West Virginia, 2016

Ice Storm and Winter Weather in West Virginia, December 17, 2016

December 17, 2016 · NWS PBZ · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Low pressure moving east across the Ohio slowly pushed a warm front north across the region, Very cold air was in place, generally from Pittsburgh and areas north, as well as in the Laurel Ridges, and Garrett county Maryland. Freezing rain accumulated over one quarter inch or more in a swath from Pittsburgh to State Route 422 in Pennsylvania, as well across portions of Garrett county Maryland,…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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 PBZ wrote it up.

Low pressure moving east across the Ohio slowly pushed a warm front north across the region, Very cold air was in place, generally from Pittsburgh and areas north, as well as in the Laurel Ridges, and Garrett county Maryland. Freezing rain accumulated over one quarter inch or more in a swath from Pittsburgh to State Route 422 in Pennsylvania, as well across portions of Garrett county Maryland, and the Laurel Ridges. Lesser ice accumulation occurred across portions of eastern Ohio, southwest Pennsylvania, and the northern Panhandle of West Virginia, north of I-70.

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 Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 16, 9:18 PM EST, 2 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 16, 9:18 PM EST, 2 hours 42 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 16, 9:01 AM EST, 14 hours 59 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 winter weather, 1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Hancock

When
December 17, 12:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Hancock forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
40.522, -80.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Brooke

When
December 17, 12:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Brooke forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
40.274, -80.576 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Ohio

When
December 17, 12:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Ohio forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
40.097, -80.619 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Eastern Preston

When
December 17, 12:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Eastern Preston forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
39.469, -79.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in West Virginia in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, December 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: 667354, 667355, 667356, 667358.