Winter in West Virginia can be a real crap shoot. We often have predictions of fairly mild winters. But anyone who has lived here long knows that another blizzard could be waiting around the corner. When temperatures are dipping to the freezing point, we could be prone to winter storms in West Virginia. It is hard not to remember all the storms that have struck us throughout the years. Many storms have hit us, dumping record snowfall in West Virginia and causing damage to life and property. These five were among the most massive winter storms in West Virginia over the years.

1. The Great Appalachian Storm – November, 1950

This storm came early in the season. It was actually a full month before the first official day of winter! Its ferocity mirrored that of many winter storms that typically strike later in the season, like January and February. From November 22 to November 30, the snow fell in record-breaking amounts. Coburn Creek, just west of Clarksburg, received a staggering 62 inches of snow. Over half the state got in excess of 20 inches of snow. The weather system spanned from the Carolinas all the way up to Canada. There was widespread crop damage and it had far-reaching effects, like causing the temperature in normally warm Florida to drop down to 22 degrees.

2. The Great Blizzard of ’78 – January, 1978

This was another one that came out of nowhere. Meteorologists expected that the storm would miss West Virginia entirely. Instead, it landed right on top of us. Constant updates rolled in from local news stations as the weather system approached. At first, it was just a dusting of snow. Then, the updates were being announced in inches, with the number increasing at each broadcast. By the storm's end, the record snowfall in West Virginia had bloomed to double digits. Huntington got 20 inches, Wheeling got 18, and many other states hovered in the mid-teens. When the plows came in to clear the roads, they created snow mounds so high that they didn't completely melt until the spring thaw.

3. The Blizzard of ’93, a.k.a. "Storm of the Century" – March, 1993

As the name implies, this was a huge one for a good chunk of the country. It actually wasn't much more extreme than the Blizzard of '78 but the sheer size of the storm was staggering. The weather system stretched from Honduras all the way up to Canada. This meant that the same storm produced many different types of weather, depending on the typical climate of the region it struck. It produced hurricane force winds, heavy rainfall, floods, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and blizzards. It snowed for 30 hours straight. Drifts were as high as six feet in some places. The snowfall left Snowshoe under 44 inches of snow. Beckley got 28 inches, with Bluefield and Morgantown close behind at 24. The rest of the state averaged an incredible 20 inches. When it was all said and done, the Storm of the Century affected 40 percent of the United States population. Over 10 million households were left without electricity and there were 208 fatalities.

4. The Blizzard of ’96 – January, 1996

From January 6-8, every part of West Virginia was blanketed in snow. Measurements ranged from six inches to 48 inches. The heaviest snowfall occurred around Monongahela National Forest and northward along the base of the eastern panhandle. There, the snow measured almost 50 inches in some areas. Even the western cities got hit hard. Our state capital was under 20 inches of snow, and Huntington was not far behind in the mid-teens. West Virginia sustained $24 million in damages from this terrible blizzard. The storm was one of three weather systems that left a heavy snow pack across the region until mid-January.

5. 2009 North American Blizzard – December, 2009

The most recent of the major winter storms in West Virginia caused our governor to declare a state of emergency. This blizzard left some areas of the state under 30 inches of snow. Thousands of motorists were left stranded on Interstate 77 between Ghent and Beckley. The storm had rendered roads completely impassable. Thankfully, the fatalities caused by the storm were low, with only seven deaths.

Winter storms in West Virginia are nothing new. It is important, however, to be prepared when news of an impending storm reaches our ears. If we expect the worst,then we will always be ready for it.

What are your memories of past winter storms in West Virginia? Feel free to share a comment and tell us your story.