A clipper system moved through the region in northwest flow aloft. This clipper system produced short lived snow bands that produced several inches of snow in the higher terrain including the Allegheny Front and Potomac Highlands.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
A clipper system moved through the region in northwest flow aloft. This clipper system produced short lived snow bands that produced several inches of snow in the higher terrain including the Allegheny Front and Potomac Highlands.
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 4, 3:45 PM EST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
345 PM EST MON FEB 4 2013
.SYNOPSIS...
ANOTHER FAST-MOVING CLIPPER SYSTEM WILL CROSS THE MID ATLANTIC
REGION TONIGHT...AND OFF THE COAST BY EARLY TUESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE
WILL BRIEFLY BUILD OVERHEAD DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS TUESDAY...
AHEAD OF A WEAK COLD FRONT TUESDAY NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL AGAIN
BUILD IN WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...WITH ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
AFFECTING THE REGION ON FRIDAY.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
THE LEADING EDGE OF LIGHT SNOW ASSOCIATED W/ ANOTHER IN SERIES OF
DAILY CLIPPERS IS ON THE DOORSTEP OF THE CWA. THIS ACTIVITY STILL
HAS TO MAKE IT OVER THE MTNS...BUT MOST MODEL GUIDANCE MEMBERS
ASSURE THAT IT WILL. ACROSS MUCH OF OHIO/SRN MI/SRN IN...SEVERAL
BANDS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW ARE SLIDING QUICKLY EWD. THIS
CLIPPER SYSTEM...LIKE THE PREVIOUS ONES IN RECENT DAYS...WILL
COVER A LOT OF GROUND IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. A BULK OF THE
INCOMING PRECIP WILL BE IN AND OUT OF THE REGION BY LATE TONIGHT
AND JUST INTO THE EARLY MRNG HRS TUE.
SOMEWHAT OF A DRY LAYER IN THE LOWEST FEW THOUSAND FT TO
OVERCOME...JUST LIKE THE OTHER CLIPPERS BUT ONCE THIS LAYER
BECOMES SATURATED - THE FULL INTENSITY OF EACH SNOW BAND SHOULD
MAKE IT TO THE SFC. TEMPS ACROSS THE REGION ARE JUST CLIMBING OUT
OF FREEZING EARLY THIS AFTN...BUT WILL TOP OUT IN THE M30S IN THE
COMING HR/TWO. AS CLOUDS INCREASE TOWARD SUNSET...TEMPS WILL DROP
BACK BELOW FREEZING ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA JUST AS FLURRIES AND
LIGHT SNOW ARRIVES. THIS INCOMING CLIPPER WILL HAVE SOME ISOLATED
BANDS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE
AREA...MAINLY THE NRN HALF OF THE CWA - BUT WILL BE PROGRESSIVE
AND LIMIT ACCUMULATIONS.
HIGHEST SNOWFALL TOTALS WILL BE BACK ACROSS THE MTNS...THE UPSLOPE
AREAS OF THE CNTRL APLCNS W/ SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW POSSIBLE INTO
EARLY TUE...LESSER AMOUNTS IN THE NEARBY VLYS. HEADLINES CONTINUE
FOR THE ADVERTISED AREAS FROM THIS MRNG - WRNG FOR THE ALLEGANY
FRONT AND AN ADZY FOR PORTIONS OF THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS. THE ADZY
MAY NEED TO BE NUDGED FURTHER EAST IF ANY PARTICULAR SNOW BANDS
DUMP A QUICK INCH OR MORE. SOME RAIN COULD MIX W/ THE ACTIVITY
ACROSS THE SRN TIER COUNTIES OF THE CWA...WHICH ARE ON THE FRINGE
OF THE COLDER AIR.
MODEL QPF OUTPUT FOR THE METRO AREAS ONLY ON THE ORDER OF A HALF-
INCH OF SNOW OR LESS. AGAIN - LOCALLY HEAVIER BUT THE AVERAGE FOR
MOST AREAS WILL BE A QUICK DUSTING-COATING BY LATE TONIGHT ACROSS
THE REGION OUTSIDE OF THE MTNS. THE SRN TIER COUNTIES OF THE CWA
SHOULD RECEIVE SOME BRIEF PERIODS OF SNOW FLURRIES/LIGHT SNOW BUT
MAY ALSO MIX SOME LIGHT RAIN AT TIMES BEING ON THE FRINGE OF
ABOVE-FREEZING CONDITIONS.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TUESDAY/...
WITHIN A COUPLE HRS OF MIDNIGHT...SNOW WILL BE MOVING OFF TO
DELMARVA AND EVENTUALLY OFF THE COAST OVERNIGHT. UPSLOPE SNOW WILL
CONTINUE FOR THE HIGHER TERRAIN...BUT WILL END QUICKLY E OF THE
MTNS. SKIES WILL BREAK OUT A BIT AS PRECIP EXITS BUT STAY MOSTLY
CLOUDY...TEMPERING THE TEMP DROP. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL ONLY DROP
BACK INTO THE 20S W/ LIGHT WINDS SO WIND CHILLS WON'T BE MUCH OF A
FACTOR.
TUESDAY WE'LL SEE ANOTHER BRIEF APPEARANCE BY HIGH PRESSURE AS IT
REBOUNDS FROM THE SOUTH...JUST AHEAD OF OUR FINAL CLIPPER SYSTEM
ON TUE NIGHT. TEMPS WILL BE ALLOWED TO JUMP BACK INTO THE 40S
ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA TUE AFTN...U30S ALONG THE NRN TIER
COUNTIES AND NEAR 50 ACROSS CNTRL VA. A LIGHT SLY FLOW WILL HELP
TO CREATE THESE RELATIVELY WARMER TEMPS...W/ PARTLY SUNNY SKIES.
&&
.LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
UPPER TROUGH WILL SWING THROUGH THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT...WHILE A
SURFACE LOW MOVES ACROSS SOUTHERN ONTARIO AND INTO NEW ENGLAND. A
WEAK COLD FRONT ELIMINATING FROM THIS LOW WILL CROSS THE FORECAST
AREA TUESDAY NIGHT. 12Z GFS/ECMWF INDICATE PRECIP SHIELD FROM THIS
SYSTEM WOULD AFFECT NORTHERN AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST
AREA...WHILE THE NAM IS DRY EXCEPT FOR THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS. WILL
CONTINUE TO CARRY LIKELY POPS OVER THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS...AND
CHANCE POPS OVER MOST OF MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
PREDOMINANT P-TYPE WOULD BE SNOW...ALTHOUGH SOME RAIN COULD MIX IN
AT THE ONSET OVER SOME LOCATIONS. THIS IS A LIGHT QPF EVENT...SO
SNOW AMOUNTS WOULD BE LESS THAN AN INCH OVER THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS
AND LESS THAN A HALF INCH OVER ANY OTHER AREAS THAT RECEIVE SNOW.
LOWS TUESDAY NIGHT RANGE FROM THE LOW 20S OVER THE POTOMAC
HIGHLANDS TO THE LOW-MID 30S OVER THE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON METROS.
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE GREAT LAKES WEDNESDAY MORNING...THEN
CROSSES THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE CONUS UNTIL EXITING OFF THE NEW
ENGLAND COAST LATE THURSDAY. GENERALLY A LIGHT N-NE FLOW OVER THE
AREA BOTH DAYS AND A SLIGHT MODERATION IN TEMPS...WHICH SHOULD BE
RIGHT AROUND CLIMO NORMS BOTH DAYS.
NEXT POTENTIAL SYSTEM FOR THE AREA COMES FRIDAY AS AN UPPER TROUGH
APPROACHES THE EAST COAST. 12Z GFS AND ECMWF DIFFER IN
AMPLIFICATION OF THE TROUGH...LEADING TO DISAGREEMENT ON THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A COASTAL LOW. ECMWF SHOWS A RAPIDLY STRENGTHENING
LOW MOVING UP THE COAST BY 12Z FRIDAY...WHILE THE GFS IS SLOWER TO
DEVELOP THE LOW AND MOVES IT EAST OFF THE CAROLINA COAST. ANY
IMPACT WOULD OCCUR THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. PRECIP TYPE IS
ALSO VARIABLE...WITH POTENTIAL FOR RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW AND THEN
BACK TO RAIN EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS...AND A LONGER SNOW EVENT OVER
HIGHER ELEVATIONS.
HIGH PRESSURE EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND WITH NORMAL TEMPS
SATURDAY...AND TEMPS A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL SUNDAY.
.AVIATION /19Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
VFR CONDITIONS FOR A FEW MORE HRS. BANDS OF LIGHT SNOW AND
FLURRIES WILL ARRIVE OVER THE I-81 CORRIDOR WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE
OF HRS/LATE AFTN...THEN TOWARD EARLY EVE OVER THE WRN DC SUBURBS.
THE I-95 CORRIDOR WILL SEE THIS ACTIVITY BY 00Z...W/ A BULK OF THE
SNOW SHOWERS MOVING ACROSS THE AREA BETWEEN 0-6Z AND OFF THE COAST
QUICKLY THEREAFTER. HI-END MVFR CIGS EXPECTED DURING THE PRECIP
PASSAGE...W/ ONLY BRIEF PERIODS OF LOW VSBYS AND/OR CIGS BELOW
2KFT. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE BETWEEN 06-12Z W/ LIGHT WINDS THRU
THE TAF PERIOD.
PERIODS OF SUB-VFR POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT WITH LIGHT SNOW AS
ANOTHER WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. VFR EXPECTED
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. SUB-VFR POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH
FRIDAY WITH POTENTIAL LOW PRESSURE MOVING UP THE COAST.
&&
.MARINE...
ONLY A FEW 10-15KT GUSTS APPEARING OVER THE BAY W/ A GENERAL
AVERAGE OF 10KT ACROSS THE WATERS OF THE MD BAY/TP THIS AFTN. MORE
OF THE SAME INTO THE OVERNIGHT HRS...THOUGH BANDS OF
LIGHT/MODERATE SNOW EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT.
LIGHT SLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE INTO TUE.
AFTER A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE TUESDAY NIGHT...SOME GUSTS MAY
APPROACH SCA CRITERIA WEDNESDAY UNDER NW FLOW. WINDS DIMINISH
UNDER HIGH PRESSURE WED NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. SCA CONDS POSSIBLE
THU NIGHT THRU SATURDAY WITH POTENTIAL FOR A COASTAL
LOW...FOLLOWED BY GUSTY NW WINDS AHEAD OF HIGH PRESSURE.
&&
.LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
DC...NONE.
MD...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EST TUESDAY FOR MDZ502.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM EST TUESDAY FOR MDZ501.
VA...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM EST TUESDAY FOR VAZ503.
WV...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EST TUESDAY FOR WVZ050-051-
055-502-504.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM EST TUESDAY FOR WVZ501-503-505.
MARINE...NONE.
&&
SYNOPSIS...GMS
NEAR TERM...GMS
SHORT TERM...GMS
LONG TERM...KCS
AVIATION...GMS/KCS
MARINE...GMS/KCSHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1241 PM EST MON FEB 4 2013 ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ006-007-011-013-014-016>018-VAZ052>057- 051245- 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- 1241 PM EST MON FEB 4 2013 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 LIGHT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE INTERSTATE 95 CORRIDOR...MORE LIKELY FROM THE NORTHERN WASHINGTON SUBURBS TO THE MARYLAND BORDER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. MDZ003>005-009-010-501-502-VAZ025>031-036>040-042-050-051-501>504- WVZ050>053-055-501>506-051245- 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- 1241 PM EST MON FEB 4 2013 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 A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FOR THE ALLEGHENY FRONT. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR PORTIONS OF THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS. ELSEWHERE...LIGHT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ARE LIKELY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHLANDS TUESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE RELAY ANY SNOWFALL REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall amounts of around three inches were reported at surrounding observations.
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: 436369.