West Virginia, 2024

High Wind in West Virginia, January 12, 2024

January 12, 2024 · NWS RNK · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A deep surface low moved across the Midwest and Great Lakes region of the United States through January 13. In the wake of a trailing cold front south of this low pressure system, winds gusted to over 60 MPH in Mercer county.

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
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 RNK wrote it up.

A deep surface low moved across the Midwest and Great Lakes region of the United States through January 13. In the wake of a trailing cold front south of this low pressure system, winds gusted to over 60 MPH in Mercer county. This led to over 4,650 power outages in the region.

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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 12, 10:41 AM EST, 3 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 12, 10:41 AM EST, 3 hours 12 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 12, 4:31 AM EST, 9 hours 22 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 12, 12:15 PM EST, 1 hour 38 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 12, 1:00 PM EST, 53 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

1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Mercer

When
January 12, 1:53 PM EST
Where
Mercer forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
37.406, -81.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A wind gust of 63 MPH was measured at the Mercer County Airport. Numerous power outages resulted from these high winds.

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in West Virginia in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, January 2024

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: 1154757.