CHARLESTON, W.Va. — It’s been a quiet spring in the Mountain State in terms of severe weather. As Robert Hart, the lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service Charleston office put it, it’s “rather unusual.”
The National Weather Service (NWS) Charleston office tweeted out on Wednesday morning that the office issued zero severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings for the entire month of May. The office further said no warnings have been issued since April 9.
Hart told MetroNews this has been the quietest severe weather season for the coverage area since at least 1984, when records were first kept.
“That lack of really nice and warm spring-like weather just didn’t happen this May. Without a lot of warm weather, we don’t see a lot in the way of severe thunderstorms,” Hart said.
Hart said April, May and June are typically the months of the year with the most severe weather, hail damaging winds and potential tornadoes, happening several times in the three months. He said the NWS Charleston area, which includes all of southern West Virginia, two counties in SW Virginia, four in NE Kentucky, and SE Ohio from Perry County to Portsmouth was locked into a cooler weather pattern for mid to late May.
🚨🚨Weather nerd stat!🚨🚨
Our office issued ZERO severe t’storm and tornado warnings for the entire month of May. In fact, we have not issued any warnings since April 9th. This has been the quietest severe weather season for our area since at least 1984! #wvwx #ohwx #kywx #vawx— NWS Charleston, WV (@NWSCharlestonWV) June 2, 2021
Memorial Day weekend for most parts of the state was November-like weather but Hart said that was the first time parts of the area saw precipitation in some time.
“Before the Memorial Day weekend, much of the state went over a week without having any rainfall at all. For the month of May, it’s rather unusual. Not unprecedented but rather unusual,” Hart said.
According to Hart, most parts of the state typically average 4 to 6 inches of rain in May. As the month ended, NWS Charleston measured below three inches for most parts.
The eastern panhandle was the only section of the state, covered by NWS Baltimore, that had severe weather warnings in May. Hart said it typically happens more in that section due to its location on the eastern side of the mountain lines.
A severe thunderstorm warning is issued when there are winds sustained or gusts of 58 mph or greater, hail of one inch in diameter or larger, or a tornado itself. A tornado warning would be issued if a tornado touched or there are funnel clouds.
Hart said there is a much greater chance that the NWS Charleston coverage area could see a severe weather warning next week with temperatures in the Charleston area expected in the 90s for much of that time.
“We’re going to be trending hotter and more humid. When we get into those weather patterns, we see that typical afternoon, early evening storm. Any one of those, when they start to collapse on themselves, could produce local severe wind gusts,” Hart said.
Hart said the eastern panhandle has a great chance of scattered severe weather on Thursday afternoon.