West Virginia, 2013

Heavy Snow in West Virginia, March 5 to 6, 2013

March 5 to 6, 2013 · NWS RNK · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Low pressure tracked through the southern Ohio Valley before transitioning to a secondary low over northern NC. A very strong upper level disturbance diving in from the NW interacted with this second low causing it to rapidly deepen as it drifted northeast over eastern Virginia.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

Low pressure tracked through the southern Ohio Valley before transitioning to a secondary low over northern NC. A very strong upper level disturbance diving in from the NW interacted with this second low causing it to rapidly deepen as it drifted northeast over eastern Virginia. Mid-level blocking to the north of this system caused it to slow down with strong Atlantic inflow into the mountains. As this low became the dominant feature a large swath of moderate to heavy snow developed and persisted especially north of I-64 with embedded banding bringing 1-2 per hour rates in spots. Snowfall ranged from 5 to 8 inches.

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 Mar 5, 5:40 PM EST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 5, 5:40 PM EST, 1 hour 55 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 5, 5:35 PM EST, 2 hours before
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Event by event

1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Greenbrier

When
March 5, 7:35 PM EST to March 6, 9:35 AM EST
Where
Greenbrier forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
Department of Highways

Snowfall reported at 7 inches in Alta and 6 inches at Lewisburg and Ronceverte. Electricity was knocked out around 230 AM in some areas.

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

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 440992.