West Virginia, 1996

Heavy Snow in West Virginia, February 2 to 3, 1996

February 2 to 3, 1996 · NWS LWX · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

The continuation of a strong upper-level jet streak, combined with additional mid-level dynamics, generated surface low pressure over central Georgia by evening on the 2nd. As the low moved to near Cape Hatteras overnight, a broad area of heavy snow overspread eastern West Virginia for a short period during the late evening and early morning hours of the 2nd/3rd.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

The continuation of a strong upper-level jet streak, combined with additional mid-level dynamics, generated surface low pressure over central Georgia by evening on the 2nd. As the low moved to near Cape Hatteras overnight, a broad area of heavy snow overspread eastern West Virginia for a short period during the late evening and early morning hours of the 2nd/3rd. Accumulations ranged from 4 to 7 inches, with some higher elevations reporting as much as 10 inches.The storm ushered in the coldest temperatures in two years. High temperatures on the 4th ranged from 8 to 15 degrees above zero, with wind chills 15 to 25 below zero. By dawn on the 5th, light winds and a moderate snow pack allowed temperatures to fall to as low as 15 to 20 below in sheltered valley locations.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Grant

When
February 2, 11:00 PM EST to February 3, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Grant forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Mineral

When
February 2, 11:00 PM EST to February 3, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Mineral forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Pendleton

When
February 2, 11:00 PM EST to February 3, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Pendleton forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Hampshire

When
February 3, 12:00 AM EST to 3:00 AM EST
Where
Hampshire forecast zone
Coordinates
39.317, -78.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Hardy

When
February 3, 12:00 AM EST to 3:00 AM EST
Where
Hardy forecast zone
Coordinates
39.008, -78.858 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Morgan

When
February 3, 12:00 AM EST to 4:00 AM EST
Where
Morgan forecast zone
Coordinates
39.560, -78.258 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Berkeley

When
February 3, 12:00 AM EST to 4:00 AM EST
Where
Berkeley forecast zone
Coordinates
39.464, -78.027 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Jefferson

When
February 3, 12:00 AM EST to 5:00 AM EST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Coordinates
39.308, -77.863 (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 West Virginia in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, February 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5541790, 5541791, 5541792, 5541793, 5541794, 5541795, 5541796, 5541797.