Locals and visitors alike were treated to a tremendously rare event on Hatteras Island on January 20th, accumulating snow. Beginning at approximately 11:00 a.m., the snow flowed down in flurries, sticking to the cold ground and continued well into the evening. Most residents ventured outside and played in the snow all evening, and woke up to a white winter landscape, reminiscent of the famous scene in A Christmas Story… except with sea oats and scrub oaks.The last time that the Outer Banks experienced a snow storm was in January of 2003, when 10 inches fell to the ground. While this storm only boasted approximately 2″-3″ of snow, (which is still 2″-3″ more than what Hatteras Island has accumulated in the last 5 years), everyone was shocked, surprised, and ventured outdoors with a camera in hand.
At the Surf or Sound Realty Salvo and Avon offices, staff members got into the infectious winter wonderland spirit, making snow angels on the front porch and building snowmen to welcome visitors into the building.
While driving was tricky on slick NC Highway 12, everyone was back in the office on Wednesday morning dressed to the nines in gloves, winter coats and hats, and talking of their adventures coming to work on an icy and snow covered road.
While the snow is expected to melt by Thursday when temperatures will return to the high 40s, everyone on the island is breaking out the winter boots (or fishing waders) and enjoying a morning of doing something absolutely unheard of on the Outer Banks: playing in the snow.
