Environment of West Virginia
The Environment of West Virginia encompasses terrain and ecosystems ranging from plateaus to mountains. Most of West Virginia lies within the
Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests.[1]
West Virginia is situated in the
Upper South region of the 48 contiguous states. Usually considered part of the South Eastern United States, West Virginia is bounded on the northeast by Pennsylvania and Maryland, on the southeast by Virginia, on the northwest by Ohio, and on the southwest by Kentucky
.
A portion of the
Potomac Section.[4]
Climate
| West Virginia state-wide averages | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Climate chart (explanation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The climate of West Virginia is generally a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa, except Dfb at higher elevations) with warm to hot, humid summers and chilly winters, increasing in severity with elevation. Some southern highland areas also have a mountain temperate climate (Köppen Cfb) where winter temperatures are more moderate and summer temperatures are somewhat cooler. However, the weather is subject in all parts of the state to change. The hardiness zones range from zone 5b in the central Appalachian mountains to zone 7a in the warmest parts of the lowest elevations.[5]
In the Eastern Panhandle and the
eastern prickly pear
grows well in many portions of the state.
Average January temperatures range from around 26 °F (−4 °C) near the Cheat River to 41 °F (5 °C) along sections of the border with Kentucky. July averages range from 67 °F (19 °C) along the North Branch Potomac River to 76 °F (24 °C) in the western part of the state. It is cooler in the mountains than in the lower sections of the state.[6] The highest recorded temperature in the state is 112 °F (44 °C) at Martinsburg on July 10, 1936, and the lowest recorded temperature in the state is −37 °F (−38 °C) at Lewisburg on December 30, 1917.
Annual precipitation ranges from less than 32 inches (810 mm) in the lower eastern section to more than 56 inches (1,400 mm) in higher parts of the Allegheny Front. Valleys in the east have lower rainfall because the Allegheny mountain ridges to the west create a partial
Tygart Valley. West Virginia is also one of the cloudiest states in the nation, with the cities of Elkins and Beckley ranking 9th and 10th in the U.S. respectively for the number of cloudy days per year (over 210). In addition to persistent cloudy skies caused by the damming of moisture by the Alleghenies, West Virginia also experiences some of the most frequent precipitation in the nation, with Snowshoe
averaging nearly 200 days a year with either rain or snow. Snow usually lasts only a few days in the lower sections but may persist for weeks in the higher mountain areas. An average of 34 inches (860 mm) of snow falls annually in Charleston, although during the winter of 1995–1996 more than three times that amount fell as several cities in the state established new records for snowfall. Average snowfall in the Allegheny Highlands can range up to 180 inches (4,600 mm) per year. Severe weather is somewhat less prevalent in West Virginia than in most other eastern states, and it ranks among the least tornado-prone states east of the Rockies.
Climate data
| Climate data for Charleston (Köppen Cfa) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 81 (27) |
81 (27) |
92 (33) |
96 (36) |
98 (37) |
105 (41) |
108 (42) |
108 (42) |
104 (40) |
96 (36) |
87 (31) |
80 (27) |
108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 68.2 (20.1) |
70.6 (21.4) |
79.1 (26.2) |
86.8 (30.4) |
88.8 (31.6) |
92.0 (33.3) |
93.9 (34.4) |
93.1 (33.9) |
90.1 (32.3) |
84.5 (29.2) |
77.3 (25.2) |
69.1 (20.6) |
95.3 (35.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 43.9 (6.6) |
47.8 (8.8) |
56.8 (13.8) |
69.4 (20.8) |
76.2 (24.6) |
83.1 (28.4) |
86.0 (30.0) |
85.2 (29.6) |
79.5 (26.4) |
68.7 (20.4) |
57.3 (14.1) |
47.5 (8.6) |
66.8 (19.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 35.0 (1.7) |
38.2 (3.4) |
46.0 (7.8) |
56.9 (13.8) |
64.7 (18.2) |
72.3 (22.4) |
75.8 (24.3) |
74.6 (23.7) |
68.3 (20.2) |
57.0 (13.9) |
46.4 (8.0) |
38.7 (3.7) |
56.2 (13.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 26.1 (−3.3) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
35.1 (1.7) |
44.5 (6.9) |
53.2 (11.8) |
61.5 (16.4) |
65.5 (18.6) |
64.1 (17.8) |
57.1 (13.9) |
45.3 (7.4) |
35.6 (2.0) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
45.5 (7.5) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 5.5 (−14.7) |
9.9 (−12.3) |
17.0 (−8.3) |
27.6 (−2.4) |
37.1 (2.8) |
48.8 (9.3) |
55.7 (13.2) |
54.1 (12.3) |
43.3 (6.3) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
20.6 (−6.3) |
12.9 (−10.6) |
2.3 (−16.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −16 (−27) |
−12 (−24) |
−5 (−21) |
18 (−8) |
26 (−3) |
33 (1) |
46 (8) |
41 (5) |
32 (0) |
17 (−8) |
6 (−14) |
−17 (−27) |
−17 (−27) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.27 (83) |
3.36 (85) |
4.14 (105) |
3.56 (90) |
4.93 (125) |
4.72 (120) |
5.38 (137) |
3.75 (95) |
3.46 (88) |
2.91 (74) |
3.20 (81) |
3.56 (90) |
46.24 (1,174) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 10.3 (26) |
7.7 (20) |
5.9 (15) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.6 (1.5) |
1.5 (3.8) |
5.0 (13) |
31.5 (80) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 14.8 | 13.7 | 14.8 | 13.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 12.8 | 10.6 | 9.0 | 10.1 | 11.0 | 14.2 | 151.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 7.6 | 6.2 | 3.9 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 4.1 | 23.9 |
| Source: | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Huntington (Köppen Cfa) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) |
81 (27) |
92 (33) |
92 (33) |
97 (36) |
105 (41) |
108 (42) |
107 (42) |
103 (39) |
95 (35) |
86 (30) |
80 (27) |
108 (42) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 43.2 (6.2) |
47.3 (8.5) |
56.8 (13.8) |
68.8 (20.4) |
76.2 (24.6) |
83.3 (28.5) |
86.4 (30.2) |
85.5 (29.7) |
79.6 (26.4) |
68.6 (20.3) |
56.6 (13.7) |
46.7 (8.2) |
66.6 (19.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 34.8 (1.6) |
38.2 (3.4) |
46.4 (8.0) |
57.2 (14.0) |
65.2 (18.4) |
72.9 (22.7) |
76.4 (24.7) |
75.2 (24.0) |
68.7 (20.4) |
57.4 (14.1) |
46.6 (8.1) |
38.6 (3.7) |
56.5 (13.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 26.4 (−3.1) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
36.1 (2.3) |
45.5 (7.5) |
54.2 (12.3) |
62.4 (16.9) |
66.4 (19.1) |
64.8 (18.2) |
57.7 (14.3) |
46.1 (7.8) |
36.6 (2.6) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
46.3 (7.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −21 (−29) |
−24 (−31) |
−2 (−19) |
15 (−9) |
27 (−3) |
39 (4) |
46 (8) |
43 (6) |
29 (−2) |
16 (−9) |
4 (−16) |
−14 (−26) |
−24 (−31) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.10 (79) |
3.37 (86) |
4.16 (106) |
3.91 (99) |
4.51 (115) |
4.20 (107) |
5.08 (129) |
3.95 (100) |
3.16 (80) |
3.02 (77) |
3.07 (78) |
3.57 (91) |
45.10 (1,146) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.0 (15) |
5.8 (15) |
4.3 (11) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.5 (1.3) |
2.7 (6.9) |
19.8 (50) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 13.4 | 12.2 | 13.5 | 13.1 | 13.7 | 12.5 | 12.2 | 9.9 | 8.3 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 12.8 | 142.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.4 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 14.8 |
| Source: | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Morgantown (Köppen Cfa/Dfa) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) |
80 (27) |
87 (31) |
93 (34) |
95 (35) |
99 (37) |
103 (39) |
105 (41) |
102 (39) |
94 (34) |
83 (28) |
77 (25) |
105 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 66 (19) |
67 (19) |
75 (24) |
84 (29) |
88 (31) |
91 (33) |
93 (34) |
91 (33) |
89 (32) |
82 (28) |
75 (24) |
66 (19) |
93 (34) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 40.1 (4.5) |
43.7 (6.5) |
52.6 (11.4) |
65.2 (18.4) |
73.6 (23.1) |
80.9 (27.2) |
84.4 (29.1) |
83.1 (28.4) |
77.1 (25.1) |
65.9 (18.8) |
54.1 (12.3) |
44.3 (6.8) |
63.8 (17.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 32.0 (0.0) |
34.8 (1.6) |
42.6 (5.9) |
53.8 (12.1) |
62.6 (17.0) |
70.3 (21.3) |
74.1 (23.4) |
72.8 (22.7) |
66.5 (19.2) |
55.3 (12.9) |
44.9 (7.2) |
36.4 (2.4) |
53.8 (12.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.0 (−4.4) |
25.8 (−3.4) |
32.6 (0.3) |
42.4 (5.8) |
51.5 (10.8) |
59.7 (15.4) |
63.8 (17.7) |
62.5 (16.9) |
55.9 (13.3) |
44.7 (7.1) |
35.8 (2.1) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
43.9 (6.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 3 (−16) |
7 (−14) |
14 (−10) |
26 (−3) |
36 (2) |
45 (7) |
53 (12) |
52 (11) |
42 (6) |
30 (−1) |
20 (−7) |
12 (−11) |
0 (−18) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) |
−25 (−32) |
−4 (−20) |
6 (−14) |
25 (−4) |
30 (−1) |
40 (4) |
38 (3) |
30 (−1) |
15 (−9) |
−1 (−18) |
−16 (−27) |
−25 (−32) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.12 (79) |
2.81 (71) |
3.65 (93) |
3.87 (98) |
4.33 (110) |
4.07 (103) |
4.93 (125) |
3.65 (93) |
3.41 (87) |
3.09 (78) |
3.02 (77) |
3.20 (81) |
43.15 (1,096) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.1 (23) |
5.5 (14) |
7.0 (18) |
1.0 (2.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
1.1 (2.8) |
3.8 (9.7) |
27.6 (70) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 15.5 | 13.0 | 14.4 | 14.1 | 14.7 | 13.1 | 12.4 | 10.5 | 10.3 | 11.4 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 155.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 6.1 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 3.5 | 18.8 |
| Source: | |||||||||||||
Geology
Historical Geology Summary[14]
Prior to one billion years ago, the geologic history of West Virginia is obscure. Sometime between about 1,100 and 800 million years ago,
Ordovician Period. During this total interval of about 370 million years, most of the rocks exposed in Jefferson and eastern Berkeley counties and in scattered areas southwestward along the Virginia boundary were deposited. Rocks
of the same age are found in abundance in the deep wells throughout the State.
The
Acadian Orogeny
, with the main uplift to the northeast, resulted in a further source for the predominantly clastic marine deposits of these epochs. However, near the end of Devonian time, the sea was rapidly retreating westward and the continental red beds of the Hampshire Formation were being deposited over most of the State.
The sea made one more important intrusion into West Virginia during
Permian Period, roughly 270 to 225 million years ago, the Appalachian Orogeny
began which played a major part in the formation of the Appalachian Mountains as we know them today. Never again has the sea invaded West Virginia.
The oldest evidences of life found in West Virginia occur in rocks about 600 million years old, in the Antietam Formation of
Lower Cambrian age. However, in this formation they are abundant and of forms that had already developed through a substantial part of all evolution that has taken place during the history of the earth. Evidences of life in other parts of the earth are found in rocks at least 3 billion years old. Fossils are found in increasing abundance and increasing stages of evolutional development in the rocks of all ages since earliest Cambrian
time.
Fauna
The life zones of
Stonefly. There are about 17 Moth species. There are a little over seven dozen Cave invertebrate species. The West Virginia Division of Wildlife (WVDNR) uses hunting and fishing license fees for wildlife habitat conservation.[15]
Flora
The
rhododendrons, mountain laurel, and azaleas
grow in abundance.
Geographical facts
- Highest Point: Spruce Knob on Spruce Mountain in Pendleton County, 4,863 feet (1,482 m) above sea level
- Lowest Point: Potomac River at Harpers Ferry, 240 feet (73 m) above sea level
- Smallest County: Hancock County, 229 km² (88.2 mi²)
- Largest County: Randolph County, 2,693 km² (1,040 mi²)
- Oldest County: Hampshire County, formed December 13, 1753
- Youngest County: Mingo County, formed 1895
- Most Populous County: 2000)
- Least Populous County: 2000)
- Fastest Growing County: Berkeley County, +28.0% growth between 1990 (59,253) and 2000 (75,905) censuses
- Most Populous Municipality: 2000)
- Least Populous Municipality: 2000)
- Oldest Municipality: Romney in Hampshire County chartered December 23, 1762
- Geographical Center of State: near Sutton in Braxton County
- Center of Population: near Gassaway in Braxton County
- West Virginia is the only state with two Panhandles.
See also
- Mountains of West Virginia
- Islands in West Virginia
- Lakes in West Virginia
- Rivers in West Virginia
- State forests in West Virginia
- State parks in West Virginia
- Wildlife management areas in West Virginia
References
- .
- ^ "Allegheny Plateau". Infoplease. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
- ^ "Land and Water Area of States, 2000". Information Please. 2000. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Our State". North American River Runners, Inc. Archived from the original on 14 July 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
- ^ "West Virginia USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map". plantmaps.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
- ^ "West Virginia University data". West Virginia University Health Office. Archived from the original on May 31, 2008. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Charleston Yeager AP, WV". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Huntington Tri State AP, WV". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
- ^ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Morgantown Hart FLD, WV". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Morgantown Hart Field, WV". U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1981-2010). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ This article is provided by the 'West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey.' (adapted from an educational booklet by Dudley Cardwell, 1975 with additions from Ron McDowell, 2007) Permission to reproduce this material is granted if acknowledgment is given to the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey. West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey. Address: Mont Chateau Research Center, 1 Mont Chateau Road, Morgantown, WV 26508-8079 http://www.wvgs.wvnet.edu/www/geology/geolphyp.htm
- ^ West Virginia Division of Wildlife "West Virginia Division of Natural Resources". Archived from the original on 2008-04-12. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
