A very high amplitude upper atmospheric pattern featured equally deep troughs in the western and eastern U.S.  Within the eastern U.S. trough, was a vigorous Alberta clipper that intensified immensely as it plunged into the southeast states into the base of the upper trough.  Meanwhile...a large nearly 1040mb Canadian High was plunging into the central and eastern U.S. on the back side of the developing storm system in the southeast states.  The combination of these features brought an early season snowfall principally to the Appalachian mountains of eastern Tennessee, far southwest Virginia, and northwest North Carolina.  Light snow also fell in the mountains of eastern West Virginia, but the storm system tracked too far south for any significant amounts in that region.  Snowfall amounts were generally in the 1 to 3 inch range across this region...with some higher totals in the higher elevations of northwest North Carolina.  Strong and gusty northwest winds accompanied the snow in these areas causing scattered power outages.  A few locations recorded wind gusts in excess of 45 mph, meeting strong wind criteria.  These included Hot Springs in Bath county with a wind gust of 46 mph at 8:35 am EST on 11/2/14, the AWOS at the Galax/Hillsville Airport on 11/2/14 at 12:35 am EST, and a weather station located four miles west of Dublin in Pulaski county which recorded a wind gust of 47 mph on 11/2/14 at 4:05 am EST.  Several hundred residents of Tazewell county in far southwest Virginia were left without power for several hours from the comination of 30 to 40 mph wind gusts and the heavy, wet snow.  Because of warm temperatures within the preceding days and the early season time of the event, roads and travel conditions were not significantly impacted.
Here are some of the snow reports from southwest Virginia as of the afternoon of November 1, 2014.  These denote the high end of the event in these counties.  Note, the event actually began during the afternoon of October 31st.
Bland (Ceres) - 1 inch,
Carroll (6N Galax, Woodlawn) - 3 inches,
City of Galax - 4 inches,
Floyd (Floyd) - 3 inches,
Giles (Mountain Lake) - 3 inches,
Grayson (5NE Independence) - 4 inches,
Patrick (Meadows of Dan) - 4 inches,
Pulaski (2S Snowville) - 2 inches,
Smyth (Marion) - 2 inches,
Tazewell (Tazewell) - 4 inches,
Wythe (Rural Retreat) - 2 inches.

Winter Weather in GILES, VIRGINIA
From 01-NOV-14 00:00:00 to 01-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed three inches of snow at Mountain Lake.  The elevation at Mountain Lake is over 4000 feet.

Winter Weather in GRAYSON, VIRGINIA
From 01-NOV-14 00:00:00 to 01-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A trained spotter observed four inches of snow five miles northeast of Independence, with generally two to three inch amounts from Rugby and Elk Creek.

Winter Weather in PULASKI, VIRGINIA
From 01-NOV-14 00:00:00 to 01-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

A CoCoRaHS observer reported just under two inches of snow just south of Snowville and the public observed just under two inches of snow five miles north of Indian Valley.

Winter Weather in SMYTH, VIRGINIA
From 01-NOV-14 00:00:00 to 01-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A storm spotter observed a little over two inches of snow in Marion, with around one inch of snow observed by a CoCoRaHS observer just east-northeast of Marion.

Winter Weather in TAZEWELL, VIRGINIA
From 01-NOV-14 00:00:00 to 01-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public reported four inches of snow in Tazewell, 2.5 inches of in Bluefield, and one inch of snow at Burkes Garden.

Winter Weather in WYTHE, VIRGINIA
From 01-NOV-14 00:00:00 to 01-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed two inches of snow at Rural Retreat.  Snowfall amounts elsewhere in the county were less than one inch.

Winter Weather in PATRICK, VIRGINIA
From 01-NOV-14 00:00:00 to 01-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed four inches of snow at Meadows-of-Dan at an elevation over 3000 feet, with 1/2 to 2.5 inches of snow south of Meadows-of-Dan and south of Floyd.

Winter Weather in BLAND, VIRGINIA
From 01-NOV-14 00:00:00 to 01-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

The Bland County Sheriff's Office reported from 1/2 inch of snow at Long Spur and Bland to 1 inch at Ceres.

Winter Weather in CARROLL, VIRGINIA
From 01-NOV-14 00:00:00 to 01-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

A CoCoRaHS observer reported three inches of snow six miles north of Galax, while the public observed just under four inches of snow in Galax.  A Twitter report mentioned three inches of snow also in Woodlawn.  Other snowfall amounts were mostly in the 2 to 2.5 inch range at Hillsville, Fancy Gap, and Hebron.

Winter Weather in FLOYD, VIRGINIA
From 01-NOV-14 00:00:00 to 01-NOV-14 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public observed three inches of snow in Floyd.  CoCoRaHS and COOP observers measured from 1/2 to 1 inch of snow in Copper Hill and Willis, respectively.