Winter Storm in Virginia, January 19, 2002

Name: Winter Storm in Virginia, January 19, 2002
Start: 2002-01-19T11:00
End: 2002-01-19T22:00
Location: Virginia

January 19, 2002 · NWS RNK · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Snow developed during the morning of the 9th and accumulated 5 to 7 inches before changing to sleet and freezing rain, then ending late in the evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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: 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 RNK wrote it up.

Snow developed during the morning of the 9th and accumulated 5 to 7 inches before changing to sleet and freezing rain, then ending late in the evening.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 19, 10:05 AM EST, 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 10:05 AM EST, 55 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG, VA
1005 AM EST SAT JAN 19 2002

COMPLICATED FCST THIS MORNING DUE TO RANGE OF P-TYPE ACROSS THE CWA.
LOTS OF SLEET IN THE NRN MTNS/FOOTHILLS OF NW NC...AND ALSO FAR SW
VA WEST OF THE NRV. MAINLY RAIN/FRZG RAIN IN THE NW NC PIED INTO
SSIDE VA...AND MAINLY SNOW ELSEWHERE. LOOKS LIKE THE HEAVY SNOW
CORRIDOR WILL BE FROM THE EASTERN NEW RIVER AND GREENBRIER
VALLEYS...EASTWARD THRU THE HIGHLANDS OF VA...AND INTO THE
ROA/LYH/LEXINGTON AREAS. WILL UP SNOW AMOUNTS IN THOSE AREAS. WILL
DROP THE WARNING IN THE NW NC PIED TO AN ADVISORY.  ONE OTHER THING
IS THAT IT LOOKS LIKE PCPN WILL END EARLY THIS AFT IN THE
WEST...BACK EDGE ON THE JKL 88D WILL BE INTO TAZEWELL CO BY 1130 AM.

.RNK...
NC...WINTER STORM WARNING TODAY FOR NCZ001>003-018-019.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TODAY FOR NCZ004>006-020.

VA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TODAY VAZ007-009-010-012.
     WINTER STORM WARNING TODAY REMAINDER OF FORECAST AREA.

WV...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TODAY WVZ042.
     WINTER STORM WARNING TODAY WVZ043>045.

JJ

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Rockbridge

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Rockbridge forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.774, -79.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Alleghany

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Alleghany forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.791, -80.000 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Bath

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Bath forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.059, -79.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Bedford

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Bedford forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.315, -79.524 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Botetourt

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Botetourt forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.557, -79.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Craig

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Craig forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.481, -80.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Buckingham

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Buckingham forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.572, -78.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Amherst

When: January 19, 11:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Amherst forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.605, -79.145 (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

Every storm in Virginia in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, January 2002

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: 5278364, 5278365, 5278366, 5278367, 5278368, 5278369, 5278370, 5278371.