More often than not, cold enough for frozen precip is too dry for it. Low humidity. We’re in a “rain shadow” of sorts from the Blue Ridge and don’t get storms from inland, it gets all snowed out on the west facing slopes before it ever gets here.
Now, a Gulf low coming up from Atlanta will do it. For the once in a decade foot deep snows, it’s going to be a nor’easter. “White hurricane” lol. We get those. Mercifully rare though.
We’re approaching rain forest status, here.
Actually, Green Ridge mountain just west of me *is* designated a rain forest.
The weather’s gone berserk in the last 10 or so years.
*Most* of the heavy snow stays out in Garrett and Allegany counties.
Used to be we’d be riding by late March clear into early November but now the rains start in February and don’t let up until early June.
Our mountains look like The Smokies, now.
If we’re lucky, we get to ride mid-June-August.
This ‘global warming’ stuff sucks.
You basically just described the weather pattern(s) where I live. I’m pretty certain we’re from the same area/region, but I’m across the border in VA.
When we DO get those “White hurricanes” you mentioned, we usually have enough Snow to where I’m sick of seeing it by the time it melts away. During the 90s we had two or three of those.