Based on preliminary official published National Weather Service (NWS) Canaan Valley weather data, the three 2020-21 winter climatological months (Dec., Jan., & Feb.) were quite cold and snowy.  This bucked the significantly tilted historical odds for a mild, below-average snowfall winter more typical of the moderate equatorial Pacific Ocean La Niña conditions (cold event) at hand and the trend of recent winters.  

The persistence of below freezing temperatures and significant snowfall combined to produce a healthy, long-lived snowpack (snow on the ground), maxing out at 19 inches in depth on the valley floor by late February.  On forested shady, north-facing slopes above 4,000 feet, the pack reached nearly 3 feet. This was the greatest winter months snow depth on the valley floor in 5 years (2015-16) when 27 inches was reached.

This winter's observed Valley bottom average 3-month temperature was 26.5° F, a significant 2.6° F below the 1981-2010, 30-year average.  All 3 months recorded below average temperatures. This was the coldest 3-month winter temperature in 6 years (2014-15)!

The seasonal extreme low temperature of -8° F was recorded at the official NWS Cooperative weather/climate station on the Valley floor near Deerfield Village.  That is near the long term average extreme low for a winter.  An unofficial seasonal low of -18.6° F was recorded on February 21, 2021 at a professionally sited and equipped VA Tech research weather station (operated by instructor David Carroll) in the undisturbed, wild, northern end of the Valley floor.

The 3-month winter snowfall totaled 108.3 inches, 28 percent above the 84.5 inches 30-year average.  This was the greatest 3-month winter snowfall in 11 years, when the 2009-10 winter experienced a whopping 193.6 inches in that season's 3 winter months on the Valley floor!

Your Fearless Canaan Weatherman

Canaan Valley, WV Hits 4° F Saturday, April 3, 2021

A professionally sited and equipped VA Tech weather station in the northern, undeveloped end of Canaan Valley, WV (3,160 ft.) bottomed out with a minimum temperature of 4.3° F this Saturday morning around sunrise.  The official low temperature reached this morning at the published National Weather Service Cooperative weather/climate station in the more developed south end of the valley floor (3,250 ft.) was a relatively balmy 15° F!  

Single digit (or lower) minimum April temperatures are fairly unusual at the official station, occurring on average only about in one April every 9 years.  However, the last lower official reading was only 5 years ago when 1° F was recorded on April 10,  2016.  The lowest official April temperature ever recorded in Canaan Valley is -2° F on April 10, 1985.

Bob Leffler