Head of High Knob Lake Basin of High Knob Massif – December 7, 2014
Climate Statistics
( Lower Elevations of Russell Fork Basin )
Clintwood 1 W – Elevation 1560 feet
Average Daily MAX: 47.6 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 30.6 degrees
MEAN: 39.1 degrees
Highest Temperature: 61 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 19 degrees
Total Precipitation: 3.06″
Total Snowfall: Trace
2014 Precipitation: 49.63″
2014 Snowfall: 53.8″
( Northern Base of High Knob Massif )
City of Norton – Elevation 2141 feet
Average Daily MAX: 44.7 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 28.0 degrees
MEAN: 36.4 degrees
Highest Temperature: 58 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 15 degrees
Total Precipitation: 5.48″
Total Snowfall: 1.3″
2014 Precipitation: 56.65″
2014 Snowfall: 62.6″
( Along the Tennessee Valley Divide )
Nora 4 SSE – Elevation 2650 feet
Average Daily MAX: 45.1 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 32.3 degrees
MEAN: 38.7 degrees
Highest Temperature: 58 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 18 degrees
Total Precipitation: 3.50″
Total Snowfall: 1.4″
2014 Precipitation: 46.39″
2014 Snowfall: 56.9″
December 2014 was seasonally wet but much less snowy and milder than November 2014 as a high wave number and low amplitude pattern dominated the USA ( many disturbances embedded amid a generally zonal flow field ).
Snow Covered State Route 619 – High Knob Massif on December 10, 2014
A general 3″ to 6″ of December snowfall above 3000 feet in the High Knob Massif was much below the 15-20″ average.
Whitewater In Clear Creek Gorge of High Knob Massif – December 7, 2014
A general 5.00″ to 6.00″+ of total precipitation fell during December within the High Knob Massif and its immediate orographic lifting zone ( Appalachia, Norton, Big Stone Gap ).
These totals were in contrast to just 3.06″ in Clintwood and 3.14″ in Grundy amid the downslope forced precipitation shadow northeast of the massif area on mean southwesterly air flows.
