An intense upper low was rotating through the mid-Atlantic region during the period.  An equally intense surface low and occluded front was located across the eastern Ohio valley.  As the low pressure area approached the region from the west early on the 20th, very strong, gusty southeast winds developed across the higher elevations of southwest Virginia and northwest North Carolina. As the system moved to the north and east of the region, very strong, gusty northwest winds developed and persisted for an extended period across the western part of the Blacksburg forecast area from late on the afternoon of the 21st through much of the 22nd.  However, the strongest winds, with gusts of 50 to 65 mph in southwest Virginia and northwest North Carolina, occurred during the late evening hours of the 20th and continued through the early morning hours of the 22nd.  Winds gusts of 40 to 50 mph were common.  The strong upslope winds also resulted in a persistent snowfall across the upslope areas of the Alleghanys through southwest West Virginia and the mountains of northwest North Carolina.
Below is a sample of some of the highest wind gusts recorded from several northwest North Carolina counties.  If no data is given, the county either did not have winds exceeding 35 mph or did not have a wind reporting station.
Allegheny county (Barrett, 12/22/12, 205 am EST) - 46 mph,
Ashe county (Laurel Spring RAWS, 12/21/12, 1010 pm EST) - 54 mph,
(2 ENE Baldwin, 12/21/12, 1000 pm EST) - 52 mph,
Caswell county (Caswell Game Lands RAWS, 12/22/12, 416 am EST) - 35 mph,
Surry county (4S Low Gap, 12/22/12, 617 am EST) - 40 mph,
(Mount Airy, 12/22/12, 335 am EST) - 40 mph,
Watauga county (TNB AWOS, 12/22/12, 1235 am EST) - 67 mph,
(Foscoe, 12/22/12, 1226 am EST) - 44 mph,
Wilkes county (UKF AWOS, 12/22/12, 335 am EST) - 35 mph.

High Wind in ASHE, NORTH CAROLINA
From 21-DEC-12 21:35:00 to 21-DEC-12 22:35:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 67.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

The Jefferson AWOS recorded a wind gust of 69 mph at 935 pm EST and 77 mph at 1035 pm EST.  No specific damage reports were received.

High Wind in ALLEGHANY, NORTH CAROLINA
From 21-DEC-12 23:00:00 to 21-DEC-12 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 55.00 EG
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Alleghany County 911 Center reported that numerous trees were down in the Laurel Springs and Glade Creek areas.

High Wind in SURRY, NORTH CAROLINA
From 22-DEC-12 06:18:00 to 22-DEC-12 08:41:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Surry County 911 Center reported that several trees were down throughout the Low Gap area.  Later, an additional tree was down near the intersection of Old Westfield Road and Precinct Road in the Hills Grove area.

High Wind in WATAUGA, NORTH CAROLINA
From 20-DEC-12 23:55:00 to 21-DEC-12 20:57:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 58.00 MG
Property damage: 6.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

The Boone AWOS (TNB) recorded a wind gust of  67 mph at 1155 pm on December 20th and another gust of 67 mph at 1235 am on December 22nd during an extended period of high winds across northwest North Carolina.  During this period, the public reported that a carport in Zionville was destroyed by high winds and that at least one tree each was down on Howards Creek Road just northwest of Hillcrest, Poplar Hill Road and Horseshoe Road at Boone in the Dougherty Heights area, and another on Holloway Mountain Road just south-southeast of Foscoe.

High Wind in WILKES, NORTH CAROLINA
From 22-DEC-12 07:17:00 to 22-DEC-12 07:17:00 (EST-5)
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Property damage: 1.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

The Wilkes County 911 Center reported that two trees were down, one on Parsonville Road in Parsonville and another on Elledge Mill Road in Mulberry.