WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – West Virginia’s first measurable snowfall of the season usually arrives between late October and early December, depending on elevation and location within the state.
In the higher elevations of the Allegheny Mountains — including areas such as Snowshoe, Canaan Valley, and Elkins — snow can begin falling as early as mid-October.
These regions often record their first measurable snow by late October or early November, with an average of 60 to 100 inches of total snowfall each winter.
Lower-elevation areas such as Charleston, Huntington, and Parkersburg generally see their first snow later in the season.
In these parts of the state, the first measurable snowfall typically occurs between late November and mid-December.
Charleston’s long-term average for first measurable snow is around November 30, while Huntington’s usually comes in early December.
Across most of the state, the first snowflakes of the season often appear during passing cold fronts in November, though they may not accumulate.
The timing varies widely from year to year depending on weather patterns, cold air outbreaks, and early-season storm systems moving through the Ohio Valley and Appalachians.
Overall, while some mountain communities in West Virginia can see snow before Halloween, most residents experience their first measurable accumulation closer to Thanksgiving or early December.
