MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The weather so far in the month of November is helping north-central West Virginia recover from the continuing drought. Since July, rainfall has been sparse, sending most of the region into severe drought status.
Statewide, dry conditions have resulted in more than 450 fires that damaged over 15,000 acres, and low water conditions have restricted the availability of some outdoor recreation activities. Some areas of the state known for whitewater rafting had to settle on tubing or swimming.
“Over the last 72 hours, so that includes this system and the end of the last one,” National Weather Service Meteorologist David Shallenberger said. “We’re looking at totals of a half an inch to an inch across the entire area.”
The recent systems have resulted in widespread totals that vary due to increased convective activity, according to Shallenberger.
“When you have that, you’ll have some spots show up with a whole inch and other spots that didn’t have a strong cell over them didn’t get as much,” Sahllenberger said.
Shallenberger said the normal November rainfall total for the area is 2.48 inches of rain, and 2.64 inches has been received. But the rain deficit of about five inches will likely persist through the early part of 2025.
“Don’t get me wrong; we are making progress on the drought,” Shallenberger said. “It’s probably just going to take a little bit more of a wetter pattern, and we should start to see some significant improvement with it.”
Shallenberger said December could be a snowy month based on the below-normal temperature forecast for the month. It’s too early for a white Christmas prediction, but Shallenberger said if the moisture is there, the forecast trends show the air could be cold enough for snowfall.
“So, that’s average below normal for the entire month of December, so there certainly stands the possibility of getting some snow in there,” Shallenberger said.