Heavy Snow in West Virginia, December 5, 2009

Name: Heavy Snow in West Virginia, December 5, 2009
Start: 2009-12-05T05:00
End: 2009-12-05T17:00
Location: West Virginia

December 5, 2009 · NWS RLX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

The first significant snow storm of the winter resulted in a 4 to 8 inch accumulation. Due to the warm ground, most roads were only slushy during the event.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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.

The first significant snow storm of the winter resulted in a 4 to 8 inch accumulation. Due to the warm ground, most roads were only slushy during the event. The snow did collect on wires, resulting in a few electric power outages.

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 Dec 5, 4:35 AM EST, 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 5, 4:35 AM EST, 25 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 4, 3:42 PM EST, 13 hours 18 minutes before

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Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Randolph

When: December 5, 5:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Randolph forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Heavy Snow, Pocahontas

When: December 5, 5:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Pocahontas forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Heavy Snow, Webster

When: December 5, 5:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Heavy Snow, Nicholas

When: December 5, 5:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Nicholas forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

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

Every storm in West Virginia in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in West Virginia, December 2009

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: 198518, 198519, 198520, 198521.