Blizzard and Flood in West Virginia, October 29 to 31, 2012

Name: Blizzard and Flood in West Virginia, October 29 to 31, 2012
Start: 2012-10-29T15:00
End: 2012-10-31T12:00
Location: West Virginia

October 29 to 31, 2012 · NWS PBZ · 12 events in 8 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $75,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 12

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 PBZ wrote it up.

The remnants of Sandy brought a variety of weather impacts to western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, and Garrett county Maryland as the storm made landfall and interacted with a cold front essentially right over the region. Heavy rain and strong winds combined to cause downed trees and power-lines in the lower elevations. Meanwhile, the higher elevations experienced blizzard conditions, with snow amounts in excess of 2 1/2 feet reported at elevations above 2500 feet.

Rain began on the 26th as the cold front slowly crossed the region and then stalled over the Appalachians. This cold front then interacted with Sandy as the storm made landfall on the 29th. In general, rainfall from the front and remnants of Sandy averaged 2 inches across much of eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania. Amounts in excess of 4 inches were reported in and and around Pittsburgh and parts of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. However, due to dry antecedent conditions, only minor flooding was reported across the region.

The saturated ground did play in an important role later however, as the pressure gradient between the front and Sandy remnants strengthened. There were several reports of trees down and power outages across the lower elevations.

Cold air, wrapping around the system as it moved inland helped to change the higher elevations to snow early on the 29th. Snow accumulated rapidly, up to two inches per hour for much of the overnight hours on the 29-30th. Very low visibilities resulting in and indirect fatality in Tucker county. Snow amounts in excess of 2 1/2 feet were reported in Tucker and Preston counties in West Virginia and Garrett county, Maryland. Amounts of 8-12 inches were reported in the ridges of Fayette and Westmoreland county in Pennsylvania and even in portions of eastern Monongalia county in West Virginia. The heavy snow combined with the wind to down numerous trees and power-lines making those areas nearly impassable. The roof of a gas station in Terra Alta also gave way due to the weight of the snow. Almost 95% of residents in Preston, Tucker, and Garrett county were without power during the peak of the snow-storm, which outages lasting over a week in many locations.

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 Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 29, 9:26 AM EST, 5 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 29, 9:26 AM EST, 5 hours 34 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 29, 4:06 AM EST, 10 hours 54 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 29, 2:39 PM EST, 21 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

6 strong wind, 3 heavy snow, 2 blizzard, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Tucker

When: October 29, 3:00 PM EST to October 31, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Tucker forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Blizzard, Preston

When: October 29, 3:00 PM EST to October 31, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Preston forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Strong Wind, Hancock

When: October 29, 9:00 PM EST to October 30, 5:30 AM EST
Where: Hancock forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 40.522, -80.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Emergency management reports of trees down throughout county.

Strong Wind, Monongalia

When: October 29, 10:00 PM EST to October 30, 5:30 AM EST
Where: Monongalia forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: 911 Call Center

Call center employee reports of trees down throughout county.

Flood, Marion

When: October 29, 10:52 PM EST to October 30, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Marion County, 0.87 mi SE of Bethlehem to 0.8 mi SE of Bethlehem
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 39.460, -80.260

Emergency management reported a rock slide due to heavy rainfall west of Fairmont.

Strong Wind, Brooke

When: October 29, 11:00 PM EST to October 30, 5:30 AM EST
Where: Brooke forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 40.274, -80.576 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Call center employee reported of trees down.

Strong Wind, Marshall

When: October 29, 11:00 PM EST to October 30, 5:30 AM EST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 39.861, -80.663 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Call center employee reported of trees down.

Strong Wind, Ohio

When: October 30, 12:00 AM EST to 5:30 AM EST
Where: Ohio forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 40.097, -80.619 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

West Virginia department of highways reported trees down in several locations.

Strong Wind, Marion

When: October 30, 12:00 AM EST to 5:30 AM EST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 39.510, -80.243 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

West Virginia department of highways reported trees down in several locations.

Heavy Snow, Monongalia

When: October 30, 12:00 AM EST to October 31, 6:00 AM EST
Where: Monongalia forecast zone
Reported by: Public

Heavy Snow, Preston

When: October 31, 4:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where: Preston forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Heavy Snow, Tucker

When: October 31, 4:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where: Tucker forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Blizzard, Tucker	2012-10-29	40	Female	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Indirect

What these are

Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
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

Every storm in West Virginia in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in West Virginia, October 2012

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: 417767, 417771, 417870, 417902, 415741, 417897, 417899, 417914, 417915, 417948, 417962, 417964.