A deep upper trough, developing through the central U.S. and swinging into the southeast states the Tuesday before Thanksgiving induced an area of low pressure along the eastern Gulf Coastal region.  As the upper trough shifted into the eastern U.S., the surface low underwent explosive development as it moved northward along the southeast and Mid-Atlantic coastal region.  The deepening surface low pulled cold air and moisture into the region bringing a period of snow to areas west of the Blue Ridge on one of the busiest travel days of the year.  Snowfall amounts were generally in the one to three inch range, but several locations saw snowfall in the three to four inch range across southwest Virginia, northwest North Carolina, and southeast West Virginia.  The heaviest snowfall within southwest Virginia was at Mount Rogers in Grayson county where eight inches of snow was observed.  The heavy wet snow resulted and combined gusty winds resulted in power outages for several thousands residents of southwest Virginia counties.
Here are some of the snow reports from southwest Virginia as of mid-morning on the day before Thanksgiving, namely November 26, 2014.  The amounts below represent the maximum amounts reported from these counties.
Alleghany (4E Covington) - 3 inches,
Bath (Warm Springs) - 4 inches,
Bedford (peaks of Otter) - 4 inches,
Bland (5N Bland) - 3 inches,
Botetourt (Fincastle) - 1.5 inch,
Carroll (Hebron) - 4.9 inches,
Craig (2W Simmonsville) - 6.5 inches,
Floyd (Check) - 4.5 inches,
Giles (Mountain Lake) - 5 inches,
Grayson (Mount Rogers) - 8 inches,
Montgomery (2SSW Christiansburg) - 5.8 inches,
Patrick (Meadows of Dan) - 3.8 inches,
Pulaski (2S Snowville) - 6.1 inches,
Roanoke (3ESE Cave Spring) - 2.5 inches,
Rockbridge (Raphine) - 4.0 inches,
Smyth (Sugar Grove) - 3.5 inches,
Tazewell (Burkes Garden) - 1.6 inch,
Wythe (Rural Retreat) - 3.0 inches.

Winter Weather in PULASKI, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A storm spotter observed 6.1 inches of snow just south of Snowville, while elsewhere around the county snowfall amounts were mostly in the three to four inch range, including the city of Snowville, Draper, and Pulaski.

Winter Weather in CRAIG, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed 6.5 inches of snow on John's Creek Mountain just west of Simmonsville, while in the city of Simmonsville itself, snowfall observed was only 2.0 inches.

Winter Weather in ROANOKE, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Newspaper

The Roanoke Times noted that there was 2.5 inches of snow just east-southeast of Cave Spring.  Elsewhere, The public observed 1.3 inches of snow at Glenvar and 1.2 inches of snow at Vinton.

Winter Weather in ALLEGHANY, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A storm spotter observed 3.0 inches of snow four miles east of Covington, while CoCoRaHS and the public observed 1.0 and 1.5 inches snow fall amounts in Covington City and Clifton Forge, respectively.

Winter Weather in BATH, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: 911 Call Center

The Bath County 911 Center observed 4.0 inches of snow in Warm Springs.  A trained spotter observed 1.5 inches of snow in Millboro.

Winter Weather in BEDFORD, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed 4.0 inches of snow at Peaks of Otter in the Blue Ridge Mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Lower elevations of the county saw little or no snow.

Winter Weather in SMYTH, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed 3.5 inches of snow at Sugar Grove and 1.6 inches of snow at Marion.

Winter Weather in TAZEWELL, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

The Burkes Garden CO-OP observer reported 1.6 inches of snow, while the public observed 0.5 inch and 1.0 inch of snow at Maiden Spring and Richlands, respectively.

Winter Weather in BLAND, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed 3.0 inches of snow five miles north of Bland while a trained spotter reported 2.0 inches of snow in the city of Bland.

Winter Weather in BOTETOURT, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed 1.5 inches of snow in Fincastle.  Eastern portions of the county saw little or no snow.

Winter Weather in CARROLL, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A storm spotter observed 4.9 inches of snow at Hebron and another spotter recorded 4.0 inches of snow at Hillsville.  Elsewhere around the county, snow amounts ranged from 1.5 inches northwest of Hillsville to 3.0 inches at Laurel Fork, as reported by the public.

Winter Weather in FLOYD, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained spotter observed 4.5 inches of snow in Check, while a National Weather Service Employee reported 4.4 inches seven miles northwest of Floyd.  Elsewhere, snowfall amounts ranged from 2.0 inches at Willis and Floyd to 3.0 inches at Alum Ridge.

Winter Weather in WYTHE, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed 3.0 inches of snow at Rural Retreat, while a trained spotter reported 2.5 inches of snow from Wytheville.

Winter Weather in GILES, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed 5.0 inches of snow at Mountain Lake, where the elevation is just over 4000 feet.  Elsewhere around the county, snowfall amounts ranged from less than an inch at Staffordsville, to 1.0 inch at Pearisburg, to 3.0 inches just south of Eggleston.

Winter Weather in PATRICK, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained spotter observed 3.8 inches of snow at Meadows of Dan.

Winter Storm in GRAYSON, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

The Park Service observed 8.0 inches of snow at Mount Rogers Summit, where the elevation is over 5000 feet, while just 3.7 inches of snow was observed at Independence.

Winter Weather in MONTGOMERY, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Employee

A National Weather Service employee reported 5.8 inches of snow just southwest of Christiansburg while a trained spotter at Laurel Ridge observed 5.8 inches of snow as well.  Elsewhere around the county, snowfall ranged from 1 to 2 inches in the Blacksburg area, to 3.5 to 4.5 inches on the north side of Blacksburg on Brush Mountain and also in the Alleghany Springs area.

Winter Storm in ROCKBRIDGE, VIRGINIA
From 26-NOV-14 04:00:00 to 26-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed 4.0 inches of snow at Raphine.  Three inches of snow was observed at the U.S. Post Office in Vesuvius.  A trained spotter reported 1.5 inches of snow just southwest of Rockbridge Baths.