Winter Storm — Alleghany, Virginia

2021-02-18 · Alleghany, Virginia

Event narrative

Skywarn-trained weather spotters and members of the general public observed ice accumulations from freezing rain ranging from 0.15 to 0.25 inches in thickness across portions of Alleghany County, including around the communities of Jordan Mines, Hollins, Callaghan and Carloover. Sleet accumulations of 1 to 1.5 inches were also observed in these same communities. Key impacts: power outages; hazardous travel conditions; tree damage; schools closed.

Wider weather episode

A complex low pressure system brought deep moisture from the Gulf of Mexico as it moved across the central Appalachians, overriding a shallow layer of sub-freezing temperatures within high pressure established across the lower mid-Atlantic. This resulted in a widespread mixture of freezing rain, sleet and snow across the large portions of western Virginia only days after a similar winter storm moved across the region. Freezing rain accumulations were highest east of the Blue Ridge, with locally higher accretions of 0.5 inch in thickness. A thicker layer of cold air along and west of the Blue Ridge resulted in less freezing rain and more sleet, as well as mainly snow along and north of Interstate 64 west of the city of Lexington. The icing from this freezing rain weighed down trees and tree limbs, as well as power lines and power poles, causing a great many of them to snap. The power grid was already fragile from heavy ice accumulations from a few days before, and many communities lost power again due to downed powerlines that had only recently been restored. Multiple trees and tree limbs were snapped by the weight of ice accumulations. The widespread winter storm conditions resulted in numerous travel delays, with schools across the region closed.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 943483. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.