West Virginia, 2011

Extreme Cold in West Virginia, January 22 to 23, 2011

January 22 to 23, 2011 · NWS LWX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Low pressure intensified was located off the New England Coast while high pressure approached from the Ohio Valley. The pressure gradient between these two systems caused breezy 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 was located off the New England Coast while high pressure approached from the Ohio Valley. The pressure gradient between these two systems caused breezy conditions. Cold temperatures combined with breezy conditions for extremely low wind chill values 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 22, 9:08 PM EST, 1 hour 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 22, 9:08 PM EST, 1 hour 52 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 22, 6:03 PM EST, 4 hours 57 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 Grant

When
January 22, 11:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Western Grant forecast zone
Reported by
Unknown
Coordinates
39.105, -79.196 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Western Mineral

When
January 22, 11:00 PM EST to January 23, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Western Mineral forecast zone
Reported by
Unknown
Coordinates
39.415, -78.944 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Western Pendleton

When
January 23, 7:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Western Pendleton forecast zone
Reported by
Unknown
Coordinates
38.681, -79.351 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Pendleton

When
January 23, 7:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Pendleton forecast zone
Reported by
Unknown
Coordinates
38.681, -79.351 (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 West Virginia in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in West 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 280491, 280492, 280493, 280494.