After analyzing all the cities in West Virginia with a decent amount of people in them, we came up with this list as the 10 snowiest cities in Mountain State. Of course, some of the seven possible decadal records for least snow based on 2010-2019 may not be realized after snowfall from 2019-2010 is factored in. From 2010 to 2020, the state received 23 FEMA disaster declarations, 18 of which were related to severe storms and flooding events. Earlier this spring, NOAA released the 1991-2020 U.S. Its all waiting for you this summer in Almost Heaven. Snowfall varies widely across theNWS Charlestons area of responsibility (Figure 1) otherwise known as the CWA, due to varied terrain and elevation. Please Contact Us. Climate in West Virginia. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Current Weather Briefing User Defined Area Observations (List) Please Contact Us. Warming temperatures over the past decades have generally resulted in snow that is concentrated at colder, higher elevations, said David Simeral, a research scientist with the Desert Research Institute. Forecast Discussion Total annual precipitation in West Virginia has been variable, with a slight increase over the 126-year period of record (Figure 5). This website contains copyrighted images. As the third most forested state, our country roads are vibrant with color and a sight to behold in the fall. As it turns out, the average ratio for the contiguous U.S. is roughly 12:1 or 13:1, and that ratio can vary greatly from place to place and storm to storm, even within a single storm. windowDoPop=window.open(whichURL[whichURL.selectedIndex].value,'doPop','toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=800,height=700'); Observations (List) annual snowfall: 172 inch: Share. Please try another search. Conversely, the second half of the POR (1961-2019) saw 29 sites with their snowiest decade and 13 sites with their least snowy decade. This is about the time of year when you're just about ready for spring -- especially in Elkins, the snowiest place in West Virginia. Data Center, Asheville, NC, 4 pp. Point B, the eastern edge of the CWA, falls within the Appalachian Mountains where elevations generally range from 2,000 to 4,000 ft. above sea level. Climate of the Northeast U.S. NOAA Technical Report Highlands. Snowfall was below average for the entire West, aside from the northern Rockies (the 2010s will be the snowiest decade on record in Great Falls, Montana). From the Climate at a Glance website, the average per-decade regional change in precipitation for the period of 1901-2019 has been as follows: Northeast: + 0.44" per decade Southeast: + 0.12" per. Snowfall, which makes up some 8 percent of the total precipitation, varies from a seasonal average of less than 20 inches (510 mm) in the southwest to more than 64 inches (1,620 mm) in the eastern . The majority of the information for this study was gleaned from cooperative observer (COOP) data. By comparison, the populated place with the highest snowfall in the world is believed to be Sukayu Onsen in the Siberian-facing Japanese Alps. Escape the churn and burn of the daily routine and hit the road this summer. The two most significant historical flooding events occurred in 1937 and 1985. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year. Snow Depth. A major flood event occurred in June 2016, when 8 to 10 inches of rain fell in less than 12 hours. On average, there are 164 sunny days per year in West Virginia. The bottom line is that comparing old snowfall measurements with new ones is comparing apples to oranges and, unfortunately, makes looking for historical trends (especially when talking about climate change) a hapless enterprise. The graphs created for each site may be found in the Site-Specific Snow Graph section below. (Normals are available for individual weather stations in Alaska and Hawaii.) Questions? The contiguous United States has a big range of climates and microclimates. Naturally occurring droughts are projected to be more intense in the future due to temperature-caused increases in the rate of soil moisture loss during dry spells. The US average is 205 sunny days. I only included places that see winter snowfall regularly (i.e., in most years), meaning along and north of a line from North Carolina through Tennessee, Oklahoma and the mountainous regions of the West. We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good. Tornadoes occur an average of 2 to 5 times per year and are usually weak. Temperature Forecast Normal. To submit a letter to the editor for publication, write to, Why the West Got Buried in Snow, While the East Got Little. e.g. Administration, National Weather Service, Blacksburg Weather Forecast Office, Avg High Temps 60 to 75 . Link. We looked at the data to see which cities in West Virginia have the most snow every year. Step 1: Click the location pins on the map below to view recent photos taken on the road. Details on observations and projections are available on the Technical Details and Additional Information page. Hayhoe, K., D.J. The May 4th Snowstorm of 1774. Climate Graphs/Plots Average High and Low Temperature in West Virginia. Another example: The great Blizzard of March 1888 brought Central Park 2.10 of melted precipitation, resulting in the official 21.0 snowfall reported. In early November 1985, an extratropical storm, influenced by the remnants of Hurricane Juan, generated up to 10 inches of rainfall across West Virginia. Drought Copyright 2023 West Virginia Department of Tourism. Maps are generally updated around 10:30 A.M. each day. These maps show annual average temperature and precipitation for the Lower 48 U.S. states based on observations collected at thousands of U.S. weather stations from 19912021. 144 pp. The southernmost parts of Florida, Texas, California, and Arizona all have annual average temperatures of at least 70 degrees, but very different rainfall amounts: 10 inches or less in the Southwest versus more than 50 inches in Florida. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year. Virginia. The number of very cold nights has generally been below average since the 1990s, although an above average number of these nights occurred recently in 2014, 2015, and 2018 (Figure 4). Photos from those enjoying the flurry of winter magic will be added to our Live Snow Map all season long. Regional Radar Snowfall climatology by month hasbeen graphed on box-and-whisker plots for each location studied. Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., also went more than 300 days without measurable snow defined as at least a tenth of an inch. The original goal was to have at least one site in each county across the CWA. The phenomenon is known as a warm snow drought, and it is likely to occur more frequently as a result of warming temperatures, experts say. The numbers are for the total amount of snow and for how many days it snows at least 0.1 inches (0.25 centimetres). But the warmer weather has meant that more precipitation than usual in the Northeast has fallen as rain, rather than snow, Dr. Dai said. Weather Radio if(window.innerWidth<700){ezoicSiteSpeed(jQuery(document),String(/documentReady/).substring(1).slice(0,-1),String(/jQuery-document-dot-ready/).substring(1).slice(0,-1),function($){$("#skip_expand").html("(Expand+)");$("#toc ul").css("display","none");$("#skip_expand").on("click",function(){$("#toc ul").toggle()});$("#toc h3").on("click",function(){$("#toc ul").toggle()});});}. For instance, some sites only report snowfall when it occurs and the rest of the time leave that portion as missing instead of entering a zero observation. Our Partners Elevations are rather low (in the hundreds of feet) and the landscape is mainly characterized by rolling hills. Activity Planner When temperatures were cold enough, precipitation did not always fall in large amounts, which was the case when a bitterly cold wind chill gripped the Northeast in early February. measured only 18 to 22 on the ground at the end of the storm. Snow depth is based on measurement at 7 A.M. of the day shown. Figure 5, to the left, is a legend showing how to read the plots. Sun & Moon. You can jump to a separate table for each region of the state: Coastal Virginia in the east, Piedmont or central Virginia, and the Mountains, including the Shenandoah Valley in the northwest and the Appalachian Mountains of southwest Virginia. Stevens, S.E. As noted in my previous blog, the methods of snow measurement in the U.S. have changed over time. The climate of West Virginia is characterized by moderately cold winters and warm, humid summers. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Rain Frequency 5 to 7 days. The Elk River rose to more than 33 feet, breaking the previous high-water record set in 1888. Local Climate Info Wuebbles, D.R. Ensemble River Guidance Some ski resorts and unofficial weather stations report higher amounts of snowfall than places on this list. Greenbrier Valley averaged less at around 6 inches, while the Eastern Panhandle was spared. A string of storms from late December through mid-January dumped record amounts of snow and Snow depth is based on measurement at 7 A.M. of the day shown. In the conclusion to that blog, I wrote a bit on how climate change may be affecting snowfall in the United States. This is probably because, with the change in measurement techniques over time, it is not possible to conclusively say that any one part of the country has become snowier or less so over the past 120 years. Before we get too far, here are the annual snowfall rates for major cities: If you're curious, here are the places that get the least amount of snow in West Virginia with at least snow snowfall: For more West Virginia reading, check out: Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. At Newark International Airport, observations from the same storm showed a preliminary record of 28.1. On the temperature map (top), places where the annual average temperature is around 50 degrees Fahrenheit are white. Clear. Hourly Forecasts Rushing waterfalls. Our Office Since temperatures during the height of the blizzard were in the low teens, it is likely that the ratio was much greater than 10 to 1, and thus the actual snowfall considerably more than the 21.0 officially reported. Regional Radar The tables below give yearly averages for snowfall at cities and other locations in West Virginia. Point A depicts the type of terrain typical to the western portion of the CWAknown as the lowlands. This can happen when the jet stream, a band of winds that blow from west to east around the planet, starts to meander into a wavelike pattern. Clear. Di Liberto, T., 2016: Snow mainly occurs during the winter season (December-February); however, while it may be less common, it is not unusual for snow to occur outside of the winter season beginning as early as October and ending as late as April or May. Home | Privacy & Cookies | Contact | About. The contrast is most extreme in Washington and Oregon, where the Coast and Cascade Ranges in the west are up to 8 times wetter than parts of the Columbia River Plateau to the east. Click or Tap on any day for a detailed forecast. National Snow Analyses Snow Reports Model Assimilation Schedule Snow Survey Schedule Select Region and Date Snow Reports Note: these data are unofficial and provisional. In order to rank the snowiest cities in West Virginia, we only had to scrape the database of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to see which cities in the Mountain State get the most annual snowfall. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Rain Gauge Monitoring These maps show annual average temperature and precipitation for the Lower 48 U.S. states based on observations collected at thousands of U.S. weather stations from 1991-2021. . Select drop-down menu forother sites and months, Check out each photo to find recent snowfall updates. All rights reserved. These sites are manned by trained volunteers who have a desire to provide localized weather and climate information to the WFO. Temperatures in West Virginia have risen 1F since the beginning of the 20th century. By comparison, the populated place with the highest snowfall in the world is believed to be Sukayu Onsen in the Siberian -facing Japanese Alps. January 3, 2020, 5:36 PM EST. Total annual precipitation has been highly variable, with a slight increase since 1895. NWS The blue line across the top portion of Figure 2 (below) gives the location of the cross section and the grey box at the bottom of the image showinghow elevation changes as you move across that line from point A to point B. Weather HistorianKUDOS: Thanks to Matt Kelsch for his research into the history of snow measurement techniques and his assistance with this article. weather and climate of West Virginia. Climate & Weather Averages in West Virginia, West Virginia, USA. This is because snowfall measurements were now being made as often as every six hours (when the snow board would be cleared to make way for the next six-hour measurement) instead of just once or twice a day. Increased heat wave intensity and decreased cold wave intensity are projected. Charleston, WV, Warnings/Hazards Questions? So, as a follow-up to that, I decided to look at how much snow has actually been measured decade by decade at 40 different cities/sites across the contiguous U.S. since 1900. 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