The North Carolina mountains experienced their first snowfall of the season, skipping fall and going straight to winter. While the Piedmont Triad had temperatures in the 40s, the mountains had temperatures in the 20s and low 30s. The below-freezing temperatures combined with moisture from a low-pressure system resulted in snow and sleet showers, with light accumulations mainly above 5,000 feet. Some areas at higher elevations had already received over an inch of snow. Snowfall was observed at various locations along the Blue Ridge Parkway and at Waterrock Knob, with half an inch recorded at Black Balsam Knob. The Great Craggy Mountains and Mt. LeConte Lodge in Tennessee also had a dusting of snow. This snow event occurred during the peak fall foliage season, leading some to call it "snowliage". The snow was a result of a post-frontal northwest flow snow event caused by a cold front and the direction of winds. The northwest flow snow event occurs when a shallow, moist layer of air covers the Tennessee and Ohio river valleys. The cold front brought cooler temperatures, and the northwest winds, reinforced by an upper-level low-pressure system, led to snow showers on the west-facing slopes of the mountains. While most northwest flow snow events only produce trace amounts of snow, occasionally heavy snowfall can occur.