An strong area of low upper pressure crossing the region on February 16th. An area of surface low pressure developed over the mountains of North Carolina during the morning and moved into the Piedmont of Virginia by the afternoon.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 RNK wrote it up.
An strong area of low upper pressure crossing the region on February 16th. An area of surface low pressure developed over the mountains of North Carolina during the morning and moved into the Piedmont of Virginia by the afternoon. A narrow band of snow formed on the west side of this surface low and produced 4 to 7 inches of snow along the border of Appomattox and Buckingham Counties, and also isolated pockets of 4 to 6 inches occurred over parts of Charlotte County.
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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 16, 5:27 AM EST, 1 hour 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 527 AM EST SAT FEB 16 2013 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WAS MOVING OFF THE VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA COAST THIS MORNING. LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP ALONG THIS FRONT OVER THE OCEAN TONIGHT...THEN WILL DEEPEN RAPIDLY OFF THE NORTHEAST COAST BY LATE SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL CROSS THE AREA MONDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 515 AM EST SATURDAY... POST FRONTAL BAND OF RAIN AND SNOW EXTENDED FROM NEW JERSEY THROUGH VIRGINIA AND INTO SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI EARLY THIS MORNING. MODELS SHOW VERY SLOW MOVEMENT OF THIS PRECIPITATION FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. 00Z RUC/NAM AND WRF ALL CONTINUE TO INDICATE AN AREAS OF PRECIPITATION BUILDING BACK WEST FROM HALIFAX TO BUCKINGHAM COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON. HAVE INCREASED PROBABILITY OF PRECIPITATION IN THIS AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING. BUFKIT SHOWED PLENTY OF COLD AIR ABOVE THE SURFACE...BUT TEMPERATURES NEAR THE GROUND WILL DETERMINE IF THE PRECIPITATION IS RAIN OR SNOW. SURFACE TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO LIMIT SNOW ACCUMULATION. FOR NOW NOT EXPECTING ENOUGH SNOW ACCUMULATION TO SUPPORT ANY WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. IN THE WEST...EXPECT A PERIOD OF UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS THIS MORNING. WILL BE WATCHING A SHORT WAVE COMING OUT OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TODAY. MAY GET A SMALL BREAK IN THE PRECIPITATION BEHIND THIS FEATURE THIS AFTERNOON. BY THIS EVENING...SNOW SHOWERS WILL REDEVELOP SUPPORTED BY INCREASING NORTHWEST UPSLOPE WINDS. NO CHANGES TO THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS NEEDED AT THIS TIME. DO NOT EXPECT MUCH RISE IN TEMPERATURES TODAY. BEST PUSH OF VERY COLD 850 MB AIR COMES IN TONIGHT. WENT BELOW GUIDANCE FOR LOWS. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 330 AM EST SATURDAY... ON SUNDAY...A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE DEPARTING SYSTEM AND AN APPROACHING AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE IS PROGGED TO YIELD 850 MB NORTHWEST WINDS OF AROUND 40 KTS ACROSS THE REGION. THIS WILL RESULT IN SOME CONTINUED UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA THAT WILL DECREASE IN COVERAGE DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY. ADDITIONAL SNOW AMOUNTS COULD BE UP TO ONE INCH IN WESTERN GREENBRIER COUNTY. THE LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL BE OPTIMAL FOR PRODUCING STRONG SURFACE WIND GUSTS AND CHANNELING THROUGH MOUNTAIN PASSES. CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO INCREASE FOR WIND ADVISORY LEVEL GUSTS AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA. GUSTY CONDITIONS ARE VERY FAVORABLE ACROSS THE REST OF THE REGION...WITH RIDGE TOPS EXPERIENCING SOME OF THE STRONGER GUSTS. SKIES WILL BE MOSTLY SUNNY TO SUNNY TO START THE DAY EAST OF THE CREST OF THE BLUE RIDGE AND REMAIN THAT WAY THROUGHOUT THE DAY. ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...MOSTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY SKIES WILL START THE DAY WITH A TREND TOWARDS DECREASING CLOUDS AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. TEMPERATURES WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH THE LOW TO MID 20S IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH LOW TO MID 30S EXPECTED EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY..HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO AND THEN EAST OF THE REGION AND TEMPERATURES QUICKLY MODERATE TO HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 40S IN THE MOUNTAINS AND AROUND 50 FOR HIGHS EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE FOR MONDAY. WE CAN THANK A STRENGTHENING SOUTHWEST FLOW IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. THIS FLOW WILL STRENGTHEN MONDAY NIGHT IN ADVANCE OF OUR NEXT APPROACHING COLD FRONT. BY THE PRE-DAWN HOURS TUESDAY MORNING...PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BE OVERRUNNING THE AREA ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE FRONT. GUIDANCE HAS TRENDED QUICKER WITH THE TIMING OF THE FRONT AND ITS ASSOCIATED PRECIPITATION...AND OUR FORECAST WILL REFLECT AS WELL. SOME AREAS NEAR THE I-64 CORRIDOR OF SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA AND NEIGHBORING SECTIONS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA MAY SEE FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET RATHER THAN RAIN. IN THIS REGION...SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO STILL BE AT OR BELOW FREEZING TUESDAY MORNING. A WARM NOSE ALOFT WILL EITHER PARTIALLY OR COMPLETELY MELT ANY ICE CRYSTALS AS THEY FALL. WE ARE EXPECTING THE PRECIPITATION TO EITHER RE-FREEZE AS SLEET OR FREEZE ON CONTACT AS FREEZING RAIN. OFFICE POLICY FOR DAY 4 OF THE FORECAST ALLOWS US TO OFFER RAIN OR FREEZING RAIN IN THE FORECAST...BUT KNOW THAT SLEET MAY ALSO BE OCCURRING IN THIS AREA. THE FRONT WILL RACE ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE DAY TUESDAY WITH SHOWERS ACCOMPANYING IT. WHILE THUNDER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME....850 MB WINDS AROUND 60 KTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE PARALLEL TO AND JUST IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT. VERY GUSTY WINDS WILL LIKELY ACCOMPANY THE LEADING LINE OF SHOWERS WITH SOME ISOLATED DAMAGING GUSTS POSSIBLE. A SCENARIO COMPARABLE TO JANUARY 30 MAY BE IN THE OFFING. BEHIND THE FRONT...WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE GUSTY...BUT NOW WITH A NORTHWEST TRAJECTORY. THESE WINDS WILL HELP MAINTAIN SOME RESIDUAL UPSLOPE RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE PREFERRED UPSLOPE REGIONS OF SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA...SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA. COVERAGE SHOULD DECREASE THROUGH THE NIGHT. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 350 PM EST FRIDAY... HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE OVER THE REGION WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS RELAXING BY THE EVENING. A WARM FRONT IS EXPECTED TO OVERRUN THIS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE ON THURSDAY. LIGHT PRECIPITATION COULD START FALLING AS EARLY AS THURSDAY AFTERNOON (12Z GFS) OR START EARLY FRIDAY MORNING (12Z ECMWF). AS PRECIPITATION FALLS INTO THIS RIDGE...AN INSITU WEDGE WILL DEVELOP WITH A PERSISTENT EASTERLY FLOW THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY. DESPITE THE TIMING DIFFERENCES...EVAPORATIVE COOLING IN BOTH MODELS OVERNIGHT SUPPORT FROZEN PRECIPITATION THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. GFS FORECAST SOUNDING SUGGESTING FREEZING RAIN. WITH UNCERTAINTY LOOMING LARGE THIS FAR OUT...WILL KEEP GRIDS SIMPLE WITH RAIN/SNOW. GFS IS ALSO BREAKING THE WEDGE QUICKLY FRIDAY MORNING. KEPT THE WEDGE IN LONGER AND COULD SEE IT BREAKING FRIDAY NIGHT VIA PRESSURE FALLS OVER THE OHIO VALLEY PER THE ECMWF. TEMPERATURES WILL HOVER AROUND NORMAL ON TUESDAY. CHILLY HIGH PRESSURE WILL TREND AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES BELOW NORMAL WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO TREND COLDER FRIDAY WITH A WET COLD AIR DAMMING EVENT EXPECTED. && .AVIATION /10Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 1130 PM EST FRIDAY... COLD FRONT NOW CROSSING INTO THE PIEDMONT WITH A LINGERING BAND OF MOSTLY RAIN SHOWERS ALONG AND BEHIND THE BOUNDARY MAINLY FROM KLYH TO KMTV ATTM. LOCAL WRF CONTINUES TO STILL HAVE THE BEST HANDLE SO WILL FOLLOW CLOSELY AND PUSH RAIN A BIT FARTHER EAST INTO KLYH/KDAN FOR A FEW HOURS OVERNIGHT SINCE GOOD DOWNSLOPE IS LAGGING THE FRONT. OTRW WILL HAVE PERIODIC MVFR TO IFR AT KBLF WHERE SNOW HAS FINALLY TAPERED OFF...AND MOSTLY MVFR AT KLWB/KBCB AS EXPECTING UPSLOPE TO KEEP LOW CIGS ALONG THE WESTERN SLOPES WITH SOME OF THE COLD ADVECTION STRATO-CU SPILLING EAST TOWARD THE BLUE RIDGE OVERNIGHT. MAY CONTINUE TO INCLUDE A VFR MENTION OF A -SHSN OVERNIGHT IN THE WEST BUT LOOKING QUITE ISOLATED UNTIL LATE AT BEST WHEN BETTER UPSLOPE KICKS IN. ELSW WILL MAINTAIN VFR OUT EAST PENDING JUST HOW FAR THE PRECIP GETS IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS BUT EVEN THEN APPEARS CIGS AOA 4K FT. KLWB AND KBLF WILL TRANSITION TO AN UPSLOPING PCPN -SHSN EVENT BY DAYBREAK AND CONTINUE OFF AND ON THROUGH SATURDAY. STILL LOOKING FOR MVFR CIGS/VSBYS AND EXPECT -SHSN TO BE LIGHT AS BEST MOISTURE WILL BE TO THE EAST WITH THE OFFSHORE LOW TAKING SHAPE. KDAN/KLYH IS INTERESTING FOR THE LATTER PORTION OF THE TAF PERIOD. LIFT DEVELOPING ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE DEEPENING LOW SLIDING OFF THE COAST WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP A PRECIPITATION SHIELD TO THE WEST. IT CURRENTLY LOOKS LIKE KDAN WILL BE ON THE EDGE OF THIS AND WILL INTRO A PERIOD OF MVFR CIGS IN AFTER 12Z ALONG WITH SOME PCPN THAT MAY BE ALL SNOW DURING THE MORNING. ALSO POTENTIAL FOR A NARROW RIBBON OF SNOW OR SNOW SHOWERS TO DEVELOP NEAR HIGHWAY 29 SATURDAY AFTERNOON WHICH COULD BRING LOCALIZED MVFR/IFR IN A SWATH SO INCLUDING A BIT MORE SNOW MENTION AT BOTH KDAN/KLYH AGAIN SATURDAY AFTERNOON BUT LOW CONFIDENCE AT THIS POINT. LOW LEVEL WINDS DO NOT RAMP UP UNTIL LATER IN THE DAY SATURDAY IN RESPONSE TO DEEPENING OF COASTAL LOW SO DO NOT EXPECT SIGNIFICANT WINDS TO HAMPER AVIATION INTERESTS UNTIL LATE SATURDAY OR MORE SO SATURDAY NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE AND VFR CONDITIONS WILL RETURN TO THE MOUNTAINS BY SUNDAY ALTHOUGH NW WINDS WILL BE STRONG AND GUSTY. GOOD FLYING WEATHER SHOULD PREVAIL UNTIL TUESDAY...WHEN A NEW COLD FRONT COULD BRING SHOWERS WITH GUSTY WINDS ALONG WITH MVFR/IFR CEILINGS. VFR QUICKLY RETURNS ON WEDNESDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE FOLLOWING THE FRONT. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EST SUNDAY FOR NCZ001-018. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...AMS NEAR TERM...AMS SHORT TERM...DS LONG TERM...RCS AVIATION...AMS/JH/NF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 558 AM EST SAT FEB 16 2013 WVZ045-171100- GREENBRIER- 558 AM EST SAT FEB 16 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. WIND CHILLS MAY DROP TO 10 BELOW ZERO TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A MIX OF WINTER PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT. STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY...BOTH AHEAD OF AND BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ001-018-171100- ASHE-WATAUGA- 558 AM EST SAT FEB 16 2013 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST SUNDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND 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...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY...BOTH AHEAD OF..AND BEHIND...A STRONG COLD FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. VAZ019-020-171100- ALLEGHANY VA-BATH- 558 AM EST SAT FEB 16 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A MIX OF WINTER PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT. STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY...BOTH AHEAD OF...AND BEHIND...A STRONG COLD FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ002-003-019-VAZ007-009>018-022>024-032>035-WVZ042>044-171100- ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-WILKES-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI- MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE- PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE- 558 AM EST SAT FEB 16 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY...BOTH AHEAD OF...AND BEHIND...A STRONG COLD FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ004>006-020-VAZ043>047-058-059-171100- STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-YADKIN-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL- APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 558 AM EST SAT FEB 16 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY WITH A STRONG COLD FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
121 AM EST SAT FEB 16 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 AM SNOW 3 NNW CERES 37.34N 81.17W
02/16/2013 M1.9 INCH MERCER WV TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
EVENT NUMBER RNK1300568
DSSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 246 AM EST SAT FEB 16 2013 VAZ023-024-033>035-160900- BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FINCASTLE...LEXINGTON...BUENA VISTA... ROCKY MOUNT...BEDFORD...AMHERST 246 AM EST SAT FEB 16 2013 ...LIGHT SNOW DEVELOPING... SNOW WAS DEVELOPING ALONG AND WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE EARLY THIS MORNING. THROUGH 4AM...WESTERN AND NORTHERN SECTIONS OF BEDFORD COUNTY MAY GET AN INCH OF SNOW...WITH LIGHTER AMOUNTS TOWARD BUENA VISTA...AMHERST AND SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE. TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A narrow swath of snow produced a snowfall of 4 to 7 inches across the southwest part of Buckingham County, bordering Appomattox County.
A narrow swath of snow produced a snowfall of 4 to 7 inches across the far eastern part of Appomattox County, bordering Buckingham County.
Isolated snowfall of 4 to 7 inches occurred across the Charlotte County. The greatest concentration bordered Prince Edward County and also Halifax County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, February 2013
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: 437740, 437741, 437742.