Strong wind gusts were reported on December 6th in the ridges of West Virginia as a cold front passed through the region. The combination of strong vertical wind and isallobaric acceleration caused the rapid increase in high wind measured.
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The episode as NWS PBZ wrote it up.
Strong wind gusts were reported on December 6th in the ridges of West Virginia as a cold front passed through the region. The combination of strong vertical wind and isallobaric acceleration caused the rapid increase in high wind measured.
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 6, 1:13 PM EST, 3 hours 47 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 113 PM EST Mon Dec 6 2021 .SYNOPSIS... Windy conditions will continue into this evening behind a cold front. The next system is expected to pass south of the region Wednesday and provide a chance for snowfall. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Afternoon Update: Rain showers will wrap up across the region between 20-22Z as the cold front advances into Pennsylvania and drier air returns. Strong wind gusts will be the main hazard through midnight with isallobaric acceleration and strong vertical wind speed in the boundary layer. Gusts up to 45-50mph could be observed in the higher terrain of WV; 30-35mph in lower elevation; a Wind Advisory has been issued for eastern Tucker. Strong cold advection, under WNW flow across the Great Lakes, will begin to initiate some lake-effect snow showers this evening and persist into the overnight hours as 850mb temps drop to about - 13C and a subsidence inversion entraps moisture between the sfc and 5kft. Accumulation will depended on snow band location and longevity, however areas near and north of I-80 have a higher confidence at experiencing this situation based on prevailing wind direction. Upsloping along the Laurel Highlands may also create light snow accumulation late tonight/early tomorrow morning; less than half an inch is expected in this vicinity. Winds will gradually subside after midnight as the pressure gradient reduces in intensity. However, with prevailing breezy conditions and temps falling below the climatological average overnight, wind chill values will range in the low to upper teens in the the lower elevations/single digits in the higher terrain before dawn. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... There may be a few remnant lake effect snow showers after first light tomorrow, but snow show activity near I-80 should wrap up by mid- morning as high pressure builds and winds shift from the southwest. Enough moist advection aloft will keep varying cloud cover through the day and limit insolation, which combined with residual CAA, with lead to temperature at or below freezing for most locations. The next shortwave trough will slide across the region late Tuesday night into Wednesday, promoting weak cyclogenesis somewhere over the Southeast U.S. Jet ascent and some moisture feed from this low that will move toward the mid-Atlantic will provide chances for precipitation. Widespread snow is likely as a dry air mass saturates and cools aloft. Accumulations will be higher in respect to the position of the sfc low, which has trended southward over the past few days. However, the situation will need to be monitored as there is enough variance in model outlooks. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... Transitory high pressure and flat upper ridging will provide dry weather on Thursday. Height rises will continue into Thursday night and Friday in response to troughing upstream over the Rockies. A passing warm front could provide some light precipitation, perhaps starting as snow before changing to rain. Temperatures will continue to rise Friday, going above normal, breaking the 50 degree level for many. As that trough (mentioned above) propagates east, the models continue to differ on its timing and strength as it reaches our area by Sunday. The operational ECMWF hints at a sharper and slower trough than the GFS. Nevertheless, a strong moisture feed and jet dynamics point to abundant precipitation, looking to be mostly rain through Saturday evening at least, before a mix/change to snow becomes possible. && .AVIATION /18Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... Gusty wind continues to be the main issue today. The cold front is set to move through PIT and HLG by 18Z, and will move through LBE and MGW at 19Z or shortly thereafter. Wind will turn around to the west behind the boundary. With drier air enhancing mixing, widespread surface wind gusts of 25 to 30 knots are expected. On the ridges east of PIT, gusts between 35 and 40 knots are possible. Gusty wind will continue through the evening hours before slackening overnight due to a relaxing pressure gradient. Rain will end from west to east as well with the passage of the front. High MVFR ceilings will transition to low-end VFR for most terminals south of I-80 this evening. To the north of that highway, scattered lake-effect snow showers and continued MVFR ceilings are expected through sunrise. Brief visibility restriction is possible in any snow, but kept VCSH for now as such restrictions should be brief overall at FKL/DUJ. By 12Z Tuesday, wind will have subsided to around 10 knots out of the west, and VFR/high MVFR ceilings will linger. .Outlook... The next chance of widespread restrictions arrives with the next low pressure system Tuesday night and Wednesday. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...None. OH...None. WV...Wind Advisory until midnight EST tonight for WVZ514. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 1059 AM EST Mon Dec 6 2021 WVZ514-071600- Eastern Tucker- 1059 AM EST Mon Dec 6 2021 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Wind Advisory. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. A period of snow or wintry mix is possible late Tuesday night through Wednesday. There remains a lot of uncertainty with the track and strength of this system, so continue to monitor the forecast over the coming days. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures. OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-029- 031-073>076-WVZ001>004-012-021-509>513-071600- Tuscarawas-Carroll-Columbiana-Coshocton-Harrison-Jefferson OH- Muskingum-Guernsey-Belmont-Noble-Monroe-Mercer-Venango-Forest- Lawrence-Butler-Clarion-Jefferson PA-Beaver-Allegheny-Armstrong- Indiana-Washington-Greene-Westmoreland- Higher Elevations of Westmoreland-Fayette- Higher Elevations of Fayette-Hancock-Brooke-Ohio-Marshall-Wetzel- Marion-Monongalia- Ridges of Eastern Monongalia and Northwestern Preston-Preston- Eastern Preston-Western Tucker- 1059 AM EST Mon Dec 6 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for east central Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and northern West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Wind gusts of up to 45 mph are likely today before gradually subsiding tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Up to 54 mph wind gust measured in the vicinity of Canaan Heights.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, December 2021
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: 996320.