Virginia, 2008

Heavy Snow in Virginia, February 26 to 28, 2008

February 26 to 28, 2008 · NWS RNK · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A strong cold front moved through the area late in the afternoon on February 26th. S.

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

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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 RNK wrote it up.

A strong cold front moved through the area late in the afternoon on February 26th. Much colder air behind the front surged into the area during the 27th, while a series of upper disturbances gradually deepened a trough over the eastern U.S. and provided a prolonged period of arctic air moving across the Great Lakes and into the southern Appalachians. Snow showers brought several periods of accumulating snows to those favored upslope areas. The highest amounts occurred near Burkes Garden and Mount Rogers.

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 Feb 26, 6:46 PM EST, 3 hours 14 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 26, 6:46 PM EST, 3 hours 14 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 26, 4:50 PM EST, 5 hours 10 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 26, 4:11 PM EST, 5 hours 49 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Tazewell

When
February 26, 10:00 PM EST to February 28, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Tazewell forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
37.125, -81.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Up to 7 inches of snow accumulated across the higher terrain of Tazewell county, especially in the eastern portions of the county. Snow showers occurred off and on from late in the evening of the 26th, through early afternoon on the 28th. Seven inches of snow fell in Burkes Garden.

Heavy Snow, Grayson

When
February 26, 10:00 PM EST to February 28, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Grayson forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
36.657, -81.225 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Up to 6 inches of snow accumulated across the higher terrain of western Grayson county. Snow showers occurred off and on from late in the evening of the 26th, through late morning on the 28th.

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 Virginia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, February 2008

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: 83833, 83836.