In my opinion, winter in the Two Virginia’s is the most interesting season to forecast. In this post, I’m going to briefly highlight typical winter weather setups that we’ll probably see again this year.
The Miller A (The Classic Snowstorm)
This is by far, the most powerful type of snowstorm that we see in this area. These storms form along the Gulf Coast and work northeast (becoming powerful noreasters) along the eastern seaboard of the United States. We often see copious amounts of snow with these types of storms and they usually end with upslope snow showers as the low pulls away and draws in a strong northwest flow. The most memorable storm of this type was the 1993 Superstorm that crushed the WVVA viewing area with feet of snow.
Cold Air Damming (Ice)
Cold air has a greater density than warm air. When an area of low pressure moves just to our west, warm air is drawn north and east across our area. When a strong arctic high is in place, the cold air at the surface is slow to erode away. In fact, sometimes the arctic high is strong enough to continue feeding cold air south and east along the eastern slopes of the Appalachian Mountains. This cold air can bleed all the way into northeastern Georgia if the high is strong enough. When this happens, we often see a mixed bag of precipitation.
Locations in the western viewing area from Western Tazewell County, McDowell County and Wyoming County, often warm the fastest and sometimes only see rain. Eastern counties, such as Greenbrier, Monroe and Giles are often deeper in the cold air, and see a prolonged period of frozen precipitation. These types of weather setups also typically drive a strong southeasterly wind into the area. High winds are often felt along the western slopes. Strong down sloping winds often blow in Mercer and Tazewell counties, especially in proximity to East River Mountain.
The Alberta Clipper
Fast moving systems that originate in the Canadian prairies (hence the Alberta clipper name) move southeast bringing a quick shot of snow. While snowfall amounts with these systems are generally light (usually 2-5 inches), they are very common. You can bet that we’ll see a few of these this year.
Upslope and Lake Effect Snow
Yes, we do get lake effect snow this far south. When wind trajectories are just right, moisture feeds south from the great lakes and is lifted over our mountains. Snowfall amounts vary widely across the WVVA viewing area with these types of snow events. Western slopes generally see the most, as orographic lift squeezes moisture out of the atmosphere as air rises and crosses over the mountains. Western Greenbrier County and Pocahontas County receive on average the most snow from these snow events. Sometimes these areas can receive up to a foot of snow, while other areas may only have a dusting.