Saturday, January 4, 2020

Mid-Winter 2020_High Knob Massif

1 January 2020
High Knob Massif
High Knob Lake Recreation Area
Photograph by Wayne Browning - © All Rights Reserved

Although afternoon temperatures were in the 30s, a lack of snow, ice, and rime was atypical for the start of mid-winter and the new year in the high country of the High Knob Massif. 


1 January 2020
Reflections On High Knob Lake
Photograph by Wayne Browning - © All Rights Reserved

Monthly Total Precipitation
Big Cherry Lake Dam
(Elevation 3139 feet)

2019

January
6.14"

February
12.50"

March
5.93"

April
6.64"

May
6.75"

June
10.68"

July
10.77"

August
4.15"

Summer 2019
(Jun 1-Aug 31)
25.60"

September
0.63"

October
5.01"
( 5.89" to Midnight 31st )

November
5.20"
( 7.04" to Midnight 30th )

December
8.52"

2019 Total: 82.92" (M)
 (January 1 to December 31 Period)

2020

*January
7.15"

**February
13.01"

Winter 2019-20
(1 Dec-29 Feb)
28.68"

1-29 March
9.55"

Total Since January 1: 29.71"

Total Since December 1: 38.23"

Total Past 12-Months: 88.85" (M)

(M): Some missing moisture in undercatch and frozen precipitation, with partial corrections applied for the 24.4 meter (80 feet) tall dam structure where rain gauges are located.  Corrections are based upon 85-months of direct comparisons between NWS and IFLOWS at Big Cherry Dam (including occasional snow core-water content data).

*General 7.00" to 8.00" at upper elevations (above 3000 feet) with 5.96" at the City of Norton Water Plant (official NWS rain gauge located at approximately 2342 feet elevation).

**The third consecutive February to reach double-digit precipitation totals at upper elevations in the 
High Knob Massif.

February 2018 Total Precipitation
ArcGIS Landform Graphic - Wayne Browning

February 2018: 14.37"

February 2019: 12.50"

February 2020: 13.01"

February 2019
Photograph by Wayne Browning - © All Rights Reserved

1 January 2020
Jefferson National Forest
High Knob Lake Recreation Area
Photograph by Wayne Browning - © All Rights Reserved

1 January 2020
Looking Toward Norton-Wise
View From High Knob Lookout Tower
Photograph by Wayne Browning - © All Rights Reserved

Many trees at upper elevations in the High Knob Massif have white looking trunks, with extensive coverage of bryophytes, lichens, mosses and other life forms developing in abundant cloud vapor.

1 January 2020
View From High Knob Lookout Tower
Looking Toward Grandfather Mountain, NC
Photograph by Wayne Browning - © All Rights Reserved

1 January 2020
View From High Knob Lookout Tower
Looking Toward Roan-Hump Mountain
Photograph by Wayne Browning - © All Rights Reserved

1 January 2020
Looking To Great Smokies
Lenticular Clouds Approaching Sunset
Photograph by Wayne Browning - © All Rights Reserved