NWS forecasts a high temperature today of 28 degrees F.
Just another day in paradise, folks. 😉
THE SOUTHERN SHORES BEACON, 1/22/25.
The Southern Shores Beacon 