West Virginia, 2013

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in West Virginia, March 5 to 6, 2013

March 5 to 6, 2013 · NWS RLX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

In response to a strong mid level circulation, a low pressure strengthened as it moved up the Ohio River Valley during the daylight hours on the 5th. It spread some light rain into southern West Virginia.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$75,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 RLX wrote it up.

In response to a strong mid level circulation, a low pressure strengthened as it moved up the Ohio River Valley during the daylight hours on the 5th. It spread some light rain into southern West Virginia. With an easterly flow into the mountains, boundary layer temperatures were colder in the central mountains and northern lowlands.

As the low center moves to near Point Pleasant on the evening of the 5th, snow developed over the central mountains. A secondary low pressure developed in North Carolina, The 2 systems consolidated over the Virginia coast by dawn on the 6th.

The snow diminished by midday on the 6th, with flurries and drizzle lingering into the night. Accumulations of 5 to 12 inches were common in about 18 hours throughout Pocahontas and Randolph Counties. At Snowshoe, the snow depth increased from 12 inches prior to the storm, to 22 inches. The combination of an old snow cover and this storm also left Kumbrabow State Forest with a total snow depth of 22 inches.

Webster County had lesser amounts, ranging from 2 inches in Webster Springs to 8 inches on Point Mountain. Even lower amounts, mostly 1 to 3 inches, fell near Clarksburg, Grafton, Philippi, and Buckhannnon.

The heavy wet snow caused tree branches to fall onto power lines in Pocahontas County. Roughly 3,100 customers in Pocahontas County lost electricity on the 6th. Over 24 hours after the storm had ended, roughly half of those affected were still without electricity. A warming shelter was set up in Green Bank by the county.

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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 5, 2:52 PM EST, 4 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 5, 2:52 PM EST, 4 hours 8 minutes before
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Event by event

2 heavy snow, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Pocahontas

When
March 5, 7:00 PM EST to March 6, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Pocahontas forecast zone
Property damage
$75,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager

Heavy Snow, Randolph

When
March 5, 7:00 PM EST to March 6, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Randolph forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer

Winter Weather, Webster

When
March 5, 7:00 PM EST to March 6, 1:00 PM EST
Where
Webster forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in West Virginia in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, March 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 427999, 428001, 428002.