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The wife and I are currently in Colorado . I cannot stand how dry it is here . We are currently sitting at 17 inches of snow for the entire winter. It never rains in the summer either. I like moisture, lots of it. I have lived in mo, ks, and mi. Of course Mi has lots of moisture and clouds. We like the hiking and mts here but man is it busy and very very expensive. So I see towns like davis, thomas, etc. that seem to get a decent amount of snow. Can anyone that lives there comment on how long it is on the ground? Does it stay around for awhile? What are the chances of a white christmas in these towns? What are the thunderstorms like in these areas? Would love to pick up a piece of property with a few acres. We are wanting some animals and some bees for honey. Are these things possible?
Thomas and Davis are in a very snowy area of the state and probably will receive more snow in a typical year than most places south of upstate New York. You will have snow on the ground most days between late-October and mid-March. Keep in mind that these are VERY rural areas but if you don't mind that, I think you can find exactly what you're looking for in either town. These towns are in Canaan Valley (pronounced kuh-nayn, not kay-nun) which is a gorgeous area, popular for state tourism, and home to two ski resorts. Also, keep in mind, because this is a touristy area, you will be paying more for a house in these towns than a similar place elsewhere.
If you want to hone in on snowy, rainy areas, that may be cheaper than Canaan Valley, stay on the west side of the Allegheny Mountains. So essentially you've got a box that would be west of Petersburg, north of Marlinton, east of Webster Springs, and south of Terra Alta. I think that you will find exactly what you want in West Virginia
how is the snow up in the mts ? how wet is it ? Is it only dry powder when there's lake effect snow?
Davis, West Virginia, gets 56 inches of rain per year. The US average is 37. Snowfall is 107 inches. The average US city gets 25 inches of snow per year. The number of days with any measurable precipitation is 183.
The place with the most average snowfall in West Virginia is also deep in the Allegheny Mountains. Snowshoe, WV receives an average of 159 inches of snowfall per year. Snowfall is a function of both latitude and elevation. The mountainous areas always get more snow than the lower elevations. Except for the Northern Panhandle, most lower elevations receive comparatively little snow.
how is the snow up in the mts ? how wet is it ? Is it only dry powder when there's lake effect snow?
The snow varies quite a bit depending on weather. It tends to be more dry powder than you would receive from lake effect snow but we do get occasional massive lake effect snowstorms
is snowshoe the only place that has a avg high under 32? Jan is 30 and Feb is 32. I was hoping there were more places where it was under 32 for dec-feb. I notice it is kidna like co maybe there where its not just cold for months straight. its 50s then 20s for 3-4 days then 40s , then 20s fora few days. Just looking at history of temps in certain cities. That means the snow that falls melts fast ?
is snowshoe the only place that has a avg high under 32? Jan is 30 and Feb is 32. I was hoping there were more places where it was under 32 for dec-feb. I notice it is kidna like co maybe there where its not just cold for months straight. its 50s then 20s for 3-4 days then 40s , then 20s fora few days. Just looking at history of temps in certain cities. That means the snow that falls melts fast ?
Snowshoe will skew lower because it isn't really a town. It's a resort built on top of a mountain (inverted ski resort).
Off the top of my head, the coldest areas of the state will be (not including really small, obscure areas): Terra Alta, Huttonsville, Mt. Storm, Davis/Thomas, Cass, Pickens.
WV or any other mid-atlantic state won't get sustained snow cover like some places out west but in these areas, there is snow on the ground and it's colder more often than not during the winter. If the snow beings to melt, there is usually another snowstorm behind it to cover it back up. With the exception of the past two or so years which have been anomalies in how warm they are.
WV is very cloudy and normally gets a lot of rain during the year unless we're in a drought. In fact, WV according to the farmer's almanac is the 6th cloudiest state in the country. Top 10 Cloudiest U.S. States - Farmers' Almanac Thunderstorms, often severe, are very frequent in the spring and summer months state-wide. If you like storms, it's a good place to be.
However, like Colorado and everywhere else, we don't get nearly the amount of cold and snow we used to, and seems to be less every year. Compared to the Rockies, the Appalachian mountains are relatively low in elevation, so the snow often doesn't last that long, with little or no snow on the ground during parts of the winter even in the highest elevations. I would say the chance of a white Christmas in Canaan or Davis is around 25%. Now when WV does get snow, typically the areas around Canaan, Davis, Snowshoe, etc., will get 2-3 times what the lower elevations get.
Still hoping we get at least one good snow this winter but time is running out. So far, it's been virtually a snowless winter.
WV is very cloudy and normally gets a lot of rain during the year unless we're in a drought. In fact, WV according to the farmer's almanac is the 6th cloudiest state in the country. Top 10 Cloudiest U.S. States - Farmers' AlmanacThunderstorms, often severe, are very frequent in the spring and summer months state-wide. If you like storms, it's a good place to be.
However, like Colorado and everywhere else, we don't get nearly the amount of cold and snow we used to, and seems to be less every year. Compared to the Rockies, the Appalachian mountains are relatively low in elevation, so the snow often doesn't last that long, with little or no snow on the ground during parts of the winter even in the highest elevations. I would say the chance of a white Christmas in Canaan or Davis is around 25%. Now when WV does get snow, typically the areas around Canaan, Davis, Snowshoe, etc., will get 2-3 times what the lower elevations get.
Still hoping we get at least one good snow this winter but time is running out. So far, it's been virtually a snowless winter.
This part I have to disagree with, coming from the great plains, WV storms are very weak and almost non-existent comparatively.....at least in the Morgantown area anyway......youre definitely right about the cloudy/raininess though. Whenever I talk to friends or family back home, I always say "here in Wet Virginia" leaving out the s lol.....and I lived in Seattle for awhile to, I think it rains here more......
This part I have to disagree with, coming from the great plains, WV storms are very weak and almost non-existent comparatively.....at least in the Morgantown ..
Compared to the flatter central part of the country you are right. In WV the strongest thunderstorms tend to be in the westernmost counties along the Ohio River, then weaken as you go east.
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