A deepening coastal low tracking along the Eastern Seaboard brought widespread precipitation to the Mid-Atlantic. Cold air damming as a result of high pressure over New England advected in colder air, transitioning the precipitation to snow.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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.
A deepening coastal low tracking along the Eastern Seaboard brought widespread precipitation to the Mid-Atlantic. Cold air damming as a result of high pressure over New England advected in colder air, transitioning the precipitation to snow.
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 Nov 26, 3:59 AM EST, 1 hour 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
359 AM EST WED NOV 26 2014
.SYNOPSIS...
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE UP THE ATLANTIC COAST TODAY. AN
UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA THURSDAY AND
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVERHEAD FRIDAY. THE HIGH WILL MOVE OFF
THE COAST DURING THE WEEKEND.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
WINTER WEATHER EXPECTED FOR MOST OF THE MID-ATLANTIC TODAY...
LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO DEEPEN AS IT MOVES N-NE ALONG THE
CAROLINA COASTLINE WHILE HIGH PRESSURE IS LOCATED ACROSS THE GREAT
LAKES AND NEW ENGLAND THIS MORNING. NRLY WINDS FROM THE HIGH TO THE
NORTH WILL ADVECT DRY AND COOLER AIR INTO THE REGION WHILE
PRECIPITATION MOVES OVER THE MID ATLANTIC TODAY.
LOW PRESSURE IS ON TRACK TO MOVE ALONG THE NC COAST AND EAST OF THE
DELMARVA BY THIS AFTERNOON. THE SFC LOW IS SLIGHTLY DEEPER THAN
GFS/ECMWF AND IS MOVING SLOWER THAN INTENDED. RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO
SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION EARLY THIS MORNING AS MOISTURE PUMPS INTO
THE AREA. TEMPS ARE CURRENTLY IN THE 40S TO NEAR 50 EAST OF THE BLUE
RIDGE MTNS AND MOSTLY RAIN IS EXPECTED. RAIN SHOULD QUICKLY CHANGE TO SNOW
ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS THIS MORNING WHERE TEMPERATURES ARE IN
THE LOW 30S. A SHARP DEWPT GRADIENT EXISTS ACROSS THE REGION AS NRLY
WINDS PULL DOWN DRIER AIR. DEWPTS AROUND FREEZING OR BELOW ARE
OBSERVED IN THE NRN HALF OF THE CWA WITH DEWPTS IN THE 40S TO THE
SOUTH. THIS WILL ALLOW RAIN TO CHANGE OVER TO SN OR RASN FASTER WHEN
PRECIPITATION GETS THERE. TEMPS WILL CONTINUE TO FALL THROUGH THE
DAY TODAY WITH MAX TEMPERATURES REACHED THIS MORNING.
TEMPS WILL CONTINUE TO FALL THROUGH THE DAY AND RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS
WILL LIKELY TURN TO ALL SNOW WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE AFTER DAWN. RAIN
WILL CHANGE TO RAIN/SNOW JUST EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE INTO MID MORNING.
THICKNESSES ALOFT CONTINUE TO SHOW A TRANSITION ZONE NEAR INTERSTATE
95. LITTLE CHANGE TO THE SNOWFALL FORECAST WAS DONE OVERNIGHT DUE TO
THE CONSISTENCY OF MODEL RUNS. MOST SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION WILL BE
ACROSS HIGHER ELEVATIONS ALONG AND WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE AND NEAR
THE MASON DIXON LINE. AT THIS TIME...USING HI RES MODELS TO
ANTICIPATE BOUNDARY LAYER CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH THE SFC HIGH TO THE
NORTH WILL BE SUPPLYING SOME COLD AND DRY AIR...AS THE LOW MOVES
NORTHWARD THAT SUPPLY WILL DIMINISH AND DYNAMICAL COOLING WILL BE
THE BEST CHANCE FOR SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE
MTNS. THERE IS A BANDING POTENTIAL THAT IS SHOWN IN THE FN VECTORS
IN THE NAM AND GFS FOR MIDDAY ACROSS I-95. IF THIS OCCURS...ALL SNOW
WOULD BE ABLE TO PRODUCE ACCUMULATION. IT WILL BE LIKELY MELT ON
PAVEMENT BUT ACCUMULATE ON GRASSY SURFACES.
LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE AWAY FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING TAKING THE PRECIP SHIELD WITH IT. NRLY WINDS
WILL BECOME NW AND DRY/COLD AIR WILL FILTER INTO THE REGION. ANY
SHOWERS WILL LIKELY CHANGE TO ALL SNOW ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION BY
LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING BEFORE TAPERING OFF. FCST MIN TEMPS
WILL BE IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOW 30S TONIGHT. THIS WILL CAUSE WET
SURFACES TO FREEZE.
&&
.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
UPPER TROUGH WITH EMBEDDED SHORTWAVE IS PROGGED TO SWING ACROSS THE
MID-ATLANTIC THANKSGIVING DAY. SHORTWAVE WILL PRODUCE PLENTY OF
CLOUDS ALONG WITH SCATTERED PRECIPITATION. INITIAL P-TYPE LIKELY
WOULD BE SNOW...BUT BY AFTERNOON THERMAL PROFILES BECOME MORE
MARGINAL FURTHER EAST THROUGH THE CWA THEREFORE HAVE RW/SW AS P-TYPE
EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE.
SHORTWAVE EXITS BY EARLY EVENING THURSDAY...BUT EXPECT SOME UPSLOPE
SNOW SHOWERS WITH W/NW WIND BEHIND THE SHORTWAVE.
&&
.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FRIDAY NIGHT THEN PUSHES OFFSHORE SATURDAY.
WARM FRONT LOOKS TO LIFT NORTH LATE SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT.
THIS SHOULD HELP TEMPERATURES WARM ABOVE NORMAL FOR SUNDAY. THIS
LIKELY LASTS INTO MONDAY EVEN THOUGH A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH.
COOLER AIR IS SLATED FOR TUESDAY.
&&
.AVIATION /09Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE UP THE EAST COAST TODAY. RAIN AND SNOW
IS EXPECTED. VFR CONDITIONS WILL BECOME IFR WITH LOW CIGS AND
VSBYS BY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE TERMINALS. SN IS EXPECTED AT MRB FOR
MOST OF THE EVENT TODAY WHEREAS WARMER TEMPS EASTWARD WILL LEAD TO
RASN OR RA ELSEWHERE. NRLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TODAY WITH GUSTS UP
TO 18KTS AT IAD/DCA/BWI/MTN. SHOWERS WILL BECOME SN BY LATE
AFTERNOON. LOW PRESSURE MOVES AWAY FROM THE COAST TONIGHT. CIGS
AND VSBYS WILL IMPROVE TO VFR THIS EVENING.
DISTURBANCE WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SW/RW THANKSGIVING DAY...THEN NO
SIGNIFICANT WX EXPECTED FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND WITH HIGH PRESSURE
GENERALLY IN CONTROL.
&&
.MARINE...
LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE UP THE EAST COAST TODAY. NRLY WINDS ACROSS
THE WATERS WILL INCREASE AND SCA CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TODAY. AS
THE GRADIENT TIGHTENS AS THE LOW NEARS...GALE FORCE WINDS WILL BE
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE LOWER TIDAL POTOMAC AND MIDDLE CHESAPEAKE BAY
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE AWAY FROM THE WATERS
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. NW WINDS WILL SUBSIDE TONIGHT AND INTO
THURSDAY.
TROUGH MOVES THROUGH THANKSGIVING DAY...WITH POTENTIAL SCA
CONDITIONS BEHIND IT FOR THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. HIGH PRESSURE
BUILDS IN THEREAFTER.
&&
.CLIMATE...
CLIMATE...
RECORDS FOR EARLIEST MEASURABLE SNOW ALREADY PASSED A FEW WEEKS
AGO...BUT BELOW IS A LIST OF DAILY MAXIMUM SNOWFALL RECORDS SPECIFIC
TO THE DATE OF NOVEMBER 26TH.
DCA 2.2" (1898)
BWI 4.5" (1898)
IAD 1.1" (1978)
&&
.LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
DC...NONE.
MD...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR MDZ003-
501-502.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR
MDZ004>006.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EST
THIS EVENING FOR MDZ007-009>011.
VA...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR
VAZ025>031-036>040-503-504.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR VAZ042-
501.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EST
THIS EVENING FOR VAZ050>053-502.
WV...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR
WVZ050>053-055-501>506.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR ANZ532-
540-542.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM EST THIS MORNING FOR ANZ533-
534-537-541-543.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 6 PM TO 10 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR
ANZ533-534-537-541-543.
GALE WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EST THIS EVENING
FOR ANZ533-534-537-541-543.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR ANZ530-
531-538-539.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM EST THIS
EVENING FOR ANZ535-536.
&&
SYNOPSIS...HAS/BPP
NEAR TERM...HAS
SHORT TERM...BPP
LONG TERM...BPP
AVIATION...HAS/BPP
MARINE...HAS/BPP
CLIMATE...DFHHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1053 PM EST TUE NOV 25 2014 ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ006-007-011-013-014-016>018-VAZ052>057- 261400- 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- 1053 PM EST TUE NOV 25 2014 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 A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE WATERS LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT WEDNESDAY FOR THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN SUBURBS OF WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE. SEE WBCWSWLWX FOR FURTHER DETAILS. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE MARYLAND CHESAPEAKE BAY AND LOWER TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER WEDNESDAY. A GALE WARNING MAY BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE WATERS WEDNESDAY. THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONTINUES UNTIL 10 PM FOR PORTIONS OF THE BAY AND LOWER TIDAL POTOMAC. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE WATERS THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AND AGAIN FOR SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MDZ003>005-009-010-501-502-VAZ025>031-036>040-042-050-051-501>504- WVZ050>053-055-501>506-261400- 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- 1053 PM EST TUE NOV 25 2014 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 BEGINS LATE TONIGHT FOR LOCATIONS NEAR AND WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF WESTERN MARYLAND AND EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA. SEE WBCWSWLWX FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT WEDNESDAY FOR LOCATIONS NEAR THE MASON-DIXON LINE AND ALSO FOR AREAS NEAR AND WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT WEDNESDAY FOR PORTIONS OF THE VIRGINIA PIEDMONT. SEE WBCWSWLWX FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 winter storm, 5 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple spotters across the county reported 12 hour storm snow totals between 1 and 2 inches.
Multiple spotters and broadcast media partners reported 12 hour storm snow totals between 3 and 7 inches across the county. Afton reported 7.0 inches. The City of Staunton reported 6 inches and the City of Waynesboro reported 5.0 inches.
Broadcast media partners and the public reported 12 hour storm snow totals between 4 and 12 inches across the county. City of Harrisonburg reported 5.0 inches. Bergton reported 12.0 inches.
Multiple spotters reported 12 hour storm snow totals between 3 and 8 inches across the county. Gore reported 7.5 inches. The City of Winchester reported 4.2 inches.
Reported a 12 hour storm snowfall total of 6.0 inches 1 mile west of Afton.
Multiple spotters and broadcast media partner reported 12 hour storm snow totals between 5 and 6 inches across the county.
Multiple reports of 12 hour storm snowfall totals between 3 and 8 inches. Fort Valley reported 7.5 inches.
Multiple spotters across the county reported 12 hour storm snow totals between 6 and 8 inches. Chester Gap reported 8.0 inches.
Multiple spotters reported 12 hour storm snow totals between 2 and 8 inches across the county. Mt Weather reported 8.0 inches.
Spotter in Monterey reported a 12 hour storm snowfall total of 14.0 inches.
Estimated between 7 and 14 inches based upon spotter reports from surrounding counties.
Multiple spotters reported 12 hour storm snow totals between 2 and 4 inches across the western portion of the county. Haymarket reported 4.0 inches.
Spotter reported a 12 hour storm snowfall total of 3.2 inches in Marshall.
Multiple spotters across the county reported 12 hour storm snow totals between 1 and 2 inches. Lessburg reported 2.0 inches.
A 12 hour storm snowfall total between 1 and 3 inches were reported across the county. 3.0 inches was reported in Hearndon.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, November 2014
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: 550591, 550609, 550610, 550611, 550612, 550613, 550614, 550629, 550630, 550632, 550633, 550586, 550589, 550590, 550631.