Blizzard of ’93

The Blizzard of ’93 was an extreme snowstorm that impacted Scott County, the northern Cumberland Plateau, and a large swath of the eastern United States on March 12-13, 1993.

As much as 18 inches of snow accumulated in and around Scott County, with wind-blown drifts measuring several feet deep. Major power outages resulted, and it is generally regarded as the biggest snowstorm in Scott County’s history.

Prelude

March 1993 began very warm in East Tennessee, with spring-like temperatures and severe weather. On Thursday, March 11, 1993, the temperature hit 60° in Oneida. Spring flowers had already begun to bloom, and not a single measurable snowfall had occurred in Scott County during the winter months.

However, meteorologists were warning that a major snowstorm would impact most of the eastern U.S. Weather models had begun picking up on a major blizzard a week earlier, and forecasters urged residents to prepare for the biggest winter storm the region had seen in many years.

Even as the temperature rose into the 60s on March 11, 1993, the National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for Scott and surrounding counties, saying that in excess of six inches of snow was expected within 24 hours.

The meteorologic setup: Strong ridging just off the coast of the Pacific Northwest was going to funnel cold air toward the Southeast. A strong storm system was tracking towards the Gulf of Mexico, where it would tap rich moisture and become a major storm. Waters in the gulf were warmer than normal that March, which would help fuel the storm. North winds from the cold air sinking southward and south winds from the storm system would collide, causing intensification of the storm system over the Southeast. Major impacts were expected from winter weather on the north side of the storm, and severe weather — tornadoes and flooding rains — on the south side, across Florida.

The Storm

Snow began falling just before 1 p.m. on Friday, March 12, 2023. The Oneida Special School District had canceled classes for the day because Oneida High School’s girls’ basketball team was playing in the semifinals of the state tournament in Murfreesboro. Scott County Schools superintendent made the decision to close the county schools almost as soon as the snow began, with buses transporting students home at 1 p.m.

Because ground temperatures were warm, snow did not begin to accumulate for several hours. However, accumulation began to occur shortly after sunset — first on grassy surfaces, then a slushy mess on roadways.

As temperatures dropped below freezing overnight, snow began to pile up. It accumulated at a rate of about an inch per hour, with winds causing drifting. The snow kept falling throughout the day on Saturday. By Saturday night, between 15 and 20 inches of snow had accumulated. The National Weather Service officially measured 18 inches in Oneida. The drifts were as deep as five feet.

“When dawn broke on Sunday the storm had passed, leaving Scott County under mostly sunny skies but with a blanket of snow deeper than any living resident could recall,” the Independent Herald reported at the time.

Unusually cold temperatures followed the storm, dropping to 12° Saturday night and to -3° Sunday night. It is the latest subzero temperature reading on record in Oneida.

Deadly Impacts

The storm killed 318 people across the eastern U.S., caused $5.5 billion in damages, and knocked out power to 10 million people.

One of the fatalities was Delmus Acres, a 49-year-old Oneida man who died of a heart attack after shoveling snow at his home on Sexton Lane on Saturday, March 13, 1993. He was discovered dead inside his garage.

Plateau Electric Cooperative reported that its crews put in 340 hours and drove 1,064 miles while restoring service in the storm’s aftermath. No more than 5% of the utility’s customers were without power at any one time, however. The longest power outage was 36 hours, in the Adams Hill area of Morgan County.

“All in all, however, most Scott County residents consider themselves lucky to have had advanced warning of what may be the most severe winter storm of their lives,” the Independent Herald reported.

Aftermath

The snowstorm was severe, but recovery was swift, thanks to quickly warming spring temperatures. After the low of -3° on Sunday, March 14, the temperature got to 36° during the afternoon, and rose into the 40s on Monday, March 15. The snow melted so quickly that it caused minor stream flooding throughout Scott County.

Students in Oneida returned to class on Wednesday, March 17, after missing just two days of school due to the snow. The Oneida High School boys’ basketball team was able to travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn. that day for their state tournament appearance.