Winter Storm, Grant
- When
- December 29, 7:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
- Where
- Grant forecast zone
Winter Storm in West Virginia, December 29 to 30, 1997
A fast-moving and rapidly deepening low pressure system raced from the South Carolina coast to east of New Jersey in eight hours. An area of moderate to occasionally heavy snow developed over western North Carolina during the morning and raced through eastern West Virginia during the afternoon and early evening.
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
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.
A fast-moving and rapidly deepening low pressure system raced from the South Carolina coast to east of New Jersey in eight hours. An area of moderate to occasionally heavy snow developed over western North Carolina during the morning and raced through eastern West Virginia during the afternoon and early evening. Across the eastern panhandle, accumulations ranged from 5 to 9 inches. Heavier snow fell in the Potomac Highlands, with totals ranging from 9 to 13 inches. Higher mountainous terrain received up to 15 inches. Additional light snow continued over the far western portion of Grant, Mineral, and Pendleton Cos (WVZ048>049-054) into New Year's Eve.Blowing and drifting snow on the 30th created some travel headaches, but problems were minimal. However, a notable accident occurred outside of Martinsburg (WVZ052) when a tractor-trailer flipped along Interstate 81. The storm occurred during a period of low traffic volume between the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
8 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Pendleton
- When
- December 29, 7:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
- Where
- Pendleton forecast zone
Winter Storm, Hardy
- When
- December 29, 7:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
- Where
- Hardy forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.008, -78.858 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Mineral
- When
- December 29, 7:00 PM EST to December 30, 12:00 AM EST
- Where
- Mineral forecast zone
Winter Storm, Hampshire
- When
- December 29, 7:00 PM EST to December 30, 12:00 AM EST
- Where
- Hampshire forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.317, -78.614 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Morgan
- When
- December 29, 8:00 PM EST to December 30, 12:00 AM EST
- Where
- Morgan forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.560, -78.258 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Berkeley
- When
- December 29, 8:00 PM EST to December 30, 12:00 AM EST
- Where
- Berkeley forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.464, -78.027 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Jefferson
- When
- December 29, 10:00 PM EST to December 30, 12:00 AM EST
- Where
- Jefferson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.308, -77.863 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heavy Snow in North Carolina, December 29, 1997
- Winter Storm in Vermont, December 29 to 30, 1997
- Winter Storm in New York, December 29 to 30, 1997
- Winter Storm in New York, December 29 to 30, 1997
- Winter Storm in Vermont, December 29 to 30, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, December 29 to 30, 1997
- Winter Storm in Alabama, December 29, 1997
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, December 29 to 30, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Tennessee, December 29, 1997
- Coastal Flood and High Wind in New Jersey, December 29 to 30, 1997
- Heavy Snow in New York, December 29 to 30, 1997
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Virginia, December 29 to 30, 1997
More
Every storm in West Virginia in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, December 1997
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: 5625224, 5625225, 5625226, 5625227, 5625228, 5625229, 5625230, 5625231.