West Virginia Winter 2012 Summary

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1209 PM EDT WED MAR 14 2012

...THE WINTER OF 2011 TO 2012...

THE VERNAL EQUINOX IS NOT ON OUR CALENDARS UNTIL EARLY ON TUESDAY
THE 20TH. YET...THE 3 MONTHS OF DECEMBER...JANUARY...FEBRUARY IS
CONSIDER THE WINTER SEASON FOR CLIMATE RECORDS.

PRELIMINARY RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE WINTER OF 2011 TO 2012 WAS
THE 4TH WARMEST SINCE 1895 FOR THE LOWER 48 CONTINUOUS
STATES...TAKEN AS A WHOLE.

WHEN LOOKING JUST AT THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA...IT WAS THE 6TH
WARMEST WINTER SINCE 1895. AGAIN...THIS IS NOT FOR ANY ONE
LOCATION OR CITY IN THE STATE...BUT RATHER...TAKING THE MOUNTAIN
STATE AS A WHOLE. THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE WINTER TEMPERATURE WAS
4.5 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL.

SO OUT OF 117 WINTERS...THE RECENT WINTER WAS THE 6TH
WARMEST...WHEN LOOKING AT THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE. THE
LAST TIME THE WINTER WAS SLIGHTLY WARMER WAS 10 YEARS AGO...DURING
THE WINTER OF 2001 TO 2002.

THE COLDEST WINTER IN WEST VIRGINIA...SINCE 1895...WAS THE WINTER
OF 1976 TO 1977. IN CONTRAST...THE WARMEST WINTER WAS DURING THE
DUST BOWL ERA...IN 1931 TO 1932.