Winter Storm in Virginia, January 2 to 3, 2002

Name: Winter Storm in Virginia, January 2 to 3, 2002
Start: 2002-01-02T23:30
End: 2002-01-03T17:00
Location: Virginia

January 2 to 3, 2002 · NWS AKQ · 23 events in 23 counties and zones

A winter storm produced 5 to 8 inches of snow across the piedmont of central Virginia, the Virginia northern neck, the middle peninsula, and the Virginia eastern shore. 5".

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 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: 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 AKQ wrote it up.

A winter storm produced 5 to 8 inches of snow across the piedmont of central Virginia, the Virginia northern neck, the middle peninsula, and the Virginia eastern shore. Some specific higher snow totals included: City of Richmond 7-8", City of Colonial Heights 8", Gloucester Point in Gloucester county 8", Mechanicsville in Hanover county 8", Nassawadox in Northampton county 8", Parksley in Accomack county 7", and Ruther Glen in Caroline county 7.5". Local law enforcement agencies reported numerous accidents. Most, if not all schools in the area, were closed Thursday, January 3rd and Friday, January 4th due to very slippery road conditions.

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 Wakefield, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 2, 9:10 PM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 2, 9:10 PM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD, VA
910 PM EST WED JAN 2 2002

LATEST RDR/RDR TRENDS/SFC OBS SHOWING SNOW ADVANCING NNE
INTO OUR NE NC CNTIES/SE VA CNTIES NR THE BORDER.  BANDS
OF HEAVIER PCPN EXTENDED FM JUST N OF FAY TO GSB EWRD TO
N OF HSE.  THIS HVIER PCPN WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT NNE
INTO/ACRS SCNTRL/SE VA/NE NC OVRNGT.  FEEL FCST AMTS LUK
GUD AND WILL LEAVE ALONE BASED ON CURRENT RDR TRENDS/PCPN
MOVEMENT.  BUT...WILL CLEAN UP WORDING FOR OVRNGT SINCE
PCPN ALREADY STARTING ALONG AND S OF THE BORDER.

.AKQ...
MD...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY FOR MDZ022>025.
NC...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR OVERNIGHT AND THURSDAY FOR
     NCZ012>017-030>032.
     GLW ATLC CSTL WTRS NC/VA BRDR TO CURRITUCK BCH LGT.
VA...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR OVERNIGHT AND THURSDAY FOR
     VAZ065-066-079>081-084-086>098-100.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY FOR
     VAZ060>063-067>074-076>078-082-083-085-099.
     GLW ATLC CSTL WTRS CAPE CHARLES LGT TO NC/VA BRDR.

GINGRICH

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

23 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Accomack

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Accomack forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.765, -75.757 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Amelia

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Amelia forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.336, -77.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Caroline

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Caroline forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.027, -77.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Charles City

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Charles City forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.354, -77.059 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Chesterfield / Colonial Heights

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Chesterfield / Colonial Heights forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, Cumberland

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Cumberland forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.512, -78.245 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Essex

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Essex forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, Gloucester

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Gloucester forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.401, -76.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Goochland

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Goochland forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.722, -77.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hanover

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Hanover forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, Henrico / Richmond

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Henrico / Richmond forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, James City / Williamsburg

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: James City / Williamsburg forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.292, -76.740 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, King and Queen

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: King and Queen forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, King William

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: King William forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, Lancaster

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Lancaster forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.702, -76.420 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mathews

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Mathews forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.417, -76.271 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Middlesex

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Middlesex forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.597, -76.578 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, New Kent

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: New Kent forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.505, -76.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northampton

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Northampton forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.301, -75.928 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northumberland

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Northumberland forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.882, -76.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Powhatan

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Powhatan forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.550, -77.915 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Richmond

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Richmond forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.937, -76.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Westmoreland

When: January 2, 11:30 PM EST to January 3, 5:00 PM EST
Where: Westmoreland forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.113, -76.800 (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: 5279200, 5279201, 5279202, 5279203, 5279204, 5279205, 5279206, 5279207, 5279208, 5279209, 5279210, 5279211, 5279212, 5279213, 5279214, 5279215, 5279216, 5279217, 5279218, 5279219, 5279220, 5279288, 5279289.