Heavy Snow — Monroe, West Virginia

1998-01-27 to 1998-01-28 · Monroe, West Virginia

Wider weather episode

Heavy snow developed during the morning hours on the 27th and continued until the morning hours on the 28th. Snowfall amounts were mainly from 20 to 40 inches with maximum snow depths mainly from 12 to 25 inches. Between 10 AM on the 27th and 10 AM on the 28th, Flat Top in Mercer County recorded 35 inches of snow. This established a new state record 24 hour snowfall for West Virginia. The heavy wet snow closed schools, businesses, and church services and stranded people in homes and vehicles. There were numerous traffic accidents, some with injuries indirectly attributed to the storm. The weight of the snow knocked down utility lines, trees, and tree limbs, resulting in numerous power outages. Some building were damaged due to the weight of the snow. Shelters were set up and the National Guard was called out. Summers, Greenbrier, Monroe, and Mercer were declared disaster areas. More than 11,000 customers were without power in the eastern half of Greenbrier County.The heavy snow collapsed a barn which seriously injured a man near Keenan in Monroe County. A man from Ballard in Monroe County died after suffering a heart attack while attempting to start a generator.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5630988. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.