Low pressure developed off the New England coast and a northwest flow ushered in plenty of cold air across eastern West Virginia. The cold northwest flow picked up moisture from the Great Lakes causing snow showers across locations along and west of the Allegheny Front.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.
Low pressure developed off the New England coast and a northwest flow ushered in plenty of cold air across eastern West Virginia. The cold northwest flow picked up moisture from the Great Lakes causing snow showers across locations along and west of the Allegheny Front.
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 Feb 10, 3:18 PM EST, 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
318 PM EST FRI FEB 10 2012
.SYNOPSIS...
LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COAST THIS EVENING
AND TRACK NORTHEASTWARD. A COLD FRONT ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA WILL
TRACK INTO THE MID ATLANTIC EARLY SATURDAY...BRINGING COLDER AIR
TO THE REGION THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. MODERATING TEMPERATURES ARE
EXPECTED BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OFF THE
COAST.
&&
.NEAR TERM /TONIGHT/...
WINT STORM WRNG ISSUED FOR THE WRN 5...ADVSRY FOR THE COUNTIES TO
THE IMMEDIATELY TO THE E OF THE WRNG AND ALONG THE MASON-DIXON LN.
WE ARE SEEING 25+ DBZ ECHOES IN THE CENTRAL SHEN VLLY WELL AHD OF
THE SRN TROF. ATTM AM UNSURE IF ANY OF THAT IS REACHING THE
GRND..ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT THE RDR IS SAMPLING OVR 7000 FT AT THE
LOWEST ELEV AT THAT RANGE. FURTHER N EKN IS REPORTING S- W/ TEMP
35 DEGS.
STRONGEST CD FNT OF THE WINTER CURRENTLY SITS OVR SRN ONTARIO/
MICHIGAN WL BE MOVG INTO THE NWRN FRINGES OF FCST AREA BTWN 06 AND
09Z. AS STATED ABV...MOISTURE IN ADVNC OF THE TROF IS ALREADY
MOVING INTO ERN W.V. W OF THE MTNS TEMPS HV STRUGGLED TO GET MUCH
ABV FRZG TDA...AND SNOW IS BEING REPORTED AHD OF THE FNT. WE HV A
9 PM START TIME FOR THE WRNG...AND CERTAINLY WOULDN'T DOUBT THAT
SOME LGT SN COULD OCCUR B4 THEN...BUT BETTER CHCS FOR ACCUMULATING
SN WL BE LATER THIS EVE...AND AS THE FNT DRAWS CLOSER FORCING WL
INCRS. OF COURSE THE BEST CHCS WL BE AFTR THE CAA SETS UP LATE
TNGT AND SAT.
GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF THE WIND FIELD AND AMT OF MOISTURE THAT CAN
BE DRAWN FM AN OPEN SET OF GRT LKS IT SEEMS LKLY THAT THE SNOW
WON'T STOP AT THE WRN HIGHLANDS. HENCE THE ADVSRY IS ISSUED
IMMEDIATELY E OF THOSE COUNTIES. FOR THE COUNTIES ALONG THE MASON-
DIXON SUSPECT THAT STREAMERS WL BE MAKING IT INTO THE ERN
PANHANDLE...PTNLY ALL THE WAY TO NRN SXNS OF THE CHES BAY LATE
TNGT AND SAT. IT'S CONCEIVABLE THAT AREAS W/ STREAMERS COULD PICK
UP 1-3" BY END OF SAT WHILE 5 MILES AWAY GETS CLOSE TO NOTHING.
FM CENTRAL SHEN VLLY TO DC/BALT MANY OF THE TEMPS ARE IN THE
MU40S. PCPN THAT FALLS TNGT WOULD BE RA...OR AT WORSE CASE A RASN
MIX.
ANOTHER FACTOR WL BE ROAD TEMPS - MD CHART SHOWS ROAD TEMPS
CURRENTLY IN 50S...EVEN ACROSS CARROLL AND HARFORD. CLD CVR SHOULD
ACTUALLY HELP ROAD TEMPS UP TNGT...FURTHERING LESSENING CHC OF AN
IMPACT IN THE I-95 CORRIDOR IN MAJOR CITIES.
LATE TNGT TEMPS IN THE 20S W OF I-81...LM30S ELSEHWERE.
&&
.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY/...
AS MENTIONED IN THE SXN ABV SNSH WL BE OCCURRING THRUT THE DAY
SAT AS STRONG CAA OVRTAKES THE MID ATLC. ISSUED THE ADVSRY THRU 7
PM SAT...BUT SUSPECT THERE'S A CHC THOSE MAY NEED TO XTND AS
CAA/GUSTY NW WINDS CONT THRU SAT AND INTO SAT NGT. TEMPS REACHING
THE L40S DURG MIDDAY THEN PRBLY FALLING DURG THE AFTN.
&&
.LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
THE FIRST PHASE OF THE SYSTEM WILL BE ENDING TOWARD DAWN SAT
MRNG...THEN THE SECOND AND MUCH WINDIER PHASE WILL BEGIN. AFTER THE
MORE BROAD ZONE OF PRECIP /MAINLY SNOW WEST OF I-95 AND RAIN-SNOW
MIX ALONG AND EAST/ EXITS OFF THE COAST BY MID MRNG...THEN CAA WILL
ARRIVE W/ A QUITE AN ENTRANCE. CLOUDS WILL ONLY TEMPORARILY BREAK UP
SAT MRNG BEFORE FILLING BACK IN AS THE SHARP/DEEP UPPER TROUGH AXIS
ARRIVES. THIS FEATURE WILL ACT AS AN BOUNDARY LAYER COLD
FRONT...PUSHING SEVERAL BANDS OF PRECIP OUT AHEAD OF IT AND MIXING
GUSTY WINDS TO THE SFC /BEHIND IT/.
AMBIENT SFC TEMPS WILL CLIMB JUST INTO THE 40S OVER THE PIEDMONT BUT
MOSTLY BE IN THE 30S ALL-DAY. HOWEVER...IT WILL FEEL MORE LIKE THE
20S AND 30S. WINDS DURING THE MRNG AND EARLY AFTN HRS WILL BE MAINLY
A STIFF BREEZE...BUT AS THE AFTERNOON WEARS ON THE WNWLY WINDS WILL
PICK UP WELL INTO THE 20-30MPH RANGE AND ONLY INCREASE TOWARD EVE.
THE STRONGEST PERIOD OF WINDS ACTUALLY EXPECTED OVERNIGHT SAT INTO
EARLY SUN. WIND ADVISORY CONDITIONS LIKELY ACROSS A MAJORITY - IF
NOT THE ENTIRE CWA OVERNIGHT/. STILL GUSTY ON SUN AFTN/EVE BUT
POSSIBLY JUST A TIER UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS AS OVERNIGHT SAT
NIGHT.
AS THE WINDS SUBSIDE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...THE TEMPS WILL RISE
AGAIN BACK TOWARD ABOVE NORMAL CONDITIONS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL ROLL
ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH AND OFF THE SRN ATLC COAST MON-TUE...JUST
PEAKING INTO THE MID ATLC AND QUIETING DOWN CONDITIONS. A WEAK
SHORTWAVE WILL THEN TAKE THE SAME TREK OVER THE DEEP
SOUTH...POSSIBLY SPREADING SOME LIGHT PRECIP UP THE ERN SEABOARD
TUE. AS THIS FEATURE ALSO DRIFTS OFF THE COAST...A SORT OF UNSETTLED
SECOND HALF OF NEXT WEEK. ZONAL FLOW FROM THE PLAINS TO THE ATLC
COAST...WHILE SEVERAL UPPER LOWS /IN DIFFERENT AREAS AT DIFFERENT
TIMES/ BEGIN TO SPIN UP LARGER SYSTEMS TOWARD THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
QUITE A MODIFICATION FROM THIS TIME YESTERDAY FOR THE FRI-SAT
FRONTAL PASSAGE OVER THE AREA. INSTEAD...LONG RANGE GUIDANCE
DEPICTING A STRONG BUT STRETCHED-OUT SYSTEM /WEST-TO-EAST/ OVER THE
DEEP SOUTH AS OPPOSED TO THE MORE TYPICAL NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTATION.
&&
.AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
VFR CONDS THIS EVENING. IFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT AREA
TERMINALS OVERNIGHT AS A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE REGION. LOWEST
VISIBILITIES AND CIGS SHOULD OCCUR IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
TOMORROW AS A RAIN/SNOW MIX TRANSITIONS TO ALL SNOW ACROSS THE
REGION. P-TYPE EXCEPTIONS ARE CHO...WHICH IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A
RAIN/SNOW MIX AND MRB...WHICH WILL QUICKLY TRANSITION TO AND
REMAIN ALL SNOW LATE THIS EVENING. A WIND SHIFT TO THE NW WILL
HELP TO USHER DRIER AIR INTO THE AREA TOMORROW IMPROVING CIGS AND
VISIBILITIES TO VFR. WITH A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT BUILDING
BEHIND THE FRONT...WIND GUSTS BY LATE TOMORROW AFTERNOON WILL
INCREASE TO 25KT OR MORE ACROSS THE AREA. ANOTHER BRIEF ROUND OF
SNOW IS EXPECTED TOMORROW EVENING AS A BAND OF PRECIP WRAPS AROUND
THE DEPARTING LOW. AS P-TYPE WILL BE ALL SNOW...IFR VISIBILITIES
CAN BE EXPECTED FOR A FEW HOURS SATURDAY EVENING.
A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW POSSIBLE ACROSS THE I-95 CORRIDOR HEADING
INTO THE EARLY MRNG HRS ON SAT...BUT ENDING FAIRLY QUICKLY TOWARD
AND AFTER SUNRISE. CIGS WILL RISE OUT OF IFR/LOW-END MVFR AS WINDS
PICK UP FROM THE WEST. LATER IN THE DAY...SCATTERED BANDS OF
RAIN/SNOW WILL SLIDE OVER THE AREA AND SO WILL GUSTIER SFC-LOW LEVEL
WINDS. GUSTY NWLY WINDS WILL INCREASE SAT EVE AND PEAK DURING THE
OVERNIGHT HRS. WINDY AGAIN ON SUNDAY BEFORE DISSIPATING...SKIES
CLEARING OUT ON SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE SUNDAY NIGHT THRU MON NIGHT.
A WEAK LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ON TUE W/ SOME POSSIBLE RAIN SHOWERS AND
HIGH PRESSURE HEADING INTO THE END OF THE WEEK.
&&
.MARINE...
WINDS BLO SCA VALUES TNGT. A STRONG CD FNT WL PUSH THRU THE
WATERS ERLY SAT MRNG WL CREATE SOLID SCA LVL WINDS DURG THE DAY.
GALE CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN JUST A COUPLE HRS AFTER SUNSET
SAT...STAYING WELL INTO GALE THROUGHOUT THE OVERNIGHT HRS. WINDS
EXPECTED TO BE A TOUCH LIGHTER ON SUNDAY...BUT THAT MEANS HIGH-END
SCA. MAY LIKELY EXTEND GALE ON SUNDAY...IF TRENDS CONTINUE TO SHOW
+30KT GUSTS APPEARING OVER THE WATERS. WINDS WILL SLOWLY DROP OFF
SUN NIGHT AND THEN BELOW SCA ON MON. HIGH PRESSURE WILL MAKE A
BRIEF APPEARANCE EARLY NEXT WEEK...BEFORE A COUPLE OF WEAK LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEMS SLIDE BY JUST TO THE SOUTH.
&&
.LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
DC...NONE.
MD...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM EST SUNDAY
FOR MDZ501.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM EST
SATURDAY FOR MDZ502.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 PM EST
SATURDAY FOR MDZ003>007.
VA...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM EST SUNDAY
FOR VAZ503.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM EST
SATURDAY FOR VAZ504.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 PM EST
SATURDAY FOR VAZ028.
WV...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM EST SUNDAY
FOR WVZ501-503-505.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM EST
SATURDAY FOR WVZ050-055-502-504-506.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 7 PM EST
SATURDAY FOR WVZ051>053.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 8 AM TO 6 PM EST SATURDAY FOR
ANZ530>543.
GALE WARNING FROM 6 PM SATURDAY TO 6 AM EST SUNDAY FOR
ANZ530>543.
&&
PRODUCTS...WOODY!/CJL/GMSHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 250 PM EST FRI FEB 10 2012 ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ006-007-011-013-014-016>018-VAZ052>057- 111000- CHESAPEAKE BAY NORTH OF POOLES ISLAND MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM POOLES ISLAND TO SANDY POINT MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO NORTH BEACH MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NORTH BEACH TO DRUM POINT MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM DRUM POINT MD TO SMITH POINT VA- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM KEY BRIDGE TO INDIAN HEAD MD- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM INDIAN HEAD TO COBB ISLAND MD- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND MD TO SMITH POINT VA- PATAPSCO RIVER INCLUDING BALTIMORE HARBOR- CHESTER RIVER TO QUEENSTOWN MD-EASTERN BAY- CHOPTANK RIVER TO CAMBRIDGE MD AND THE LITTLE CHOPTANK RIVER- PATUXENT RIVER TO BROOMES ISLAND MD- TANGIER SOUND AND THE INLAND WATERS SURROUNDING BLOODSWORTH ISLAND-DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-NORTHERN BALTIMORE-HARFORD- SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES-ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-ST. MARYS- CALVERT-PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX- ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-SPOTSYLVANIA- KING GEORGE- 250 PM EST FRI FEB 10 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MARYLAND PORTION OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY...TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER...AND ADJACENT COUNTIES IN CENTRAL MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW OVERNIGHT AS COLDER AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION. LIGHT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL LIKELY BE LIMITED TO THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN SUBURBS OF WASHINGTON DC AND BALTIMORE LATE TONIGHT. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE BALTIMORE METRO AREA...NORTH AND WEST OF THE CITY...AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ON SATURDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CONTINUES THROUGH THE DAY FOR THE BALTIMORE METRO AREA...MAINLY NORTH AND WEST OF THE CITY. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WATERS SATURDAY...AND A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WATERS SATURDAY NIGHT. AT LEAST A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL BE NECESSARY ON SUNDAY. A WIND ADVISORY MAY ALSO BE NEEDED OVER LAND AREAS LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND SATURDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MDZ003>005-009-010-501-502-VAZ025>031-036>040-042-050-051-501>504- WVZ050>053-055-501>506-111000- WASHINGTON-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-MONTGOMERY-HOWARD- EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY-CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY-AUGUSTA- ROCKINGHAM-SHENANDOAH-FREDERICK VA-PAGE-WARREN-CLARKE-NELSON- ALBEMARLE-GREENE-MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-LOUDOUN-ORANGE-CULPEPER- NORTHERN FAUQUIER-SOUTHERN FAUQUIER-WESTERN HIGHLAND- EASTERN HIGHLAND-HAMPSHIRE-MORGAN-BERKELEY-JEFFERSON-HARDY- WESTERN GRANT-EASTERN GRANT-WESTERN MINERAL-EASTERN MINERAL- WESTERN PENDLETON-EASTERN PENDLETON- 250 PM EST FRI FEB 10 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA... NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA...AND CENTRAL AND WESTERN MARYLAND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GARRETT COUNTY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST TONIGHT AS COLDER AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT STARTING THIS EVENING FOR THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE ALLEGHENY HIGHLANDS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FURTHER EAST...INCLUDING THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE HIGHLANDS...THE EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE...AND WESTERN AND CENTRAL MARYLAND. ELSEWHERE...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ON SATURDAY...HEAVIEST AND MOST PERSISTENT ON THE WESTERN SLOPES. THE WINTER STORM WARNING ON THE WESTERN SLOPES CONTINUES THROUGH SUNDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE REST OF THE HIGHLANDS... THE EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE...AND WESTERN AND CENTRAL MARYLAND...CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY. ELSEWHERE...SNOW TOTALS OF AN INCH OR LESS ARE EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF THE COLD AIR AND GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE WIND CHILLS TO DROP TO BELOW ZERO OVER HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING. A WIND ADVISORY MAY ALSO BE NEEDED SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND SATURDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall totaled up to 10 inches at Bayard.
Snowfall totaled up to 6 inches near Cherry Grove. Gusty winds caused blowing and drifting snow with drifts reported to be around three feet high.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, February 2012
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: 366910, 366911.