Extreme Cold in Virginia, May 19 to 22, 2002

Name: Extreme Cold in Virginia, May 19 to 22, 2002
Start: 2002-05-19T06:00
End: 2002-05-22T08:00
Location: Virginia

May 19 to 22, 2002 · NWS RLX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Early morning minimum temperatures were in the 30s for 4 consecutive days. Little damage was noted to agriculture.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: 2

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 RLX wrote it up.

Early morning minimum temperatures were in the 30s for 4 consecutive days. Little damage was noted to agriculture. However, the growth of the spring vegetation was slowed.

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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 19, 4:00 AM EST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 19, 4:00 AM EST, 2 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
500 AM EDT SUN MAY 19 2002

I THINK I SAW A ROBIN PACK ITS BAGS AND HEAD BACK SOUTH.

DURATION OF THE COOL SPELL IS THE MAIN THEME...LASTING 4 DAYS -
FM SAT INTO TUE. RECORD LO TEMPS R LKLY.

AS WE THOUGHT YESTERDAY...CLOUDS AT NIGHT R THE DIFFICULT FEATURE
IN THIS FCST.  PATCHES OF CLDS REFORMED OVERNIGHT ACRS THE WV MTNS.
FOG FORMG ALG MAJOR RVRS.

NEXT VORT PASSING US ARND 00Z TNGT. MAY GET A FEW LGT SHWRS THIS
AFTN OR THIS EVE..AS SUBSIDENCE INVERSION WEAKENS LATE TDY..SPCLY
NRN COUNTIES.  NEXT VORT MAX SWINGING THRU NRN WV/WRN PA MON.  AGAIN
A CHC OF BRIEF SHWRS.

DEW POINTS LKLY TO BE A FEW DEGS LWR TNGT AND MON NGT.  MENTIONED
SCT FROST AND A FREEZE IN WV MTNS.  NO NPW/HEADLINE ISSUED ON ELY
MRNG RELEASE DUE TO CLOUD COVER ISSUE.

NO BIG CHANGES MADE TO OUR EXTENDED FCST WED-SAT.

.RLX...
WV...NONE.
VA...NONE.
KY...NONE.
OH...NONE.

.END/ BATTY

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Buchanan

When: May 19, 6:00 AM EST to May 22, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Buchanan forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.267, -82.036 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Dickenson

When: May 19, 6:00 AM EST to May 22, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Dickenson forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.126, -82.350 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill: Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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, May 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: 5291321, 5291322.