High Wind in West Virginia, March 9, 2002

Name: High Wind in West Virginia, March 9, 2002
Start: 2002-03-09T17:20
End: 2002-03-09T19:55
Location: West Virginia

March 9, 2002 · NWS RLX · 25 events in 25 counties and zones

A strong cold front rapidly transversed West Virginia during this Saturday evening. Wind gusts of 45 to 70 mph were associated with a narrow band of showers.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 22 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: $75,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 25

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.

A strong cold front rapidly transversed West Virginia during this Saturday evening. Wind gusts of 45 to 70 mph were associated with a narrow band of showers. Wood County Airport measured a gust to 70 mph at 1812E. The Tri State Airport near Huntington measured a 62 mph gust at 1730E. The Charleston National Weather Service office measured a gust to 51 mph at 1833E. In the wake of the front, winds remained gusty, as temperatures fell quickly from the 60s into the 40s. A roof to a small church in Huntington was blown off. A sign was blown through a store window in Ravenswood. Numerous trees and power lines were affected in the western counties. Damage became more isolated from the Charleston vicinity and the Interstate 79 corridor on east, into the mountainous counties.

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 Mar 9, 4:35 PM EST, 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 9, 4:35 PM EST, 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSIO...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
435 PM EST SAT MAR 9 2002

...HAVE UPDATED TO ADD HIGH WIND WARNING TO ALL OF OUR CWA EXCEPT
FAR SOUTHERN WV AND VA COUNTIES...

SHORT TERM THOUGHTS...TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...

LATEST WEATHER MAP SHOWS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER LAKE SUPERIOR
WITH A STRONG COLD FRONT EXTENDING CURVING SOUTHWARD ACROSS WESTERN
OHIO AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY INTO THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO.  A LARGE
AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE STRETCHED FROM SOUTHWEST CANADA INTO THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS.

INITIAL LINE OF SHOWERS AND MAYBE AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM IS
CURRENTLY MOVING EAST ACROSS OUR CWA AROUND 25-30 MPH.  ANOTHER LINE
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED ALONG THE FRONT.  IT IS
BEEN BREEZY ACROSS THE REGION WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS QUITE COMMON.  BECAUSE OF THESE WINDS AND SOME
SUNSHINE...AIRMASS HAS BECOME MARGINALLY UNSTABLE WITH SURFACE-BASED
CAPE VALUES TO 500 J/KG.

UPPER LEVEL FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH AN MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROF
SWINGING ACROSS THE AREA WILL COMBINE WITH THIS INSTABILITY TO
RESULT IN A CONTINUED THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE FRONT.

WILL KEEP WIND ADVISORY IN PLACE AS GRADIENT WINDS WILL REMAIN QUITE
STRONG.  IN ADDITION...WINDS AROUND THE STRONGER STORMS COULD RESULT
IN A THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS.

CURRENT THINKING IS THAT FRONT SHOULD PUSH EAST AND BE LOCATED NEAR
OUR NORTHEASTERN COUNTIES AROUND 00 UTC.  MOST OF THE PRECIP SHOULD
BE ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS FRONT.  WILL LIKELY GO WITH 50 POPS IN
THE NORTHEAST TO 20 POPS IN THE FAR WEST.   HOWEVER WITH THREAT OF
PRECIP AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WILL HAVE AN EVENING PERIOD.

PRECIP SHOULD EXIT THE REGION OVERNIGHT WITH MOST OF THE WESTERN
COUNTIES CLEAR AND DRY BY MIDNIGHT.  THE REMAINDER OF THE CWA SHOULD
BE MOSTLY CLEAR AND DRY BY MORNING.  THE PRECIP SHOULD CHANGE TO OR
MIX WITH SNOW OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS BEFORE ENDING BY MORNING.

HIGH WILL PUSH INTO THE REGION ON SUNDAY AND THEN BE LOCATED
OVERHEAD SUNDAY NIGHT.  THIS WILL RESULT IN MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND
BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES.

AS THE HIGH PUSHED EAST ON MONDAY...SOUTHERLY WINDS AND MOSTLY CLEAR
SKIES WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO WARM BACK TO NEAR NORMAL VALUES.

REMAINDER OF FORECAST...

SPED THINGS UP 12 HRS WITH NEXT SYS...NOW TIMED FOR MONDAY
NIGHT/TUESDAY.  GOOD MODEL AGRMNT WITH THIS.  BEYOND MIDWEEK...WE
AGAIN ESTABLISH SE RIDGE WITH FRONT SETTING UP TO OUR NORTHWEST.
QUESTON IS HOW CLOSE FRONT GETS THU-FRI PD.  WENT WITH IDEA OF ANY
PRECIP STAYING JUST NW OF CWA UNTIL SAT/SAT NIGHT.  POPS EVEN THEN
DEPEND UPON SHORT WAVE BEING ABLE TO PENETRATE FAR ENOUGH SOUTH AS
MEAN UPPER LEVEL FLOW STILL SW COME NEXT SAT.

RAISED TEMPERATURES FRIDAY TO EQUAL THOSE THURS.  THIS KEEPS PCKG
NOT FAR FROM NUMBERS...EXCEPT TUESDAY NIGHT...WHERE WENT A LITTLE
LOWER ON RADIATION.

.RLX...
WV...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THIS EVENING FOR ZONES WVZ005>011...
WVZ013>020...WVZ026>032...WVZ035>040...WVZ046>047.

WV...WIND ADVISORY FOR THIS EVENING FOR ZONES WVZ024>025...
WVZ033>034.

VA...WIND ADVISORY FOR THIS EVENING FOR ZONES VAZ003>004.

KY...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THIS EVENING FOR ZONES
KYZ101>103...KYZ105.

OH...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THIS EVENING FOR ZONES
OHZ066>067...OHZ075>076...OHZ083>087.

.END/JSH/TRM

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

25 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Barbour

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Barbour forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.133, -80.003 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Boone

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.023, -81.711 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Braxton

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Braxton forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.700, -80.719 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Cabell

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Cabell forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 38.420, -82.242 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Clay

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.463, -81.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Doddridge

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Doddridge forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.269, -80.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Fayette

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Fayette forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

High Wind, Harrison

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Harrison forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.284, -80.380 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Jackson

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.835, -81.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Kanawha

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Kanawha forecast zone
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.337, -81.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lewis

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Lewis forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.996, -80.502 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lincoln

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.175, -82.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Mason

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Mason forecast zone
Property damage: $6,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.770, -82.026 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Nicholas

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Nicholas forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

High Wind, Pleasants

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Pleasants forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.371, -81.161 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Putnam

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Putnam forecast zone
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.509, -81.909 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Ritchie

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Ritchie forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.178, -81.063 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Roane

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Roane forecast zone
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.714, -81.348 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Taylor

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Taylor forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.336, -80.046 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Tyler

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Tyler forecast zone
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.465, -80.885 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Upshur

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Upshur forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.898, -80.233 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wayne

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.146, -82.427 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Webster

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

High Wind, Wirt

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Wirt forecast zone
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.022, -81.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wood

When: March 9, 5:20 PM EST to 7:55 PM EST
Where: Wood forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 39.211, -81.515 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in West Virginia in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in West Virginia, March 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: 5282841, 5282842, 5282843, 5282844, 5282845, 5282846, 5282920, 5282921, 5282922, 5282923, 5282924, 5282925, 5282926, 5282927, 5282928, 5282929, 5282930, 5282931, 5282932, 5282933, 5282934, 5282935, 5282936, 5282937, 5282938.