Learn from history: Coming storm similar to one that brought ice, power outages in 2002

In 2002, a strong Arctic high pressure system started from the Canadian Rockies and dove south into Montana and the Dakotas. That's where our current system starts, though models show it being a bit stronger and drifting farther east to entrench our cold air at ground level.
Posted 1/21/2026, 11:55:09 AM Updated 1/21/2026, 1:00:06 PM

>> ASHLEY ROW 5 ON YOUR SIDE.

ASHLEY, THANK YOU. AS WE LOOK

AHEAD TO THIS WEEKEND'S WINTER

WEATHER LOOKING AT PAST STORMS

CAN HELP US PREDICT WHAT'S TO

COME. METEOROLOGIST CHRIS

MICHAELS SHOWS US ONE STORM

FROM 2002 THAT HAS SOME

SIMILARITIES TO WHAT WE MAY SEE

THIS WEEKEND. AND CHRIS LONG

TIMERS, REMEMBER THAT 2002

DECEMBER STORM, LONG TIMERS.

REMEMBER SOME OF YOU WHO MOVED

HERE AFTER THAT MAY NOT.

SO LET'S BRING UP SOME VIDEO

ARCHIVE FOR YOU THAT SHOWS YOU

WHAT THAT STORM LOOKED LIKE.

AND YOU CAN SEE JUST THAT MESS

THAT IT LEFT.

>> BEHIND THEIR THIS FROM

DECEMBER OF 2002, IT STARTED

OUT AS SOME SNOW AND SLEET.

HOWEVER, THE REAL PROBLEM CAME

AS WE HAD SOME FREEZING RAIN

AND SOME ICE ON TOP OF THAT,

THAT IS GOING TO BE THE CONCERN

HERE FOR US AS WE HEAD INTO

THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. YOU CAN

SEE JUST HOW I SEE IT LOOKED

BACK THEN LET'S SHOW YOU SOME

OF THE SIMILARITIES IN THE

PATTERN NOW. AND YOU CAN SEE

HIGH PRESSURE DIVING IN FROM

MONTANA. THAT IS GOING TO BE

YOUR COLD WEARS LOW-PRESSURE

BRINGS IN THE MOISTURE AND A

LAYER OF WARM AIR ABOVE THE

SURFACE THAT COULD VERY WELL

CHANGE THINGS OVER TO SOME WITH

THE HELP OF THE NORTH CAROLINA

CLIMATE STATE OFFICE, NORTH

CAROLINA STATE CLIMATE OFFICE.

PARDON ME. YOU CAN SEE THE SNOW

AND MAINLY IN THE MOUNTAINS

AND FOOTHILLS. BUT THEN THE

REAL CONCERNING PART HERE WAS

THE ICE TOTALS ANYWHERE FROM

ABOUT A QUARTER OF AN INCH TO

THREE-QUARTERS OF AN INCH LESS

PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER. FOR A

FEW DAYS. SO THAT'S AT LEAST

SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOT TO

© WRAL