Winter Storm — Craig, Virginia

2021-02-07 · Craig, Virginia

Event narrative

A Skywarn-trained weather spotter and members of the general public observed snowfall accumulations of 5 to 6 inches across Craig County, VA. This snowfall was intermixed with brief periods of freezing rain, as well as up to one half inch of sleet in spots. These observations originated from around the communities of Sinking Creek, Paint Bank and New Castle. Key Impacts: Travel delays due to snow, sleet and ice covering the roadway surfaces.

Wider weather episode

A weak upper level trough passed quickly across the central Appalachians early on February 7th, supporting weak low pressure west of the mountains that gave way to rapidly deepening low pressure along the Carolina coast. Limited amounts of moisture and cold air kept the heaviest accumulations of snowfall confined to the mountains and foothills, as well as portions of the Piedmont north of Highway 460. Given warm air aloft moving across the region with the storm, precipitation types often varied between snow, sleet and ice from freezing rain, with most observers witnessing more than one precipitation type.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 943061. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.