West Virginia’s First Snow of the Season

October 16, 2012

Canaan Valley 1 WV Oct  8 2012 - 1

Photographer: Chip Chase
Summary Author: Robert Leffler; Jim Foster

The photo above showing Canaan Valley, West Virginia cloaked in an early season snowfall was taken on October 8, 2012. Snowfall totals were in the 1-4 in (2.5 – 10 cm) range with accumulating snow limited to areas above approximately 3,000 ft (914 m). Maximum amounts (4 in or 10 cm) were reported above 4,000 ft (1,219 m), just east of Canaan Valley in the Dolly Sods wilderness. Early October snowfalls are not at all unusual here. Last year, nearly a foot of snow (30 cm) covered these highlands during the first few days of October. Sugar maples (Acer saccharum), red maples (Acer rubrum) and quaking aspens (Populous tremuloides) are often at their peak color when the first snow falls. Canaan Valley is only about 125 mi (200 km) due west of downtown Washington, D.C, but its average annual temperature is 13 degrees F (7 C)
cooler.