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The history of snow in Greenville, SC

Let’s take a look at some stats on the history of snow in Greenville

1998 December - Snow on Main Street | City of Greenville

Snow on Main Street in December 1998 | Photo by the City of Greenville

Raise your hand if you remember Greenville’s great snowfall of 1988.

ICYMI (or were just a wee little snowflake at the time), here’s what happened: On Jan. 7, Greenvillians woke up to a snowstorm, which lasted for two days, bringing in 12 inches of fresh powder in total.

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The Clock struck snow. | Photos by the Greenville News via newspapers.com

While the day did bring its fair share of grief — like a collapsed awning at The Clock on Wade Hampton and stranded vehicles on I-85 — it’s certain that residents also celebrated the snowfall by skiing up Main Street in downtown Greenville.

Here are some more snowtable fast facts about Greenville’s relationship with snow days:

❄️ Other heavy snowfalls the Greenville-Spartanburg area experienced:

  • 15” of snow on Feb. 15, 1902
  • 14.4” of snow on Dec. 16+17, 1930
  • 11.4” of snow on Dec. 3, 1971

❄️ The snowiest calendar years for the Greenville-Spartanburg area:

  • 1930 (with 23.4” of snow)
  • 1971 (with 19” of snow)
  • 1960 (with 17.5” of snow)
GVLtoday Snow

And you thought I-85 was bad now. | Photos by the Greenville News via newspapers.com

❄️ The earliest snowfall the Greenville-Spartanburg area experienced:

  • A trace amount of snow on Oct. 20, 1913

❄️ The latest snowfall the Greenville-Spartanburg area experienced:

  • A trace amount of snow on May 7, 1992
GVLtoday snow

Hiking up Main Street is a good workout. | Photos by the Greenville News via newspapers.com

And before you start DoorDashing the milk, bread, and eggs this year, know that this season’s weather doesn’t call for snow until maybe early January. Meteorologists are predicting temperatures to be above average – meaning it will be a little more (or less) chill throughout the end of winter.

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