West Virginia, 2002

Heavy Snow in West Virginia, December 25 to 26, 2002

December 25 to 26, 2002 · NWS RLX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

On the 24th, a rain and snow mixture fell during the onset of a developing coastal storm. The mixture changed to mainly rain during Christmas Eve.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
10

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.

On the 24th, a rain and snow mixture fell during the onset of a developing coastal storm. The mixture changed to mainly rain during Christmas Eve. As the coastal storm strengthened, backlash snows formed during Christmas morning. Snow accumulations of 3 to 12 inches occurred across Nicholas, Pocahontas, Randolph, and Webster Counties, with the upper range above 2800 feet. Valley Head and Pickens measured 7 inches, while Camden on Gauley had 8 inches. The higher terrain near Richwood had 10 inches of snow on the ground. Across Barbour, Fayette, Taylor, Raleigh, Upshur, and Wyoming Counties accumulations were on the order of 2 to 5 inches.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Wyoming

When
December 25, 10:00 AM EST to December 26, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Wyoming forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.610, -81.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Nicholas

When
December 25, 10:00 AM EST to December 26, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Nicholas forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow, Pocahontas

When
December 25, 10:00 AM EST to December 26, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Pocahontas forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow, Randolph

When
December 25, 10:00 AM EST to December 26, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Randolph forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow, Webster

When
December 25, 10:00 AM EST to December 26, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Webster forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow, Barbour

When
December 25, 10:00 AM EST to December 26, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Barbour forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
39.133, -80.003 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Fayette

When
December 25, 10:00 AM EST to December 26, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Fayette forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow, Raleigh

When
December 25, 10:00 AM EST to December 26, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Raleigh forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow, Taylor

When
December 25, 10:00 AM EST to December 26, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Taylor forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
39.336, -80.046 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Upshur

When
December 25, 10:00 AM EST to December 26, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Upshur forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.898, -80.233 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in West Virginia in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, December 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5318691, 5323787, 5323788, 5323789, 5323790, 5323791, 5323792, 5323793, 5323794, 5323795.