Charleston, West Virginia – St. Patrick’s Day week across West Virginia could arrive with a blast of lingering winter as colder air sliding south from Canada raises the risk of late-season snow just days before the first day of spring.
According to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s 8–14 day outlook, the period from March 15 through March 21 favors above-normal precipitation across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, while temperatures across much of the eastern United States trend below seasonal averages. The setup forms as a broad cold boundary stretches from Maine across the Great Lakes and down toward Georgia and northern Florida, funneling colder Canadian air deep into the Appalachian region.
That pattern places Charleston, Morgantown, Wheeling, Beckley, and Parkersburg in an area where storm systems moving through the Ohio Valley or along the East Coast could combine with colder air, raising the potential for late-season snow, especially in higher elevations of the Appalachians during St. Patrick’s Day week.
Drivers along major corridors including Interstate 64, Interstate 79, Interstate 77, and Interstate 68 should monitor conditions if storm systems develop. Snow in the mountains can quickly reduce visibility and create slick travel, particularly during overnight hours and early morning commutes.
The timing is notable as daylight saving time begins this weekend, yet winterlike conditions may linger across Appalachia even as the first day of spring arrives later that week.
Forecasters expect additional updates in the coming days as the mid-March pattern becomes clearer, and advisories could follow if incoming storm systems align with the colder air mass across the region.
