Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in West Virginia, December 16, 2010

Name: Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in West Virginia, December 16, 2010
Start: 2010-12-16T03:00
End: 2010-12-16T17:00
Location: West Virginia

December 16, 2010 · NWS RLX · 21 events in 21 counties and zones

A strong warm air advection pattern developed as a weak surface low pressure tracked east from Arkansas to southwest Virginia. After 3 to 4 inches of snow fell, the snow changed to freezing rain over the southern West Virginia coal fields.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 18 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: 21

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 warm air advection pattern developed as a weak surface low pressure tracked east from Arkansas to southwest Virginia.

After 3 to 4 inches of snow fell, the snow changed to freezing rain over the southern West Virginia coal fields. A quarter to a half inch of ice accumulated. However, no widespread electrical outages occurred. Elsewhere, the precipitation stayed mainly snow, where 4 to 6 inches accumulated.

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 16, 12:48 AM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 16, 12:48 AM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 15, 4:09 PM EST, 10 hours 51 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
409 PM EST WED DEC 15 2010

KYZ101>103-105-OHZ086-087-WVZ005>008-013>018-026-027-035>037-162115-
GREENUP-CARTER-BOYD-LAWRENCE KY-GALLIA-LAWRENCE OH-WAYNE-CABELL-
MASON-JACKSON WV-LINCOLN-PUTNAM-KANAWHA-ROANE-WIRT-CALHOUN-BOONE-
CLAY-RALEIGH-FAYETTE-NICHOLAS-
409 PM EST WED DEC 15 2010

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM EST
THURSDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST
KENTUCKY...SOUTHEAST OHIO AND MUCH OF WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER STORM WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER STORM WARNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

OHZ066-067-162115-
PERRY-MORGAN-
409 PM EST WED DEC 15 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST OHIO.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

OHZ075-076-083>085-WVZ009>011-019-020-028>032-038>040-046-047-162115-
ATHENS-WASHINGTON-JACKSON OH-VINTON-MEIGS-WOOD-PLEASANTS-TYLER-
RITCHIE-DODDRIDGE-BRAXTON-GILMER-LEWIS-HARRISON-TAYLOR-WEBSTER-
UPSHUR-BARBOUR-POCAHONTAS-RANDOLPH-
409 PM EST WED DEC 15 2010

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 6 PM EST
THURSDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST OHIO...CENTRAL WEST
VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

VAZ003-004-WVZ024-025-033-034-162115-
DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-MINGO-LOGAN-MCDOWELL-WYOMING-
409 PM EST WED DEC 15 2010

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 2 PM
EST THURSDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND
SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER STORM WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER STORM WARNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 heavy snow, 5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Cabell

When: December 16, 3:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Cabell forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.420, -82.242 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, McDowell

When: December 16, 4:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: McDowell forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.379, -81.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wyoming

When: December 16, 4:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Wyoming forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.610, -81.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Boone

When: December 16, 4:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.023, -81.711 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Logan

When: December 16, 4:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.832, -81.935 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mingo

When: December 16, 4:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Mingo forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.726, -82.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lincoln

When: December 16, 4:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.175, -82.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Mason

When: December 16, 4:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Mason forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.770, -82.026 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Putnam

When: December 16, 4:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Putnam forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.509, -81.909 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wayne

When: December 16, 4:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.146, -82.427 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Jackson

When: December 16, 5:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.835, -81.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kanawha

When: December 16, 5:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Kanawha forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.337, -81.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Fayette

When: December 16, 5:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Fayette forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow, Raleigh

When: December 16, 5:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Raleigh forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Heavy Snow, Clay

When: December 16, 6:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.463, -81.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Calhoun

When: December 16, 6:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Calhoun forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.845, -81.118 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Nicholas

When: December 16, 6:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Nicholas forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Heavy Snow, Roane

When: December 16, 6:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Roane forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.714, -81.348 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Braxton

When: December 16, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Braxton forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.700, -80.719 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wirt

When: December 16, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Wirt forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 39.022, -81.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wood

When: December 16, 7:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Wood forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 39.211, -81.515 (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.
Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in West Virginia in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 265451, 265443, 265444, 265445, 265446, 265447, 265455, 265456, 265459, 265460, 265452, 265453, 265454, 265458, 265449, 265450, 265457, 265462, 265448, 265461, 265463.