Heavy Snow in Virginia, January 17 to 18, 2013

Name: Heavy Snow in Virginia, January 17 to 18, 2013
Start: 2013-01-17T11:15
End: 2013-01-18T06:30
Location: Virginia

January 17 to 18, 2013 · NWS RNK · 18 events in 18 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 18 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: 18

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 RNK wrote it up.

A deep low pressure system tracked from northern Georgia to the North Carolina coast. Warm air in the low levels allowed precipitation to fall initially as rain, however cold air wrapping around the west side of the low caused rain to change over to a brief period of intense sleet, before changing over to snow across the mountains during the afternoon, and across the piedmonts during the evening. Snowfall rates were at times 2 to 3 inches per hour for some locations. Snowfall came to an end quickly from west to east during late evening as drier air aloft moved into the area. Heaviest snowfall accumulations were observed in the mountains due to the longer residence time of colder air, however the piedmont region experienced less snowfall due to warmer air lingering across the area longer, resulting in only a brief but intense burst of snowfall just as the system was exiting the area.

The following is a list of total snowfall reports, in inches, from across Virginia.

- Amherst County - | Alto: 7.0, | Pedlar: 0.5, | Monroe: 0.2.

- Bedford County - | 2 NW Reba: 7.5, | Huddleston: 4.0, | Stewartsville: 2.3,, | Forest: 2.0.

- Bland County - | Rocky Gap: 12.0, | 5 W Bland: 11.0, | Bastian: 8.5, | 1 N Ceres: 6.0.

- City of bedford - | Bedford: 1.0.

- City of buena vista - | Buena Vista: 5.0.

- City of galax - | Galax: 10.0.

- City of lexington - | Lexington: 2.6, | West Lexington: 1.5.

- City of lynchburg - | 1 SSW Richland Hills: 4.0, | Lynchburg: 2.0.

- City of martinsville - | Martinsville: 2.0.

- City of radford - | Radford: 6.0.

- City of roanoke - | Edgehill Estates: 7.3,, | Roanoke: 5.0, | Carter Heights: 4.0,

- Craig County - | 1 SSE Valley Mill: 8.0, | Simmonsville: 3.5.

- Wythe County - | Wytheville: 11.0, | Rural Retreat: 5.5, | Austinville: 5.0, | Max Meadows: 4.0.

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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 16, 4:41 PM EST, 18 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 16, 4:41 PM EST, 18 hours 34 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 16, 4:17 PM EST, 18 hours 58 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

18 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Floyd

When: January 17, 11:15 AM EST to 8:15 PM EST
Where: Floyd forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.932, -80.362 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Floyd County ranged from 12.1 inches at 2 SE Willis to a half inch in Terrys Fork.

Heavy Snow, Giles

When: January 17, 11:30 AM EST to 7:30 PM EST
Where: Giles forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.314, -80.704 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Giles County ranged from 13.0 inches in Glen Lyn to 4.0 inches in Prospectdale.

Heavy Snow, Craig

When: January 17, 11:30 AM EST to 7:30 PM EST
Where: Craig forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.481, -80.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Craig County ranged from 8.0 inches at 1 SSE Valley Mill to 3.5 inches in Simmonsville.

Heavy Snow, Pulaski

When: January 17, 11:35 AM EST to 8:55 PM EST
Where: Pulaski forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.098, -80.645 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Pulaski County ranged from 7.0 to 9.0 inches.

Heavy Snow, Bland

When: January 17, 11:55 AM EST to 8:15 PM EST
Where: Bland forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.134, -81.130 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Bland County ranged from 12.0 inches in Rocky Gap to 6.0 inches at 1 N Ceres.

Heavy Snow, Montgomery

When: January 17, 12:16 PM EST to 8:16 PM EST
Where: Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.174, -80.387 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Montgomery county ranged from 9.2 inches at 1 NE Laurel Ridge to 2.5 inches near Christiansburg. Other storm total snowfall reports include 9.0 inches at 4 WSW Shawsville, 8.5 inches at 1 ESE Christiansburg, |8.3 inches at 2 SSW Christiansburg, 7.5 inches in north Blacksburg, 7.0 inches in Mountain View, 7.0 inches in Highview Terrace, 7.0 inches in Blacksburg, 6.8 inches in Merrimac, 6.6 inches in Christiansburg, 6.5 inches at 2 NE Blacksburg, 6.5 inches at 2 S Christiansburg, and 6.0 inches at 1 E Ellett.

Heavy Snow, Carroll

When: January 17, 12:30 PM EST to 8:30 PM EST
Where: Carroll forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.697, -80.829 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Carroll County ranged from 10.5 inches in Hillsville to 5.0 inches in Dugspur.

Heavy Snow, Tazewell

When: January 17, 12:35 PM EST to 8:55 PM EST
Where: Tazewell forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.125, -81.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Total snowfall amounts across Tazewell County range from 12.0 inches at Burkes Garden and 1 WNW Bluefield to 2.5 inches at Tazewell.

Heavy Snow, Smyth

When: January 17, 12:35 PM EST to 8:55 PM EST
Where: Smyth forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.844, -81.537 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Smyth County ranged from 9.0 to 10.2 inches around Marion to 3.0 inches at 1 W McMullin.

Heavy Snow, Wythe

When: January 17, 12:35 PM EST to 8:55 PM EST
Where: Wythe forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.917, -81.079 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Wythe County ranged from 11.0 inches in Wytheville to 4.0 inches in Max Meadows.

Heavy Snow, Grayson

When: January 17, 1:35 PM EST to January 18, 6:30 AM EST
Where: Grayson forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.657, -81.225 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Grayson County ranged from 12.0 inches at 4 SW Galax City to 2.0 inches in Independence.

Heavy Snow, Botetourt

When: January 17, 2:00 PM EST to 8:30 PM EST
Where: Botetourt forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.557, -79.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Botetourt County ranged from 8.0 inches in Nace to 3.4 inches in Buchanan.

Heavy Snow, Roanoke

When: January 17, 2:03 PM EST to 7:54 PM EST
Where: Roanoke forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.258, -80.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Roanoke county ranged from 10.3 inches at Bent Mountain to 1.5 inches near Poages Mill. Other storm total snowfall reports include 4.3 inches at Briar Ridge and 4.0 inches at Sugar Loaf Hills.

Heavy Snow, Rockbridge

When: January 17, 5:13 PM EST to 9:54 PM EST
Where: Rockbridge forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.774, -79.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Rockbridge county ranged from 5.0 inches at Natural Bridge to 1.0 inch at Rockbridge Baths. Other storm total snowfall reports include 4.5 inches at Fairfield, 4.5 inches at 2 SSE Riverside and 3.5 inches in Glasgow.

Heavy Snow, Appomattox

When: January 17, 5:30 PM EST to 9:30 PM EST
Where: Appomattox forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.372, -78.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Appomattox County ranged from 4.6 inches in Appomattox to 1.5 inches at 9 E Lynchburg.

Heavy Snow, Buckingham

When: January 17, 6:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Buckingham forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.572, -78.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Buckingham County ranged from 5.5 inches near Wingina to 2.0 inches near Rosney.

Heavy Snow, Pittsylvania

When: January 17, 7:09 PM EST to 10:49 PM EST
Where: Pittsylvania forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.704, -79.396 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Pittsylvania County ranged from 6.0 inches at 5 SW Chatham to 1.5 inches at 1 N Ringgold.

Heavy Snow, Charlotte

When: January 17, 8:00 PM EST to 11:30 PM EST
Where: Charlotte forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.012, -78.662 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Storm total snowfall amounts across Charlotte County ranged from 7.0 inches at 1 WSW Taro to 2.0 inches at 3 NNE Aspen.

What these are

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 Virginia in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, January 2013

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: 432115, 432106, 432112, 432108, 432105, 432084, 432110, 432101, 432104, 432107, 432109, 432114, 432082, 432087, 432117, 432118, 432099, 432116.