Winter Weather in West Virginia, April 7 to 9, 2016

Name: Winter Weather in West Virginia, April 7 to 9, 2016
Start: 2016-04-07T16:00
End: 2016-04-09T22:30
Location: West Virginia

April 7 to 9, 2016 · NWS RLX · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Rounds of snow showers started in the highest terrain of the central mountain counties during the late afternoon on the 7th. Elevation dependent snow accumulations of 1 to 6 inches fell by dawn on the 8th in parts of Pocahontas, Webster, and Randolph.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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.

There was a lull during the daylight hours on the 8th. Reinforcing cold air arrived during the night, lowering the freezing level and increasing the rounds of snow showers again during the predawn hours of Saturday the 9th. Even the western lowlands of the state saw a coating of snow during the morning. The temperature on the mountaintop at Snowshoe was 16 degrees at dawn on the 9th, then remained around 16 degrees throughout the daylight hours. Winds of 15 to 30 mph were common in the snow showers on the 9th.

Most of the snow showers diminished during the late afternoon of the 9th. However, the final band of snow showers persisted into the evening hours over Webster and western Pocahontas Counties.

The total snow accumulations in the 2 day episode were mostly 3 to 6 inches in the mountain counties from Raleigh on north to Randolph and Pocahontas. The high elevations above 3000 feet in Randolph, Webster, and Pocahontas Counties saw accumulations of 6 to 12 inches over the course of these 48 hours. Snowshoe had an 11 inch snow accumulation, Elkins and Bartow measured 6 inches, with 4 inches at Buckhannon. Highway crews reported 9 inches on top of Point Mountain in Webster County. Drifts of 2 to 3 feet occurred on the mountain ridges.

Due to the warm month of March, the ski resorts had closed prior to this winter weather intrusion.

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 Apr 7, 2:41 PM EST, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 7, 2:41 PM EST, 1 hour 19 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
341 PM EDT THU APR 7 2016

.SYNOPSIS...
RAIN SHOWERS TRANSITIONING TO A MIX WITH SNOW SHOWERS THIS EVENING.
COLDER. UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE CROSSES FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY
WITH ROUNDS OF RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS. VERY COLD SATURDAY NIGHT.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/...
RAIN SHOWERS CONTINUE TO PUSH FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL
APPALACHIANS AND MIDDLE OHIO VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
AHEAD OF A GREAT LAKES UPPER LEVEL LOW AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD
FRONT. GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING...WITH GREATER
GUSTS POSSIBLE UNDERNEATH SHOWERS. DRIER AIR WILL FILTER IN LATER
THIS EVENING BEHIND THE FRONT...ALONG WITH A RENEWED ROUND OF COLD
AIR ADVECTION SENDING TEMPERATURES TO NEAR AND BELOW FREEZING
ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN OHIO AND NORTHEASTERN KENTUCKY WHERE THE
PREVIOUS FREEZE WATCH HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A FREEZE WARNING.
ENOUGH CLOUD COVER SHOULD REMAIN INTACT TO PREVENT WIDESPREAD
FREEZING TEMPERATURES FROM MATERIALIZING FARTHER EAST INTO WEST
VIRGINIA.

&&

.SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
AFTER A RELATIVELY DRY START TO THE DAY ON FRIDAY...WITH THE
EXCEPTION BEING SOME LEFTOVER RAIN/SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY IN THE
MOUNTAINS...A POTENT UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL TRAVERSE THROUGH THE
WESTERN GREAT LAKES INTO THE OHIO VALLEY FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. A STRONG ROUND OF UPPER LIFT...ENHANCED BY A 140+ KNOT
JET SLIDING ACROSS THE REGION...WILL LEAD TO INCREASING RAIN/SNOW
CHANCES LATER FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. SNOW AMOUNTS OF
UP TO HALF AN INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE LOWLANDS...WHILE
THE HIGHER BASED LOCALES IN THE MOUNTAINS MAY SEE A FEW INCHES.

ADDITIONALLY...STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL SEND MUCH IF NOT
ALL OF THE MIDDLE OHIO VALLEY AND CENTRAL APPALACHIANS NEAR OR
BELOW FREEZING BY DAYBREAK SATURDAY. HAVE THUS HOISTED A FREEZE
WATCH FOR ALL BUT THE FAR EASTERN COLUMN OF COUNTIES ACROSS WEST
VIRGINIA AS THIS SEASON/S FROST/FREEZE PROGRAM HAS YET TO BEGIN
THERE.

&&

.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
SURGE OF ARCTIC AIR WILL PROVIDE A COLD START TO THE WEEKEND WITH
850MB TEMPS FALLING TO AROUND -10C EARLY SATURDAY.  TEMPERATURES ON
SATURDAY MAY BE HARD PRESSED TO TOUCH 40 IN MANY AREAS.  WE WILL
ALSO CONTEND WITH UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS INTO THE APPALACHIANS THROUGH
MUCH OF SATURDAY...WITH SOME ACCUMULATIONS LIKELY ABOVE 2500 FEET.
WE MAY NEED SOME SNOW ADVISORIES GIVEN A PROLONGED PERIOD OF SNOW UP
AGAINST THE HIGH TERRAIN IN THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF THE CWA. THIS
SNOW SHOULD WIND DOWN SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING AS HIGH PRESSURE
BUILDS IN.

AS WE HEAD INTO SATURDAY NIGHT...HIGH PRESSURE TAKES UP RESIDENCE
DIRECTLY OVERHEAD WEST VIRGINIA...SETTING UP THE COLDEST NIGHT AS
TEMPERATURES FALL OFF WELL INTO THE 20S (TEENS HIGHER TERRAIN).  A
FEW VALLEYS COULD ALSO SQUEEZE OUT SOME UPPER TEENS.  WE WILL LIKELY
NEED ANOTHER FREEZE WARNING FOR SATURDAY NIGHT...BUT NO HEADLINES AT
THIS POINT AS WE ALREADY HAVE FREEZE HEADLINES FOR TONIGHT AND
FRIDAY NIGHT.

A RETURN OF MUCH MILDER WEATHER WILL BE SEEN FROM SUNDAY INTO THE
EARLY PORTION OF NEXT WEEK AS HEIGHTS BUILD OVER THE REGION.  HIGHS
BY MONDAY WILL LIKELY CLIMB BACK TO AROUND 70.  HOWEVER...AS
ISENTROPIC ASCENT INCREASES MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT...RAIN CHANCES
WILL BE ON THE INCREASE. BEST RAIN CHANCES WILL COME MONDAY NIGHT
INTO EARLY TUESDAY AS A SHORTWAVE PUSHES ACROSS THE
REGION...DRAGGING A COLD FRONT SOUTHEAST.  HAVE BUMPED POPS UP TO
CATEGORICAL WITH GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT.  RAIN SHOULD EXIT BY TUESDAY
AFTERNOON...WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE EXTENDED FEATURING DRY
WEATHER. SOME MODEL DISAGREEMENT TOWARDS THE END OF THE EXTENDED
NEAR THURSDAY...AS ECMWF BRINGS PRECIP BACK INTO THE AREA...BUT GFS
IS MORE SUPPRESSED WITH THIS SYSTEM. FOR NOW WILL JUST GO WITH SOME
LOW POPS COMING BACK INTO THE AREA.

&&

.AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
MVFR CEILINGS OWING TO SHRA AHEAD OF A SECONDARY TROUGH AXIS WILL
REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY THROUGH TONIGHT. ISOLATED
THUNDER IS ALSO POSSIBLE...BUT CONFIDENCE WITHIN 5 NAUTICAL MILES
OF ANY TAF SITE NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO WARRANT MENTION FOR NOW.

STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL MAINTAIN 10-20 MPH SUSTAINED
WEST/SOUTHWEST WINDS WITH GUSTS OF UP TO 30 MPH POSSIBLE. SHRA
MAY ALLOW FOR HIGHER INTERMITTENT GUSTS.

WESTERLY WINDS WILL PICK UP AGAIN TOWARD THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD
FRIDAY MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON...BUT WILL REFRAIN FROM FURTHER
PREVAILING GROUPS GIVEN UNCERTAINTY IN LIFTING/MIXING OUT OF MVFR
CEILINGS.

SOME IFR CEILINGS WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY ACROSS THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS BEHIND THE FRONT. HAVE INSERTED IFR
CEILINGS FOR KEKN FROM 03-11Z AS SNOW SHOWERS DEVELOP IN WAKE OF
THE COLD FRONT.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY...

FORECAST CONFIDENCE: LOW TO MEDIUM.

ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: TIMING OF MVFR CIGS/VSBY MAY FLUCTUATE AS
-SHRA MOVE THROUGH...AND MAY IMPROVE FASTER THAN CURRENTLY
FORECAST BEFORE ARRIVAL OF REINFORCING COLD FRONT. MVFR CONDITIONS
MAY LINGER LONGER FRIDAY WITH UPSLOPE FLOW IN PLACE.

EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY
OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION:
H = HIGH:   TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL.
M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS.
L = LOW:    TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL.

UTC 1HRLY       15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   00   01   02
EDT 1HRLY       11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22
CRW CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    M    M    M    H    H    H    H
HTS CONSISTENCY  H    H    M    M    M    M    M    M    H    H    H    H
BKW CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    M    M    H
EKN CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    M    M    M    M    M    H    H    H    H
PKB CONSISTENCY  H    H    M    M    M    H    H    H    H    H    H    H
CKB CONSISTENCY  H    H    M    M    M    M    M    H    H    H    H    H

AFTER 18Z FRIDAY...
IFR OR LOWER POSSIBLE LATER FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY AS RAIN AND SNOW
PUSH THROUGH FROM THE NORTHWEST...ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN
OF WEST VIRGINIA WHERE SNOW MAY BE HEAVIER.

&&

.RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WV...FREEZE WATCH FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING
     FOR WVZ005>011-013>020-024>034-039-040.
OH...FREEZE WATCH FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING
     FOR OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087.
     FREEZE WARNING FROM 2 AM TO 10 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR OHZ066-067-
     075-076-083>087.
KY...FREEZE WATCH FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING
     FOR KYZ101>103-105.
     FREEZE WARNING FROM 2 AM TO 10 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR KYZ101>103-
     105.
VA...FREEZE WATCH FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING
     FOR VAZ003-004.

&&

SYNOPSIS...JCG
NEAR TERM...JCG
SHORT TERM...JCG
LONG TERM...KAS
AVIATION...JCG

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 7, 2:54 PM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
354 PM EDT THU APR 7 2016

VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011-013>020-024>034-039-040-082000-
DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-WAYNE-CABELL-MASON-JACKSON WV-WOOD-PLEASANTS-
TYLER-LINCOLN-PUTNAM-KANAWHA-ROANE-WIRT-CALHOUN-RITCHIE-DODDRIDGE-
MINGO-LOGAN-BOONE-CLAY-BRAXTON-GILMER-LEWIS-HARRISON-TAYLOR-MCDOWELL-
WYOMING-UPSHUR-BARBOUR-
354 PM EDT THU APR 7 2016

...FREEZE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY
MORNING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND MUCH
OF WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   FREEZE WATCH.

IN ADDITION...LOWLAND TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TO UPPER 20S ARE
EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT. FREEZE WATCHES AND WARNINGS MAY BE
NEEDED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-082000-
GREENUP-CARTER-BOYD-LAWRENCE KY-PERRY-MORGAN-ATHENS-WASHINGTON-
JACKSON OH-VINTON-MEIGS-GALLIA-LAWRENCE OH-
354 PM EDT THU APR 7 2016

...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 10 AM EDT FRIDAY...
...FREEZE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY
MORNING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST KENTUCKY AND
SOUTHEAST OHIO.

.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.

   FREEZE WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   FREEZE WARNING.
   FREEZE WATCH.

IN ADDITION...LOWLAND TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TO UPPER 20S ARE
EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT. FREEZE WATCHES AND WARNINGS MAY BE
NEEDED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

WVZ035>038-046-047-082000-
RALEIGH-FAYETTE-NICHOLAS-WEBSTER-POCAHONTAS-RANDOLPH-
354 PM EDT THU APR 7 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL WEST
VIRGINIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS FOR THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS LATE FRIDAY NIGHT
INTO SATURDAY MAY BRING ACCUMULATING SNOWS TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN.
SNOW ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Pocahontas

When: April 7, 4:00 PM EST to April 9, 10:30 PM EST
Where: Pocahontas forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Winter Weather, Randolph

When: April 7, 6:00 PM EST to April 9, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Randolph forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Winter Weather, Upshur

When: April 8, 1:00 AM EST to April 9, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Upshur forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 38.898, -80.233 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Webster

When: April 8, 1:00 AM EST to April 9, 10:30 PM EST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Winter Weather, Nicholas

When: April 8, 3:00 AM EST to April 9, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Nicholas forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Winter Weather, Fayette

When: April 8, 8:00 PM EST to April 9, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Fayette forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Winter Weather, Raleigh

When: April 8, 8:00 PM EST to April 9, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Raleigh forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

What these are

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

Every storm in West Virginia in 2016 Every state in 2016 This day in weather history Warnings in West Virginia, April 2016

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: 618526, 618527, 618528, 618529, 618530, 618531, 618532.