Virginia, 1998

Cold in Virginia, March 11 to 13, 1998

March 11 to 13, 1998 · NWS LWX · 23 events in 23 counties and zones

A series of cold fronts ushered in only the second arctic air mass of the winter of 1997/98. The unseasonably cold air, arriving on the heels of a mild and wet February, caused minor damage to fruit crops in north central and northwestern Virginia.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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
$25,000
Events
23

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 series of cold fronts ushered in only the second arctic air mass of the winter of 1997/98. The unseasonably cold air, arriving on the heels of a mild and wet February, caused minor damage to fruit crops in north central and northwestern Virginia. The combination of mild and moist conditions earlier in the winter not only led to accelerated bud growth, but may have decreased the resistance of fruit trees to the hard freeze.In general, the freeze spared the apple crop, which had not reached critical bud stage. The peach crop was affected, especially in the southern and central Shenandoah Valley. However, the general consensus was that trees at critical bud stage were few, and the affect of the freeze was to thin out the crop. Plum trees, on the other hand, were not so lucky, according to Orange and Culpeper Cos (VAZ050>051) agricultural officials.The coldest morning, March 13, produced several record low temperatures. In particular, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), which had a low of 16 degrees, broke its previous record of 18 set in 1984.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

23 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Highland

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Highland forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, Augusta

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Augusta forecast zone
Coordinates
38.109, -78.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Rockingham

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Rockingham forecast zone
Coordinates
38.481, -78.872 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Frederick

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Frederick forecast zone
Coordinates
39.195, -78.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Page

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Page forecast zone
Coordinates
38.620, -78.484 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Warren

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Warren forecast zone
Coordinates
38.909, -78.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Clarke

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Clarke forecast zone
Coordinates
39.112, -77.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Nelson

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Nelson forecast zone
Coordinates
37.787, -78.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Albemarle

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Albemarle forecast zone
Crop damage
$5,000
Coordinates
38.029, -78.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Greene

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Greene forecast zone
Coordinates
38.298, -78.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Madison

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Coordinates
38.414, -78.279 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Rappahannock

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Rappahannock forecast zone
Coordinates
38.685, -78.159 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Fauquier

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Fauquier forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, Loudoun

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Loudoun forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, Orange

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Orange forecast zone
Crop damage
$10,000
Coordinates
38.246, -78.013 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Culpeper

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Culpeper forecast zone
Crop damage
$10,000
Coordinates
38.486, -77.956 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Prince William

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Prince William forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, Arlington

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Arlington forecast zone
Coordinates
38.855, -77.106 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Fairfax

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Fairfax forecast zone
Coordinates
38.841, -77.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Stafford

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Stafford forecast zone
Coordinates
38.421, -77.457 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Spotsylvania

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Spotsylvania forecast zone
Coordinates
38.244, -77.558 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, King George

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
King George forecast zone
Coordinates
38.274, -77.156 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Shenandoah

When
March 11, 7:00 AM EST to March 13, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Shenandoah forecast zone
Coordinates
38.858, -78.571 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Virginia in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, March 1998

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: 5632480, 5632481, 5632482, 5632826, 5632827, 5632828, 5632829, 5632830, 5632831, 5632832, 5632833, 5632834, 5632835, 5632836, 5632837, 5632838, 5632839, 5632840, 5632841, 5632842, 5632843, 5632844, 5632967.