Winter Weather — Eastern Preston, West Virginia

2023-05-01 to 2023-05-04 · Eastern Preston, West Virginia

Event narrative

Snow of varying intensity occurred between the 1st and the 4th. The highest reported snow depth was 6 inches near Terra Alta on the 3rd. Reporting inconsistencies prevented getting a reliable snowfall total over the multi-day period, although the rate of snow accumulation likely varied greatly over the period.

Wider weather episode

Upper level low pressure drifted very slowly across the Great Lakes during the first few days of May. Unusually cold temperatures for the season followed a cold front, and disturbances rotating around the upper low kept showery weather going for a few days. Outside of the higher ridges, little to no snow accumulation was seen due to marginal temperatures, a warm ground and an increasingly high sun angle. However, on the higher ridges of Preston and Tucker Counties, the elevation helped keep temperatures cold enough to allow for some accumulating snow. The 3-day total at Davis in eastern Tucker County represented a historic amount of snow for early May.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1103525. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.