West Virginia, 2010

Heavy Snow in West Virginia, December 12 to 14, 2010

December 12 to 14, 2010 · NWS RNK · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Very strong northwest winds developed in the wake of a departing cold front. The persistent trajectories and duration of the event helped snow accumulate up to over one foot at the higher elevations.

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
3

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.

Very strong northwest winds developed in the wake of a departing cold front. The persistent trajectories and duration of the event helped snow accumulate up to over one foot at the higher elevations.

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 Dec 12, 6:18 AM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 12, 6:18 AM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 12, 5:15 AM EST, 2 hours 9 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

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Mercer

When
December 12, 7:24 AM EST to December 14, 10:03 AM EST
Where
Mercer forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.406, -81.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow amounts across the county ranged from 6.0 inches at Bramwell to 10.0 inches near Wenonah. Damage values are estimated.

Heavy Snow, Summers

When
December 12, 11:30 AM EST to December 14, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Summers forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.656, -80.859 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow amounts across the county ranged from 6.0 inches at Jumping Branch to 7.0 inches at Ellison Ridge. Damage values are estimated.

Heavy Snow, Greenbrier

When
December 12, 4:40 PM EST to December 14, 7:40 AM EST
Where
Greenbrier forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways

Snow amounts across the county ranged from 4.0 inches at Renick to 12.3 inches at McRoss. Damage values are estimated.

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 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, December 2010

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: 275214, 275215, 275213.