Virginia, 1996

Heavy Snow in Virginia, March 8, 1996

March 8, 1996 · NWS LWX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Low-level lift of residual moisture, induced by favorable circulation underneath an upper-level jet streak, squeezed out a narrow band of heavy snow immediately behind an arctic front. Four to five inches fell in an 8-hour period across the southern and western suburbs of Washington DC as temperatures fell through the 20s and northwest winds gusted over 25 mph.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.

Low-level lift of residual moisture, induced by favorable circulation underneath an upper-level jet streak, squeezed out a narrow band of heavy snow immediately behind an arctic front. Four to five inches fell in an 8-hour period across the southern and western suburbs of Washington DC as temperatures fell through the 20s and northwest winds gusted over 25 mph. The snow was followed by the coldest air this late in winter since March 14th through 15th, 1993. Temperatures fell below 10°F at several locations over and west of the Blue Ridge.The snow contributed to a major accident along Interstate 95 in Prince William Co (VAZ052) around midnight on the 8th (just as the precipitation began); 20 vehicles were involved, but no serious injuries were reported.Record snowfall totals continued to soar. At Washington/Dulles International Airport (VAZ042), the total of 58.7 inches surpassed the previous record by 6.9 inches. Charlottesville (VAZ037) added enough snow (3 inches) to surpass their all-time record by 1.6 inches (54.7 inches; previous record 53.1 inches in 1961/62).

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Prince William

When
March 8, 5:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Prince William forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Fairfax

When
March 8, 5:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Fairfax forecast zone
Coordinates
38.841, -77.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Arlington

When
March 8, 5:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Arlington forecast zone
Coordinates
38.855, -77.106 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Virginia in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, March 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5539171, 5539172, 5539173.