Winter Storm — Ridges of E Monongalia and Nw Preston, West Virginia

2019-02-01 · Ridges of E Monongalia and Nw Preston, West Virginia

Event narrative

An average of 6 to 7 inches of snow fell across this zone, based on trained spotter reports of 6 inches at Reedsville and 7 inches at Cheat Lake.

Wider weather episode

As low pressure tracked across the middle Ohio Valley along a nearly stationary boundary, a fast-moving upper level shortwave provided the support for widespread snowfall. Most of the higher snow totals of 4 inches or more were recorded south of Interstate 70. The higher terrain of West Virginia and Maryland received better dynamic support from a crossing jet streak, providing better lift in a moist dendritic growth zone. Resulting snow-to-liquid ratios of 20:1 to 25:1 helped to create snow totals reaching double digits in a few cases.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 809159. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.