West Virginia, 2020

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in West Virginia, December 1 to 2, 2020

December 1 to 2, 2020 · NWS RLX · 24 events in 21 counties and zones

On the first day of meteorological winter, a deepening low pressure system passed over West Virginia and tracked up the Appalachians. Rain from the previous evening switched over to snow by the early morning hours on the first as temperatures dropped below freezing.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 24 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
24

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.

On the first day of meteorological winter, a deepening low pressure system passed over West Virginia and tracked up the Appalachians. Rain from the previous evening switched over to snow by the early morning hours on the first as temperatures dropped below freezing. Snowfall amounts ranged from 1 to 2 inches across central West Virginia, 3 to 6 inches in northern West Virginia, and 6 to 8 inches in the mountains. The majority of the snow fell in the early morning hours on the first in northwestern West Virginia then another round of snow fell in the mountains late that evening. Both rounds of snow led to some slick spots on the roadways during the morning and evening commutes.

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 Nov 30, 6:36 PM EST, 5 hours 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 6:36 PM EST, 5 hours 24 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 30, 4:45 AM EST, 19 hours 15 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

21 heavy snow, 3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Tyler

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Tyler forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
39.465, -80.885 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ritchie

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Ritchie forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
39.178, -81.063 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Doddridge

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Doddridge forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
39.269, -80.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Gilmer

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Gilmer forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
38.924, -80.857 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lewis

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Lewis forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
38.996, -80.502 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Harrison

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Harrison forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
39.284, -80.380 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Taylor

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Taylor forecast zone
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
39.336, -80.046 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Upshur

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Upshur forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
38.898, -80.233 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Barbour

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Barbour forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
39.133, -80.003 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wood

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Wood forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
39.211, -81.515 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Jackson

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
38.835, -81.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Roane

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Roane forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
38.714, -81.348 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Calhoun

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Calhoun forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
38.845, -81.118 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northwest Pocahontas

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Northwest Pocahontas forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
38.332, -80.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Pleasants

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Pleasants forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
39.371, -81.161 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northwest Nicholas

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Northwest Nicholas forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
38.292, -80.799 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southeast Nicholas

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Southeast Nicholas forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
38.292, -80.799 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northwest Webster

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Northwest Webster forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
38.495, -80.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southeast Webster

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Southeast Webster forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
38.495, -80.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northwest Randolph

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Northwest Randolph forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
38.775, -79.876 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southeast Randolph

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Southeast Randolph forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
38.775, -79.876 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Tyler

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Tyler forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
39.465, -80.885 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Gilmer

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Gilmer forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
38.924, -80.857 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lewis

When
December 1, 12:00 AM EST to December 2, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Lewis forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
38.996, -80.502 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
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

More

Every storm in West Virginia in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, December 2020

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: 932031, 932053, 932054, 932055, 932056, 932057, 932058, 932059, 932061, 932062, 932211, 932212, 932213, 932224, 932311, 932313, 932314, 932316, 932317, 932319, 932324, 946804, 946805, 946806.