Cold air filtered into the Mid Atlantic from the north while low pressure approached from the south. A rain and snow line pushed north and west through the day and snow totals dropped off dramatically across the I-95 corridor.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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.
Cold air filtered into the Mid Atlantic from the north while low pressure approached from the south. A rain and snow line pushed north and west through the day and snow totals dropped off dramatically across the I-95 corridor.
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 Dec 13, 9:52 PM EST, 5 hours 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
952 PM EST FRI DEC 13 2013
.SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD TO OUR NORTH TONIGHT WHILE LOW PRESSURE
MOVES THROUGH THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP OFF
THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST SATURDAY AND IT WILL PASS BY TO OUR EAST
SATURDAY EVENING. LOW PRESSURE WILL INTENSIFY AS IT MOVES OFF TO OUR
NORTHEAST SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVERHEAD EARLY NEXT WEEK.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SATURDAY MORNING/...
MID AND HIGH CLOUDS WILL INCREASE WITH THE ISENTROPIC LIFT MOVING
FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST TONIGHT. ADDITIONAL MID LEVEL MOISTURE
TONIGHT WILL OVERRUN A RELATIVELY COOL AND DRY AIRMASS NEAR THE
SURFACE TO SET THE STAGE FOR SOME LIGHT SNOW. BEFORE THE SNOW CAN
REACH THE GROUND...HOWEVER...WE CAN EXPECT THE ATMOSPHERE TO
BECOME SATURATED FROM THE UPPER LEVELS DOWN THROUGH THE MIDDLE
THEN LOWER LEVELS.
THE SNOW IS ANTICIPATED TO START ACROSS THE CENTRAL SHENANDOAH
VALLEY AND POTOMAC HIGHLANDS LATER TONIGHT...PERHAPS AROUND 4 OR 5
AM...BEFORE SPREADING ACROSS THE NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND
VIRGINIA PIEDMONT SHORTLY AFTER DAYBREAK SATURDAY. WELL KEEP CHANCE
POPS OF SNOW FOR LATE TONIGHT IN THE CENTRAL SHENANDOAH VALLEY
FOLLOWED BY LIKELY POPS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. A QUICK COATING TO ONE
HALF INCH SEEMS POSSIBLE BEFORE DAYBREAK SATURDAY.
WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE ACROSS THE REGION TO PERHAPS
BECOMING MORE NORTHEASTERLY IN NORTHERN AND NORTHEAST MARYLAND LATER
TONIGHT JUST AHEAD OF THE ISENTROPIC LIFT.
TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL BE SEASONABLY CHILLY. DEWPOINT
TEMPERATURES ARE LOWER THAN ORIGINALLY EXPECTED. WE HAVE TWEAKED
THEM ACCORDINGLY IN THE FORECAST AND HAVE TAKEN THIS CHANGE INTO
ACCOUNT WITH TIMING OF SNOWFALL AFTER THE ATMOSPHERE SATURATES
UPPER TO LOWER LEVELS.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 AM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/...
BASED ON NEW GUIDANCE FROM THIS EVE...MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE
POPS/WX/SNOW/ GRIDS...BUT CHANGES NOT BIG ENOUGH THAT REQUIRE
ADJUSTMENTS TO THE WINTER HEADLINES. THERE WILL BE A TIGHT SNOWFALL
GRADIENT WITH THIS SYSTEM AS WARMER AIR WORKS INTO THE AREA AND
PRECIP CHANGES TO A WINTRY MIX OR ALL RAIN FROM SOUTH TO NORTH.
MODELS HAVE BEEN FAIRLY CONSISTENT OVER THE PAST FEW RUNS WITH THE
EVOLUTION OF THE THIS SYSTEM. INITIAL BAND OF PRECIP THAT MOVES
INTO THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS/CENTRAL SHENANDOAH/CENTRAL FOOTHILLS
WILL OVERSPREAD THE REST OF THE CWA FROM SW TO NE BETWEEN 6-10
AM. KEPT SNOW AMOUNTS THRU THE FIRST HALF OF THE AFTN VERY
LGT...RANGING FROM A QUICK DUSTING IN THE I-95 CORRIDOR TO 1-2
INCHES WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE.
PRECIP WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AND HEAVIER DURING THE LATE AFTN
AND EVE AS DEEPER LIFT FROM THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND LLVL JET-STREAK
REACH THE AREA. MODELS HAVE BEEN REMARKABLY CONSISTENT IN
DEPICTING A BAND OF HEAVIER PRECIP DEVELOPING NEAR THE MASON-DIXON
LINE BETWEEN 21Z-00Z. THERE IS A GOOD SIGNATURE FOR MESOSCALE
BANDING IN THE EXTREME NRN PART OF THE CWA DURING THIS TIME WITH
PROFILES COLD ENOUGH FOR IT TO BE SNOW. OUTSIDE OF OUR CURRENT
WINTER STORM WARNING...SNOWFALL AMOUNTS MAY APPROACH WARNING
CRITERIA IN THE FAR NRN SUBURBS OF BALTIMORE THAT ARE CLOSE TO THE
PA BORDER AND ALSO IN THE NRN POTOMAC HIGHLANDS...BUT WARM
INTRUSION MAY CAUSE PRECIP TO CHANGE OVER TO IP/RA/ZR DURING THE
PEAK OF THE BANDING...WHICH WOULD CUT DOWN ON TOTALS. WRNGS MAY BE
NEEDED FOR THESE AREAS BUT THIS APPEARS TO BE AN OUTLIER SCENARIO
/AS DEPICTED BY OUR 90TH PERCENTILE SNOWFALL FCST/. POCKETS OF
FREEZING RAIN WILL DEVELOP DURING THE AFTN AND EVE IN THE
SHENANDOAH VLY AND BLUE RIDGE...WHERE COLD AIR NEAR THE SFC WILL
BE HARD TO SCOUR OUT.
THE LOW WILL MOVE OFF TO OUR NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT SATURDAY AND
NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DRY THINGS OUT. UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS ARE
EXPECTED ALONG AND WEST OF THE ALLEGHENY FRONT.
&&
.LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE OFF TO OUR NORTHEAST SUNDAY
THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT AND A NORTHWEST FLOW WILL ALLOW FOR DRY AND
SEASONABLY CHILLY CONDITIONS.
LONG WAVE TROUGH AXIS OVER THE EASTERN CONUS MONDAY WILL KEEP
TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW NORMAL. MODERATING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED
FOR TUESDAY...REACHING NEAR NORMAL WITH WARM AIR ADVECTION AHEAD OF
A DEEPENING TROUGH OVER THE GREAT LAKES. SOME LIMITED MOISTURE MAY
GENERATE UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE ALLEGHENY FRONT TUESDAY AS
VORT MAX ROUNDS THE BASE OF THE TROUGH OVERHEAD. TEMPERATURES FALL
BELOW NORMAL BRIEFLY FOR WEDNESDAY BEHIND THE ASSOCIATED COLD FROPA.
WARMING TREND THEN SETS IN FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WITH THERMAL
RIDGE BUILDING AHEAD OF LONG WAVE TROUGH PUSHING ACROSS THE WESTERN
CONUS. SOME WARM ADVECTION SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AHEAD OF THE
MAIN COLD FRONT SET TO PUSH THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND.
&&
.AVIATION /03Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH TONIGHT. CIGS ARE EXPECTED TO LOWER SOME WITH
INCREASING MID LEVEL MOISTURE BUT MAY NOT REACH MVFR UNTIL MID
MORNING FOR MRB...IAD...DCA...BWI...AND MTN. AS FOR CHO...MVFR
CONDITIONS MAY BE ENCOUNTER AROUND DAYBREAK AS SNOW BEGINS TO FALL.
VISBIS WILL STAY VFR AT ALL TERMINALS BUT CHO WHERE VISBIS COULD
QUICKLY BE REDUCED FROM 6SM TO AROUND 2 OR 3SM WITH SNOWFALL.
WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE TONIGHT.
NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DRY THINGS OUT FOR SUNDAY AND HIGH PRESSURE
WILL BUILD OVERHEAD MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
&&
.MARINE...
NO MARINE HAZARDS TONIGHT. WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE. A GUST
OF 10 KNTS IS POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT.
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE
WATERS SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD TOWARD THE WATERS MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
&&
.LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
DC...NONE.
MD...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 AM SATURDAY TO 1 AM EST SUNDAY FOR
MDZ003>005-501-502.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 8 AM SATURDAY TO 1 AM EST SUNDAY
FOR MDZ006-007-009>011.
VA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 8 AM SATURDAY TO 1 AM EST SUNDAY
FOR VAZ036>040-042-501.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 AM SATURDAY TO 1 AM EST SUNDAY
FOR VAZ025>031-503-504.
WV...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 AM SATURDAY TO 1 AM EST SUNDAY FOR
WVZ050>052-503-504.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 AM SATURDAY TO 1 AM EST SUNDAY
FOR WVZ053-055-501-502-505-506.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 3 PM SATURDAY TO 6 AM EST SUNDAY FOR
ANZ530>543.
&&
SYNOPSIS...JRK/KLW
NEAR TERM...KLW
SHORT TERM...JRK
LONG TERM...BAJ
AVIATION...JRK/KLW
MARINE...JRK/KLWHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1042 PM EST FRI DEC 13 2013 ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ006-007-011-013-014-016>018-VAZ052>057- 141000- 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- 1042 PM EST FRI DEC 13 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...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT SATURDAY FOR NORTHERN SUBURBS OF BALTIMORE. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WATERS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. THIS MAY NEED TO BE CONTINUED SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. SNOW AND ICE REPORTS WILL BE APPRECIATED SATURDAY. MDZ003>005-009-010-501-502-VAZ025>031-036>040-042-050-051-501>504- WVZ050>053-055-501>506-141000- 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- 1042 PM EST FRI DEC 13 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...TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING GOES INTO EFFECT LATE TONIGHT FROM CARROLL COUNTY TO ALLEGANY COUNTY IN MARYLAND...AS WELL AS THE EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY GOES INTO EFFECT LATE TONIGHT FOR THE SOUTHERN POTOMAC HIGHLANDS...THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND THE CENTRAL FOOTHILLS OF VIRGINIA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING FOR NORTH-CENTRAL AND WESTERN MARYLAND...AS WELL AS THE EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING FOR THE SOUTHERN POTOMAC HIGHLANDS...PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA THAT ARE LOCATED ALONG AND WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE...AND FOR THE NORTHERN SUBURBS OF WASHINGTON DC. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... PLEASE RELAY SNOWFALL AND ICE REPORTS ON SATURDAY.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 winter weather, 4 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snow accumulations of 3 inches were measured at Kline Gap.
Snow accumulations of 4 inches were measured at surrounding locations.
Snow accumulations of 4 inches were measured at surrounding locations.
Snow accumulations of 5 inches were measured at Mount Storm.
Snow accumulations of 5 inches were measured at Smith Crossroads.
Snow accumulations of 5 inches were measured at Shanks.
Snow accumulations of 6 inches were measured at Keyser.
Snow accumulations of 4 inches were measured at Sulphur City.
Snow accumulations of 4 inches were measured at surrounding locations.
Snow accumulations of 4 inches were measured at Mathias.
Snow accumulations of 4 inches were measured at Tomahawk.
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, December 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: 491137, 491139, 491142, 491126, 491127, 491128, 491129, 491136, 491138, 491140, 491141.