, unseasonably cold air was in place across the region once again. Morning low temperatures on this day were in the 20s across southeast West Virginia, with even teens in the mountains.
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.
As had been typical through much of the later half of the winter season across the eastern U.S., unseasonably cold air was in place across the region once again. Morning low temperatures on this day were in the 20s across southeast West Virginia, with even teens in the mountains. Needless to say, unseasonably cold for early April. Meanwhile, a strong upper-level low pressure area in the southern stream was moving toward the region from the Mid-South. A cold front was stalled along the Georgia and South Carolina Coast with a wave of surface low pressure tracking northeastward along the front near the Georgia Coast. Precipitation began to spread into the area from the southwest during the mid-afternoon and quickly changed to sleet and then snow as a result of rapid dynamic cooling. While the heaviest snow with this event passed just to the south across the New River Valley and adjacent areas of southwest Virginia, southeast West Virginia was not left out of the event. Most of the four southeast West Virginia counties in the Blacksburg NWS County Warning Area (CWA) received on average one to three inches of snow. Specifically, the following snow amounts were reported.
Greenbrier County - < 1/4 inch in Rainelle to 2 1/2 inches in Renick,|Mercer County - 2.0 inches in Princeton to 3.0 inches in Bluefield,|Monroe County - 1.0 inch in Union to 2.0 inches in Peterstown,|Summers County - 1.0 inch in Hinton to 3.0 inches in Hix.
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 Apr 4, 1:00 PM EST, 1 hour earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 200 PM EDT THU APR 4 2013 .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE WAS OVER THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO WILL MOVE ACROSS GEORGIA AND FLORIDA THIS AFTERNOON THEN OFF THE CAROLINA COAST BY FRIDAY MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL COVER THE REGION BEHIND THIS SYSTEM FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 130 PM EDT THURSDAY... INCREASED SNOW/SLEET AMOUNTS OVER THE NC MTNS THIS AFTERNOON AS THE DYNAMIC COOLING WITH LOWER DEWPOINTS HAS BROUGHT THE TEMP PROFILE SFC-3KFT AGL CLOSE TO FREEZING. SNOW ACCUMULATION IS MAINLY EXPECTED TO BE CONFINED TO GRASSY SURFACES ALTHOUGH TEMPS HAVE HELD AT OR BELOW FREEZING ACROSS THE HIGH COUNTRY ALL DAY...AND SOCIAL MEDIA REPORTS SLICK ROADS. KEPT THE ADVISORY FOR WATAUGA UNTIL 6 PM...AND SHOULD SEE SOME SWITCHING TO SLEET/RAIN AFTER 300 OR 400 PM. BROUGHT TOTALS UP AGAIN AROUND 2 INCHES IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. WILL COVER THE REST OF THE AREA IN A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT. PREVIOUS VALID DISCUSSION... BEST ISENTROPIC LIFT AND UPPER DIFFLUENCE CROSS THROUGH THE AREA AREA BETWEEN 18Z/2PM AND 06Z/2AM. PROBABILITY OF PRECIPITATION BEGINS TO LOWER IN THE MOUNTAINS AS THE LOW COMING ACROSS THE GULF COAST STATES MOVES OFFSHORE AND WINDS COME AROUND TO THE NORTHWEST. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 400 AM EDT THURSDAY... BY SUNRISE FRIDAY...THE GFS AND ECMWF FORECAST MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT THAT THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WHICH BROUGHT RAIN TO OUR AREA EARLIER IN THE NIGHT WILL BE MOVING RAPIDLY UP THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST. AS THE LOW CONTINUES NORTHEAST...WINDS ACROSS OUR AREA WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY NORTHWESTERLY...DRAWING DRIER AIR IN FROM THE GREAT LAKES. AS SUCH...SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL TAPER OFF THROUGH THE MORNING...AND EXPECT TO SEE CLOUD COVER BREAK UP FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE AFTERNOON. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL PASS ACROSS THE APPALACHIAN CHAIN FRIDAY NIGHT...AND WILL MOVE OFF OF THE ATLANTIC COAST SATURDAY AFTERNOON. DESPITE ABUNDANT AFTERNOON SUNSHINE...EASTERLY WINDS FLOWING AROUND THE DEPARTING HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL CARRY COOLER AIR FROM THE ATLANTIC INTO OUR AREA. THEREFORE...UNDERCUT GUIDANCE BY A FEW DEGREES FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES...LIMITING HIGHS TO THE UPPER 50S AND THE LOW 60S FOR MOST OF THE AREA. BY SUNDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH BEGINS TO SET IN ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE UNITED STATES...ALLOWING UPPER LEVEL RIDGING ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF TO BECOME INCREASINGLY AMPLIFIED. AS SUCH...SUNDAY AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL BE AMONG THE WARMEST EXPERIENCED THIS YEAR...WITH HIGHS REACHING TO NEAR 70 ACROSS THE PIEDMONTS...AND INTO THE MID/UPPER 60S ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. A COLD FRONT WILL SINK FROM THE GREAT LAKES AS FAR SOUTH AS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY DURING THE AFTERNOON...HOWEVER ANOTHER DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ACROSS THE PLAINS WILL CAUSE THE FRONT TO STALL BEFORE REACHING INTO OUR AREA. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 400 AM EDT THURSDAY... THE LONG TERM PERIOD WILL BE CHARACTERIZED BY BUILDING 500MB HEIGHTS...INCREASING MOISTURE...AND WARMER TEMPERATURES AS A WESTERN U.S. TROF CONTINUES TO DEEPEN. UPPER LEVEL HEIGHTS WILL REALLY BEGIN TO RISE MONDAY AS THE WESTERN TROF DEEPENS. THE 00Z ECMWF APPEARS TOO FAR EAST WITH THIS SYSTEM...AND LEANED TOWARD THE CANADIAN/GFS MODELS KEEPING A SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER OUR AREA RESULTING IN OUR FIRST TASTE OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN WEEKS. MEANWHILE...AT THE SFC... SOUTH/SOUTHWEST WINDS USHER IN HIGHER DEWPOINTS...DEEPER MOISTURE WITH PWATS 1-2 STANDARD DEVIATIONS ABOVE NORMAL...TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. WEAK UPPER LEVEL WAVES IN ADVANCE OF THE DEEPENING TROF INTERACTING WITH THIS INCREASING MOISTURE WILL BRING A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THE 12Z GFS SUGGESTS A DRIER DAY TUESDAY WITH A MORE AMPLIFIED PATTERN COMPARED TO PREVIOUS MODEL RUNS...KEEPING THE BEST UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT/LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE WELL WEST OF OUR AREA. A DEEP SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL KEEP ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS...MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND A RISK OF SHOWERS/ISOLATED STORMS ON WEDNESDAY. && .AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 130 PM EDT THURSDAY... CIGS WILL LOWER AND PRECIP ARRIVING ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA BETWEEN 18Z-20Z...WITH SLEET MIXED IN. ACCELERATED THE TIMING OF LOWER CIGS AT LEAST AN HOUR...AND WILL SEE MVFR TO IFR TOWARD EVENING AS PRECIP CHANGES TO ALL RAIN WITH IT BEING HEAVY AT TIMES. OVERNIGHT...THE SFC LOW MOVES OFF THE COAST OF VIRGINIA ALLOWING WINDS TO TURN NORTH. UNTIL GOOD MIXING OCCURS SHOULD SEE A SMALL WINDOW OF IFR OR WORSE AT MOST TAF SITES WITH CONDITIONS IMPROVING TO VFR BY LATE MORNING FRIDAY AS WINDS TURN NW. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD IN FOR SATURDAY...BRINGING DRY WEATHER AND RETURNING ALL TAF LOCATIONS TO VFR THROUGH MONDAY. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR NCZ018. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...AMS/WP NEAR TERM...AMS/WP SHORT TERM...NF LONG TERM...NF/PH AVIATION...AMS/WP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1117 AM EDT THU APR 4 2013 NCZ018-051530- WATAUGA- 1117 AM EDT THU APR 4 2013 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON 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...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ001-002-VAZ015>017-051530- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD- 1117 AM EDT THU APR 4 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A LIGHT ACCUMULATION OF SLEET...SNOW OR ICE IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNON MAINLY AT THE HIGHER TERRAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ003>005-019-020-VAZ009>014-018>020-022>024-032>035-043-047- WVZ043>045-051530- SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-WILKES-YADKIN-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE- PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT- ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-BUCKINGHAM-SUMMERS- MONROE-GREENBRIER- 1117 AM EDT THU APR 4 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...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. POCKETS OF SLEET WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. ACCUMULATION OF SLEET WILL BE MINIMAL...BUT SOME OF THE HIGHER RIDGES COULD GET A COATING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. VAZ007-WVZ042-051530- TAZEWELL-MERCER- 1117 AM EDT THU APR 4 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ006-VAZ044>046-058-059-051530- CASWELL-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 1117 AM EDT THU APR 4 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1157 AM EDT THU APR 4 2013 NCZ001-002-VAZ015>017-041800- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WEST JEFFERSON...SPARTA... INDEPENDENCE...WHITETOP...TROUTDALE...VOLNEY...GALAX...FLOYD 1157 AM EDT THU APR 4 2013 ...LIGHT WINTRY MIX THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON... SLEET WILL BE MIXED IN WITH RAIN THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON AND A FEW SNOWFLAKES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. OVERALL ACCUMULATION OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL BE MINIMAL. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE INTO THE UPPER 30S TO LOWER 40S BY 2 PM...EXCEPT MID 30S ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE. NCZ003>006-019-020-VAZ032-033-043-044-041800- SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WILKES-YADKIN-PATRICK-FRANKLIN- HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DOBSON...DANBURY...EDEN...YANCEYVILLE... WILKESBORO...YADKINVILLE...STUART...ROCKY MOUNT...MARTINSVILLE... DANVILLE 1157 AM EDT THU APR 4 2013 ...POCKETS OF SLEET EXPECTED INTO EARLY AFTERNOON... LIGHT RAIN WILL BE MIXED WITH SLEET AT TIMES THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. GIVEN WARMER GROUND TEMPERATURES...ACCUMULATION OF SLEET SHOULD BE LIGHT AND MAINLY ON GRASSY...WOOD OR METAL COVERED SURFACES. TEMPERATURES SHOULD RISE INTO THE 40S THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 151 PM EDT THU APR 4 2013 VAZ010>014-016>018-022>024-032>035-WVZ042>044-042000- BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-ROANOKE- BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-MERCER- SUMMERS-MONROE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BLAND...PEARISBURG...WYTHEVILLE... RADFORD...PULASKI...BLACKSBURG...GALAX...FLOYD...NEW CASTLE... ROANOKE...SALEM...FINCASTLE...LEXINGTON...BUENA VISTA...STUART... ROCKY MOUNT...BEDFORD...AMHERST...BLUEFIELD...FLAT TOP...HINTON... HIX...UNION 151 PM EDT THU APR 4 2013 ...SLEET AND SNOW MIXED WITH RAIN INTO MID AFTERNOON... SLEET AND SOME SNOW WILL OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON AT THE ONSET OF PRECIPITATION...MIXING WITH AND CHANGING TO RAIN SHORTLY THEREAFTER. NO ACCUMULATION OF SLEET AND SNOW IS EXPECTED ON ROADS...BUT WILL SEE SOME ACCUMULATION OF LESS THAN HALF AN INCH ON GRASSY AND METAL OBJECTS. EVEN THOUGH ROADS WILL BE WET...TRAVEL WITH CAUTION AS THE PRECIPITATION AT TIMES WILL BE HEAVY. NCZ003>006-019-020-VAZ043>045-058-059-042000- SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WILKES-YADKIN-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA- CAMPBELL-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DOBSON...DANBURY...EDEN...YANCEYVILLE... WILKESBORO...YADKINVILLE...MARTINSVILLE...DANVILLE...LYNCHBURG... SOUTH BOSTON...KEYSVILLE 151 PM EDT THU APR 4 2013 ...SOME SLEET MIXED IN WITH RAIN THIS AFTERNOON... RAIN WILL BE MIXED WITH SLEET THROUGH THE AFTERNOON BEFORE BECOMING ALL RAIN. NO ACCUMULATION ON ROADS IS EXPECT BUT SOME COATING OF SLEET ON GRASS AND METAL OBJECTS IS POSSIBLE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 157 PM EDT THU APR 4 2013 NCZ001-002-VAZ007-009-015-042000- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-GRAYSON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WEST JEFFERSON...SPARTA...TAZEWELL... MARION...INDEPENDENCE...WHITETOP...TROUTDALE...VOLNEY 157 PM EDT THU APR 4 2013 ...LIGHT ACCUMULATION OF SLEET OR SNOW ON ROADS TO CREATE A FEW SLICK SPOTS THIS AFTERNOON... SNOW AND SLEET WILL MIX WITH AND CHANGE TO RAIN LATER THIS AFTERNOON. ACCUMULATION OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS COULD REACH OVER AN INCH ON GRASSY SURFACES WHILE A DUSTING OCCURS IN THE VALLEYS. TEMPERATURES HOVERING AROUND FREEZING WILL ALLOW FOR SLICK SPOTS TO FORM ON ROADS. DRIVE SLOWLY AND ALLOW MORE BRAKING DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF YOU.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The West Virginia Department of Transportation reported that snowfall across the county ranged from 2.0 inches in Princeton to 3.0 inches in Bluefield.
The West Virginia Department of Highways reported that snowfall around the county ranged from 1.0 inch in the northern part of the county near Union to 2.0 inches in the southern part of the county around Peterstown.
The West Virginia Department of Highways reported that snowfall around the county ranged from 1.0 inch around Hinton to 3.0 inches in Hix.
The Greenbrier County Emergency Management Agency along with the Broadcast Media reported snowfall ranging from less than 1/4 inch in the western part of the county near Rainelle to 2 1/2 inches in the northern part of the county near Renick. Most of the county averaged 1 to 2 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, April 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 447759, 447760, 447761, 447758.