Virginia, 2011

Extreme Cold in Virginia, January 12 to 13, 2011

January 12 to 13, 2011 · NWS LWX · 4 events in 2 counties and zones

Low pressure intensified off the New England coast while high pressure approached from the Midwest. A strong gradient between these two systems caused windy conditions.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
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 LWX wrote it up.

Low pressure intensified off the New England coast while high pressure approached from the Midwest. A strong gradient between these two systems caused windy conditions. The gusty winds combined with cold air for extremely low wind chills for locations near the Allegheny Front.

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 Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 11, 6:38 PM EST, 11 hours 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 11, 6:38 PM EST, 11 hours 22 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 11, 5:37 PM EST, 12 hours 23 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

4 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Western Highland

When
January 12, 6:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Western Highland forecast zone
Reported by
Unknown
Coordinates
38.362, -79.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chill values were estimated to be around -20F.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Highland

When
January 12, 6:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Highland forecast zone
Reported by
Unknown
Coordinates
38.362, -79.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chill values were estimated to be around -20F.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Western Highland

When
January 12, 9:00 PM EST to January 13, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Western Highland forecast zone
Reported by
Unknown
Coordinates
38.362, -79.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chill values were estimated to be around -20F.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Highland

When
January 12, 9:00 PM EST to January 13, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Highland forecast zone
Reported by
Unknown
Coordinates
38.362, -79.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chill values were estimated to be around -20F.

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Virginia in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, January 2011

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: 280479, 280482, 280481, 280483.