Snow and Rime in Canaan Valley, West Virginia

February 18, 2020

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Photo Provider: U.S. Forest Service Webcam
Summary Author: Robert Leffler

This photo of a snowy Canaan Valley, West Virginia, was captured with the U.S. Forest Service webcam at 8:00 am on January 30. The camera is at 3,852 ft (1,174 m) and is looking southeast over the floor of Canaan Valley. Heavy rime icing is visible above 3,600 ft (1,098 m) on Canaan Mountain in the foreground and on the Eastern Continental Divide in the distance.

Timberline Ski Resort (left side), White Grass Cross Country Ski Area (center), and Canaan Ski Resort (right side) can be seen beyond Canaan Valley's floor. At 3,250 ft (991 m) elevation and covering 50 sq mi (129 sq km), Canaan Valley is the highest valley floor (of more than 25 sq mi or 65 sq km) in eastern North America. The high point on the valley rim is Weiss Knob at 4,460 ft (1,359 m), seen on the rightmost ski runs. Note that the average snowfall here (140 in or 355 cm) is higher than any official reporting station in the state of Maine, some 730 mi (1,174 km) to the northeast.