West Virginia, 2026

Drought in West Virginia, May 1 to 31, 2026

May 1 to 31, 2026 · NWS RLX · 40 events in 40 counties and zones

May started with severe drought (D2) present across much of eastern WV, including: Fayette, McDowell, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Wyoming, southeast Braxton, eastern Logan, eastern Mingo, southern Upshur, and most of Boone, Clay, Kanawha, Randolph, and Webster counties. Moderate drought (D1) also persisted across most of western and north-central WV, with the exception of Pleasants, Wood,…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 40 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
40

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.

May started with severe drought (D2) present across much of eastern WV, including: Fayette, McDowell, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Wyoming, southeast Braxton, eastern Logan, eastern Mingo, southern Upshur, and most of Boone, Clay, Kanawha, Randolph, and Webster counties. Moderate drought (D1) also persisted across most of western and north-central WV, with the exception of Pleasants, Wood, northwest Jackson, northern Mason, western Ritchie, western Tyler, and western Wirt counties where conditions were merely abnormally dry (D0). Only minimal changes to D0 and D1 occurred in the second week of the month. D2, however, spread out across all of Boone and Kanawha counties; most of Lincoln, Logan, and Putnam counties; and portions of eastern Cabell, southern Jackson, southern Roane, and eastern Wayne counties. Conditions worsened even more the following week, as D2 engulfed most of southern, central, and eastern West Virginia, and a sliver of extreme drought (D3) crept into eastern McDowell, southeast Raleigh, and eastern Wyoming counties. Impacts included hauling water for livestock, supplemental feeding for livestock due to slow pasture growth, and slow crop growth. Fortunately, enough precipitation fell at the end of the month to eradicate D3 and confine D2 to mainly Boone, Clay, Fayette, Kanawha, Nicholas, Logan, Mingo, McDowell, Raleigh, Webster, Wyoming, southern Braxton, eastern Lincoln, southern Roane, and southern Wayne. D1 improved to D0 in southern Tyler, Doddridge, northern Harrison, northern Taylor, part of northern Barbour, Ritchie, Wirt, northwest Gilmer, northern Calhoun, northern Roane, northern Jackson, northwest Mason, northwest Cabell, and part of northern Wayne. Meanwhile, drought was completely eliminated from counties, or at least portions of counties, bordering the Ohio River.

Generally less than an inch of rain fell during the first week of May. Around an inch or less accumulated during the second week. During the third week of the month, much of the area received around an inch and a half or less of rain, though a strip of up to two inches fell along the Ohio River. More substantial precipitation occurred at the end of the month, when one to three inches of rain fell to the south of I-64 and one and a half to over four inches fell to the north of I-64. Highest amounts were observed across portions of Barbour, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Taylor, Randolph, and Upshur counties. Multiple rounds of rain during this time finally allowed for significant improvement to drought conditions, particularly across the northern and western part of the state.

The six climate sites in West Virginia were evenly split between above and below normal total precipitation for the month, with Beckley, Charleston, and Elkins on the below normal side and Clarksburg, Huntington, and Parkersburg on the above normal side. On the 22nd, Clarksburg, Huntington, and Parkersburg each received enough rain to break their existing daily precipitation records. Beckley was also able to tie a standing daily precipitation record on the 24th of the month.

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 Apr 30, 6:35 PM EST, 5 hours 25 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • 1.) Frost/freeze conditions for some locations through the weekend. 2.) A series of disturbances will provide periodic chances of showers. 3.) A strong cold front for next Wednesday or Thursday.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 6:35 PM EST, 5 hours 25 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Charleston WV
735 PM EDT Thu Apr 30 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
Minor adjustments were done to D1 PoPs. No other major changes
were made at this time. Frost and Freeze headlines continue for
tonight.

As of 720 PM Thursday...

Updated aviation discussion. Added some valley fog in the
mountain valleys.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
1.) Frost/freeze conditions for some locations through the
weekend.

2.) A series of disturbances will provide periodic chances of
showers.

3.) A strong cold front for next Wednesday or Thursday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...

Cooler conditions underneath an upper trough centered across
lower Canada will remain in place through the weekend. Light
winds and low temperatures dropping into the low 30s or upper
20s in spots will allow for frost or freeze conditions tonight,
to a lesser degree Friday night and then again on Saturday
night. Saturday night looks to be the coldest with lows along
the Appalachians dropping into the mid 20s in spots.

The limiting reagent in frost formation the next two nights
looks to be cloud cover, which may hug the ridges tonight.
Tomorrow frost potential shifts west into eastern Ohio, but more
stout cloud cover may lower this risk enough to preclude
headline issuance. Saturday night has the best chance for
widespread frost/freeze headlines with lingering clouds expected
to be fleeting near the ridges as we near sunrise.

KEY MESSAGE 2...

The aforementioned upper level trough remains anchored in
southern Canada through the weekend. Disturbances continue to
round through the flow and each brings renewed shower chances
through Saturday.

Showers are expected through the remainder of the afternoon
today before drying out after sunset. Chances pick up again with
the next wave expected to return more widespread showers Friday
afternoon. For both Thursday and Friday, shower chances remain
highest across northern West Virginia and central Ohio.

The upper level trough kicks eastward Saturday, allowing
another chance for showers favoring the eastern ridges, aided by
light upslope flow. Height rises and high pressure nosing into
the region from the southwest then promote dry conditions on
Sunday.

KEY MESSAGE 3...

Ensembles continue to agree on another upper level trough
crossing the Eastern CONUS sometime mid-to-late next week.
Ensembles still don't yet fully agree on the timing of this
wave, with clustered ensembles favoring a possibly slower wave.
Despite the uncertainty on exact timing, the presence of this
wave likely renews rain chances and promotes another push of
cooler temperatures behind a cold front.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
VFR conditions will start the 00Z TAF period as diurnal
cumulus dissipates with the loss of daytime heating. The main
aviation concern overnight is the development of valley fog as
high pressure settles in overhead. High confidence exists for
IFR to LIFR conditions at EKN, where recent rainfall has
moistened the boundary layer. Lower confidence exists for fog
at CRW, CKB, and PKB. Given the drier airmass in place across
the lowlands, have opted to keep conditions predominantly VFR at
these terminals with only a hint of fog or low cloud for now
heading into daybreak.

Winds will remain calm to light and variable overnight,
eventually becoming northwesterly at 5 to 10 KT on Friday behind
a passing cold front. This front will also bring isolated to
scattered showers to the northern terminals by Friday afternoon,
potentially resulting in rain showers and brief visibility
restrictions.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY...

FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium tonight with fog, otherwise high.

ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Cloud cover at EKN may be slow to
dissipate, slowing formation of any fog. Fog could be more
widespread for the northern terminals where at least patchy
light rain fell today.

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                                                                 FRI
UTC 1HRLY       23   00   01   02   03   04   05   06   07   08   09   10
EDT 1HRLY       19   20   21   22   23   00   01   02   03   04   05   06
CRW CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H
HTS CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H
BKW CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H
EKN CONSISTENCY  H    M    H    H    H    H    H    M    M    L    L    L
PKB CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H
CKB CONSISTENCY  H    H    H    H    H    H    H    H    L    H    H    H

AFTER 00Z SATURDAY...
There is potential for IFR in fog Sunday morning.

&&

.RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WV...Frost Advisory from midnight tonight to 9 AM EDT Friday for
     WVZ031-032-039-040-515>522-524.
     Freeze Warning from midnight tonight to 9 AM EDT Friday for
     WVZ523-525-526.
OH...None.
KY...None.
VA...None.

&&

DISCUSSION...JP/99
AVIATION...JP

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

40 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Barbour

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Barbour forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
39.133, -80.003 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Boone

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Boone forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.023, -81.711 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Braxton

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Braxton forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.700, -80.719 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cabell

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Cabell forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.420, -82.242 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Calhoun

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Calhoun forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.845, -81.118 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Clay

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.463, -81.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Doddridge

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Doddridge forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
39.269, -80.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Gilmer

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Gilmer forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.924, -80.857 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Harrison

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Harrison forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
39.284, -80.380 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Jackson

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.835, -81.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Kanawha

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Kanawha forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.337, -81.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lewis

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Lewis forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.996, -80.502 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lincoln

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.175, -82.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Logan

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Logan forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
37.832, -81.935 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Mason

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Mason forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.770, -82.026 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, McDowell

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
McDowell forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
37.379, -81.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Mingo

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Mingo forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
37.726, -82.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northwest Fayette

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northwest Fayette forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.029, -81.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northwest Nicholas

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northwest Nicholas forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.292, -80.799 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northwest Pocahontas

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northwest Pocahontas forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.332, -80.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northwest Raleigh

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northwest Raleigh forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
37.771, -81.249 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northwest Randolph

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northwest Randolph forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.775, -79.876 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Northwest Webster

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Northwest Webster forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.495, -80.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Pleasants

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Pleasants forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
39.371, -81.161 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Putnam

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Putnam forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.509, -81.909 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Ritchie

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Ritchie forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
39.178, -81.063 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Roane

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Roane forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.714, -81.348 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southeast Fayette

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southeast Fayette forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.029, -81.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southeast Nicholas

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southeast Nicholas forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.292, -80.799 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southeast Pocahontas

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southeast Pocahontas forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.332, -80.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southeast Raleigh

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southeast Raleigh forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
37.771, -81.249 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southeast Randolph

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southeast Randolph forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.775, -79.876 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Southeast Webster

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Southeast Webster forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.495, -80.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Taylor

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Taylor forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
39.336, -80.046 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Tyler

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Tyler forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
39.465, -80.885 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Upshur

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Upshur forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.898, -80.233 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wayne

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Wayne forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
38.146, -82.427 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wirt

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Wirt forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
39.022, -81.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wood

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Wood forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
39.211, -81.515 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wyoming

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Wyoming forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
37.610, -81.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in West Virginia in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, May 2026

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1335617, 1335618, 1335619, 1335620, 1335621, 1335622, 1335623, 1335624, 1335625, 1335626, 1335627, 1335628, 1335629, 1335630, 1335631, 1335632, 1335633, 1335634, 1335635, 1335636, 1335637, 1335638, 1335639, 1335640, 1335641, 1335642, 1335643, 1335644, 1335645, 1335646, 1335647, 1335648, 1335649, 1335650, 1335651, 1335652, 1335653, 1335654, 1335655, 1335656.