A surface low pressure system crossed from the Tennessee Valley into the Mid-Atlantic on the 24th and 25th. Prolonged moderate rainfall resulted in 1 to 2 inches of rainfall and minor flooding during the predawn hours of the 25th.
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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 RLX wrote it up.
A surface low pressure system crossed from the Tennessee Valley into the Mid-Atlantic on the 24th and 25th. Prolonged moderate rainfall resulted in 1 to 2 inches of rainfall and minor flooding during the predawn hours of the 25th.
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 25, 1:42 AM EST, 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Charleston WV 242 AM EDT Wed Mar 25 2020 .SYNOPSIS... Low pressure south of the area moves away to the east early Wednesday. A warm front sets up across the area Thursday night and Friday, with rounds of showers and storms over the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 220 AM Wednesday... Forecast on track, with rain, low clouds and mist filling back in through the middle Ohio Valley, as surface low pressure south of the area moves off to the east. As of 730 PM Tuesday... The forecast remains on track and no significant changes were made at this time. As of 200 PM Tuesday... Low pressure tracking across the Tennessee Valley today will scoot by to the south of the forecast area overnight. Radar imagery this afternoon gives a clear takeaway of the warm front's location, with a large band of rain crossing into southern Kentucky at the time of this issuance. Rain arrives into southwest Virginia and West Virginia late this afternoon, then further pushing into the entire CWA by late tonight. Opted to delay the onset of precip in accordance with both hi-res guidance and neighboring offices. Heaviest rainfall remains progged to occur in the southern extent of the forecast area. QPF totals of an inch or less is expected for the southern WV coalfields and down into Buchanan and Dickenson Counties, which seems to bode well with latest model guidance. Flash flood guidance for this area still promotes higher than anticipated rainfall amounts for this evening, so this should help keep flooding issues at bay. In other parts of the CWA, cold air advection overnight will advertise a change over to snow over the northeast WV mountains, but accumulations will be slim to none given the warm ground conditions and quick progression of the system. Given the southern trend in the positioning of the low compared to past few forecast packages, this will keep us mostly out of the warm sector and limit thunderstorm activity tonight. Our southwest Virginia counties may still be in good positioning for a rumble of thunder late tonight, briefly dumping heavy rain and a quick uptick in wind gusts. Rain comes to an end on Wednesday from west to east as the low crosses into the Mid-Atlantic region and eventually off the coast. Maintained light POPs along the higher terrain a bit longer than everywhere else to account for lingering low level moisture banked up along the mountains. In its wake, high pressure and drier air will be on our doorsteps for the end of the period. Skies will be on the verge of clearing in the Charleston metro at the end of the day tomorrow. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... As of 240 AM Wednesday... Could be some patchy fog Thursday morning as at least some partial clearing and light surface winds take hold across the area. Otherwise, dry, and much warmer for Thursday. A frontal boundary will sag south into the Mid Ohio River Valley later in the day Thursday, and linger through at least the first part of Saturday, before gradually moving north throughout the day as surface low moves northeast into the Great Lakes Region. Occasional disturbances moving along the front at times will create periods of showers and thunderstorms across the area, particularly in Mid Ohio Valley region. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 240 AM Wednesday... Cold front will move through Saturday night/Sunday, with showers and even a rumble of thunder as it does so. Gusty winds can also be expected during this period, from a combination of tight pressure gradient and strengthening winds aloft. Front should clear to the east of the CWA on Sunday, with drier, and slightly cooler, yet still mild weather to finish the extended period. && .AVIATION /07Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 220 AM Wednesday... BKW remained on the northwest edge of IFR ceilings on gusty southeast flow. Meanwhile, rain, low clouds and mist were filling back in through the middle Ohio Valley, as surface low pressure south of the area was moving off to the east. Conditions should deteriorate to MVFR on ceilings and at times visibility overnight in light rain showers and mist across the northern sites PKB, CKB and EKN, with IFR conditions across HTS, by 09Z CRW, and at times at BKW. After daybreak, the rain will be out of the area, and visibility in mist will improve to VFR by 14Z. However, IFR ceilings will persist south and MVFR across the north through much of the morning, before improvement from west to east Wednesday afternoon. IFR to MVFR ceilings may persist into the evening, before improvement to VFR Wednesday night. Gusty southeast surface flow in the mountains will gradually diminish overnight and early Wednesday morning, and be light and variable Wednesday afternoon and night. Surface flow elsewhere will be light northeast through Wednesday morning, and then light and variable Wednesday afternoon and night. Strong south flow aloft will gradually diminish overnight, and then switch to light north Wednesday morning, as low pressure aloft goes by from west to east. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: IFR ceiling at BKW may improve for a time overnight, and other flight category changes may vary, as IFR south and MVFR north may not quite hold as such. Visibility is most uncertain overnight into Wednesday morning. Timing of improving ceilings may vary during the day Wednesday. Valley fog may start to form late Wednesday night. 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. DATE WED 03/25/20 UTC 1HRLY 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 EDT 1HRLY 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H M H M HTS CONSISTENCY M H H H M H H L H M M M BKW CONSISTENCY L H H H M H H H M M H H EKN CONSISTENCY M M H M H H H H H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H M M M M M H H M CKB CONSISTENCY H M H H H H H H H H H H AFTER 06Z THURSDAY... IFR possible Friday and Saturday in rain, particularly across the Middle Ohio Valley. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...None. OH...None. KY...None. VA...None. && SYNOPSIS...TRM/SL NEAR TERM...TRM/JZ/MEK SHORT TERM...SL LONG TERM...SL AVIATION...TRM
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Charleston WV 350 AM EDT Tue Mar 24 2020 KYZ101>103-105-OHZ086-087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>008-013>016-018-024>030- 033-034-039-515>526-250800- Greenup-Carter-Boyd-Lawrence KY-Gallia-Lawrence OH-Dickenson- Buchanan-Wayne-Cabell-Mason-Jackson WV-Lincoln-Putnam-Kanawha-Roane- Calhoun-Mingo-Logan-Boone-Clay-Braxton-Gilmer-Lewis-McDowell-Wyoming- Upshur-Northwest Raleigh-Southeast Raleigh-Northwest Fayette- Southeast Fayette-Northwest Nicholas-Southeast Nicholas- Northwest Webster-Southeast Webster-Northwest Pocahontas- Southeast Pocahontas-Northwest Randolph-Southeast Randolph- 350 AM EDT Tue Mar 24 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Kentucky, portions of southeast Ohio, southwest Virginia, the southern and central lowlands of West Virginia, and the West Virginia mountains. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. A low pressure system passing just south of the area this evening into Wednesday morning will create a period of moderate rainfall. With a saturated ground in place, minor water issues could occur. If confidence increases in the threat for flooding, then a flood watch may be issued. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions by calling the toll-free spotter hotline, or by other methods detailed at www.weather.gov/rlx/reports. OHZ066-067-075-076-083>085-WVZ009>011-017-019-020-031-032-040-250800- Perry-Morgan-Athens-Washington-Jackson OH-Vinton-Meigs-Wood- Pleasants-Tyler-Wirt-Ritchie-Doddridge-Harrison-Taylor-Barbour- 350 AM EDT Tue Mar 24 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast Ohio, and portions of central West Virginia and northern West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. A warm front will set up across the area Thursday night through Friday night, before moving north on Saturday. This is likely to create periods of moderate rainfall. With a saturated ground in place, minor water issues could occur. If confidence increases in the threat for flooding, then a flood watch may be issued. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. TRM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1034 PM EDT Tue Mar 24 2020 VAZ003-004-WVZ033-250500- DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-MCDOWELL- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF CLINTWOOD, GRUNDY, VANSANT, WELCH, GARY, AND WAR 1034 PM EDT Tue Mar 24 2020 ...PERSISTENT TO MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND FAR SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA... An area of moderate to at times heavy rain will affect far southern West Virginia and southwest Virginia late this evening, producing up to an additional half an inch of rain. Saturated grounds from earlier rains, combined with near bankfull streams could result in minor flooding, particularly in low lying areas. Those living in flood prone areas should remain vigilant and be prepared to take action if flooding occurs. If traveling tonight, use caution as water covered roadways can be difficult to see. If more significant flooding is expected, then a flood warning may become necessary. HART
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1035 PM EDT Tue Mar 24 2020 VAZ003-004-WVZ033-250500- DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-MCDOWELL- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF CLINTWOOD, GRUNDY, VANSANT, WELCH, GARY, AND WAR 1035 PM EDT Tue Mar 24 2020 ...PERSISTENT MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND FAR SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA... An area of moderate to at times heavy rain will affect far southern West Virginia and southwest Virginia late this evening, producing up to an additional half an inch of rain. Saturated grounds from earlier rains, combined with near bankfull streams could result in minor flooding, particularly in low lying areas. Those living in flood prone areas should remain vigilant and be prepared to take action if flooding occurs. If traveling tonight, use caution as water covered roadways can be difficult to see. If more significant flooding is expected, then a flood warning may become necessary. HART
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several road across the county were closed due to flooding along creeks and streams.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, March 2020
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: 874144.