Alert archive / West Virginia / Snow Squall Warnings in 2026

Snow Squall Warning 3, NWS Charleston, WV

January 1, 202611 counties in West Virginia; 5 counties in Ohio

NWS Charleston, WV issued this snow squall warning at Jan 1, 2026, 3:15 AM EST for 11 counties in West Virginia; 5 counties in Ohio. It was in force for 30 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Jan 1, 2026, 3:15 AM EST (08:15 UTC)
Expired: Jan 1, 2026, 3:45 AM EST
In force: 30 min
Issued by: NWS Charleston, WV
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Gallia County, OH, Jackson County, OH, Lawrence County, OH, Meigs County, OH, Vinton County, OH, Calhoun County, WV, Doddridge County, WV, Gilmer County, WV, Harrison County, WV, Jackson County, WV, Lewis County, WV, Mason County, WV, Ritchie County, WV, Roane County, WV, Wirt County, WV, Wood County, WV

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:18 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 00:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 200 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 475 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 82 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 448 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 519 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this snow squall warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before this snow squall warning went out at Jan 1, 3:06 AM EST, 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 1, 3:06 AM EST, 9 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 1, 12:53 AM EST, 2 hours 22 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
1253 AM EST Thu Jan 1 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1203 AM     Snow             Davis Elkins College    38.94N 79.84W
01/01/2026  E2.5 Inch        Randolph           WV   CO-OP Observer

&&

Local storm report, Jan 1, 12:55 AM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
1255 AM EST Thu Jan 1 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1234 AM     Snow             Beckley Airport         37.79N 81.11W
01/01/2026  M1.0 Inch        Raleigh            WV   CO-OP Observer

&&

Local storm report, Jan 1, 12:56 AM EST, 2 hours 19 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
1256 AM EST Thu Jan 1 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1203 AM     Snow             Davis Elkins College    38.94N 79.84W
01/01/2026  M2.5 Inch        Randolph           WV   CO-OP Observer

            Corrects previous snow report from Davis
            Elkins College for measured instead of
            estimated.

&&

Local storm report, Jan 1, 1:18 AM EST, 1 hour 57 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Charleston WV
118 AM EST Thu Jan 1 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0113 AM     Snow             Davis Elkins College    38.94N 79.84W
01/01/2026  M2.8 Inch        Randolph           WV   CO-OP Observer

            Update of earlier report of 2.5 inches.

&&

Special weather statement, Jan 1, 1:48 AM EST, 1 hour 27 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
148 AM EST Thu Jan 1 2026

OHZ066-067-075-076-083-084-WVZ009>011-010715-
Washington-Jackson-Athens-Morgan-Perry-Vinton-Wood-Pleasants-Tyler-
148 AM EST Thu Jan 1 2026

...AN INTENSE LINE OF SNOW SHOWERS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN
PERRY...WASHINGTON... NORTHWESTERN
JACKSON...MORGAN...VINTON...ATHENS...CENTRAL PLEASANTS...TYLER AND
NORTH CENTRAL WOOD COUNTIES...

At 141 AM EST, a line of intense snow showers was located along a
line extending from near Greenfield to near Powhatan Point. Movement
was southeast at 20 mph.

This line will bring a quick burst of snow with wind gust to 35 mph
and a quick drop in visibility. Light snow accumulations will cover
roadways. As temperatures drop through 20s, slick conditions are
expected to develop and remain through the overnight.

Locations impacted include...
Athens, Marietta, Belpre, Wellston, Nelsonville, St. Marys, Glouster,
McConnelsville, Mcarthur, Beverly, Albany, Middlebourne, Shawnee,
Chesterhill, Lake Hope State Park, Vienna, Williamstown, Paden City,
Sistersville, and Belmont.

This includes the following highways...
 Interstate 77 in West Virginia between mile markers 180 and 186.
 Interstate 77 in Ohio between mile markers 1 and 17.

Conditions can deteriorate rapidly in winter weather situations. Be
prepared for snow or ice covered roads. Slow down and allow extra
time when traveling.

&&

LAT...LON 3959 8158 3958 8148 3965 8147 3957 8104
      3954 8104 3961 8095 3960 8085 3947 8071
      3945 8062 3910 8279 3937 8275 3939 8229
      3947 8228 3947 8217 3955 8216 3956 8216
      3960 8237 3964 8238 3976 8165
TIME...MOT...LOC 0641Z 326DEG 19KT 3942 8338 3982 8080

12

Local storm report, Jan 1, 2:49 AM EST, 26 minutes before

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The office that day

Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jan 1, 1:48 AM EST	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Pleasants, Tyler	27 min
Jan 1, 2:19 AM EST	Snow Squall Warning	RLX	Doddridge, Harrison, Pleasants, Ritchie, Tyler, Wood	26 min
Jan 1, 2:43 AM EST	Snow Squall Warning	RLX	Doddridge, Harrison, Jackson, Mason, Pleasants, Ritchie and 3 more	32 min
Jan 1, 3:44 AM EST	Snow Squall Warning	RLX	Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison and 7 more	31 min
Jan 1, 4:17 AM EST	Snow Squall Warning	RLX	Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Gilmer, Jackson and 6 more	28 min
Jan 1, 4:44 AM EST	Snow Squall Warning	RLX	Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Gilmer, Jackson and 8 more	31 min
Jan 1, 5:18 AM EST	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Cabell, Clay, Kanawha, Lincoln, Putnam, Wayne	27 min
Jan 1, 11:48 AM EST	Winter Weather Advisory	RLX	Pocahontas, Randolph, Webster	23 hr

Nearby

Snow Squall Warnings in West Virginia, 2026 Snow Squall Warnings in Ohio, 2026 Every snow squall warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.