West Virginia sees biggest May snowfall on record with up to 16 inches
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Rare May snow began to fall in West Virginia’s high country late Monday, and flakes were still flying and piling up Wednesday morning as the state awoke to its most significant late-season snowfall on record. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The weather pattern responsible for this snow has more closely mimicked midwinter, with winds from the northwest blowing cold, moist air up western-facing mountain slopes, producing up to 12 to 16 inches of snowfall in the high elevations.
In some locations, this snowstorm is the year’s biggest despite occurring deep into spring. Most of the actual winter months featured much-below-average snowfall.
The cause: A slow-moving zone of low pressure
The unprecedented May snowfall is because of the sprawling zone of low pressure lodged within a stuck dip in the jet stream over the northeast United States.
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This system has delivered days of chilly, gusty conditions to the northeast quadrant of the Lower 48. In addition to the snowfall in West Virginia, it also triggered historic snow in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and a tragic dust storm in Illinois.
While the low-pressure area is finally on the move, it’s passing through the Mid-Atlantic as it exits, keeping the snow going Wednesday in much of the Mountain State.
Historic West Virginia snow
With reports still arriving, it appears several locations have broken state records for May snowfall.
Previously, the highest May total in an online database was 10 inches in Beckley in 1923. The other top amounts posted in West Virginia this late in the year are half that or less.
A National Weather Service observer near the Snowshoe ski resort in the east central part of the state posted a foot of snow. But that was outdone by a pair of reports in Canaan Valley to the north. An observer reported 16.2 inches in Canaan Heights, while there were more than 15 inches measured not far from the town of Davis.
“From all sources I have, the 16.2 inches at Canaan Heights is the largest May snowstorm in WV recorded history,” said Robert Leffler, a meteorologist retired from the Weather Service, in an email. “It is also the largest 24-total snowfall (10.1 inches) and greatest snow depth ever recorded in WV May records.”
Is it May or December?!... Spring snow is falling and accumulating this morning in Davis, West Virginia. 30° - 6:40am. #WVwx pic.twitter.com/O8b256Agqi — Bryce Shelton (@BryceShelton01) May 3, 2023
Reports from Canaan Valley on Wednesday morning indicated snow-covered roads at elevations near 4,000 feet, with temperatures in the upper 20s. In Davis, closer to 3,100 feet, roads were slushy and generally in much better shape.
Totals could end up a bit higher with snow continuing Wednesday. And in case you’re wondering, the snowfall from this May storm could end up greater than the total snow that has fallen in Washington during the past four winters.
A storm for the books
Along with the West Virginia snow, additional accumulation occurred on top of historic amounts in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on Tuesday.
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The Weather Service office just west of Marquette recorded 27.9 inches for the event overall, the most on record in May. The snow was full of water, too, or the equivalent of 4.45 inches of rain.
So much water is contained in the cement-like snowpack that flood watches are now hoisted for the region because of melting concerns.
The historic snowstorm is finally coming to an end after setting impressive daily and monthly snowfall records at the Marquette National Weather Service Office where records date back to 1959. Check back tomorrow for the greatest storm total snow amounts across Upper Michigan! pic.twitter.com/Gv4Z4GK4By — NWS Marquette (@NWSMarquette) May 2, 2023
Up to 32 inches was reported in the highest terrain west and northwest of Marquette. Tuesday’s single-day total of 27 inches of snow in Herman in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula marked the greatest one-day May snowfall on record in the eastern half of the country, according to Alaska climatologist Brian Brettschneider.
Storm to exit
This storm began plaguing the Great Lakes and Northeast last weekend, and it will take almost until the coming weekend to fully depart.
Cold conditions for May persist Wednesday in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, along with occasional showers of snow with some rain outside the mountains. Temperatures in the high country are mainly in the 30s with 40s and 50s common elsewhere.
On Thursday, the lumbering low pressure finally slogs off the coast and begins to scoot away to the east. Although cool weather is likely to persist through the end of the week in many spots, a warming trend is ahead.
Moving into next week, the same areas that saw historic May snowfall should be basking in temperatures well above average.
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Source: The Washington Post
