BECKLEY, W.Va. — West Virginia has weathered many extremely cold winter events, due in part to its mountains and position in the interior mid-Atlantic region. Its terrain actually amplifies the impact of cold waves, especially in rural areas.
Particularly around Davis, Snowshoe, and Canaan Valley, the Allegheny Mountains regularly suffer extreme cold and some of the state’s coldest wind chills, with temperatures frequently dipping below zero. Mountain regions may see wind chill values as low as -50°F during major cold outbreaks.
The following are some of the coldest events in state history. Do you know of a frigid cold spell we haven’t listed? Please let us know. Feel like reading more about West Virginia winter? Read: Here are the top 10 winter snows that shaped West Virginia history
- Coldest Temperature on Record
The coldest temperature ever recorded in West Virginia was -37 degrees at Lewisburg on December 30, 1917. In the Greenbrier Valley in the state’s eastern mountains, the region often experiences harsh winters due to its uplifted elevation.
- January 1994 Arctic Blast
A brutal Arctic outbreak swept across the eastern U.S. in 1994, causing record-breaking cold across much of West Virginia. Temperatures dropped below zero statewide, with wind chills making it feel even colder. Morgantown reported a low of -22 degrees, and Charleston, -18 degrees. The events is often known as the 1994 North American cold wave.
- Polar Vortex of 2014
This January–March 2014 cold wave brought life-threatening cold to much of the Midwest and eastern U.S., including West Virginia. Temperatures plummeted, with readings near or below -20°F in many parts of West Virginia, compounded by severe wind chills. Altogether, more than 200 million people were affected, in an area ranging from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean and extending south.
- Great Appalachian Storm of 1950
Though remembered chiefly as a severe snowstorm, this 1950 weather event brought record cold temperatures in its aftermath. Frigid air settled over the state, dropping temperatures to extreme lows. Temperatures in some areas dropped into single digits and below, causing widespread disruptions. The storm was classified as large extratropical cyclone which moved through the eastern U.S., causing blizzard conditions along the western slopes of the Appalachian Mountains and significant winds and heavy rainfall to their east. Hurricane-force winds peaked at 160 mph in the Appalachians in New England.
- February 1899 Cold Wave
The “Great Blizzard of 1899” and an accompanying cold wave affected much of the U.S., including West Virginia in February. The state experienced subzero temperatures and significant snowfall. The Ohio River froze solid in some areas due to prolonged subzero temperatures.
- Winter of 1977
One of the coldest winters in U.S. history, this trecherous winter saw prolonged periods of Arctic cold in West Virginia. Snow and ice combined with frigid air to create hazardous conditions across the state. November, December, and January average temperatures were severely below normal. Though the weather in northern West Virginia is often influenced by lake-effect snows off Lake Erie, this did not occur because the lake was frozen over, and the wind was unable to pick up moisture from the lake’s surface. The Kanawha River froze over from bank to bank for the first time since the 1950s. Newly appointed governor Jay Rockefeller declared a state of emergency…