1976-77 Winter Season

Original National Weather Service Data Forms submitted by Roy L. Wells, Jr., for the official station of Wise 1 SE located on the campus of University of Virginia’s College At Wise.

The 1976-77 Winter Season

October 1976

Official National Weather Service Report for October 1976
Official National Weather Service Report For October 1976

November 1976

November 1976
Official National Weather Service Report For November 1976

December 1976

Official National Weather Service Report For December 1976
Official National Weather Service Report For December 1976

January 1977

Official National Weather Service Report For January 1977
Official National Weather Service Report For January 1977

February 1977

Official National Weather Service Report For February 1977
Official National Weather Service Report For February 1977
The observation site of Wise 1 SE had a southern exposure at its elevation of 2560 feet above sea level, so it represents the least amount of snow cover days for the middle elevation zone.
The observation time of 5:00 PM, in addition, tends to represent less snow depth than stations where the recorded 24-hour snow depth is during the morning ( i.e., snow depths often decrease during afternoon hours even during some snowstorms unless temps are very cold and snow is falling steadily to heavily ).

The harsh nature of the 1976-77 winter is illustrated by weather records of Elizabeth & Addison Stallard, which show snow cover visible across the head of Powell Valley from December 20, 1976 to March 11, 1977. A continuous stretch of 82 days! Quite impressive for a snow shadowed locale which typically has only a fraction of snow cover days observed across the high country above.

**Northern slope sites, especially in upper elevations, had almost constant snow cover from mid-November into mid-March during the 1976-77 winter.

March 1977

Official National Weather Service Report For March 1977
Official National Weather Service Report For March 1977
Although 68″ of snow were measured in Wise during the November-March period of the 1976-77 Winter, total water equivalent precip was much below average with only 10.16″  during these 5 months ( a winter dominated by cold air and  mostly low density falls of snow ).

That changed rapidly in early April 1977.

April 1977

Official National Weather Service Report For April 1977
Official National Weather Service Report For April 1977

A total of 7.75″ of mostly rain fell in Wise during April 2-5 as part of the Great Flood of April 1977.  More precipitation in water equivalent form than measured during the entire November-February period combined.

Rainfall totals of more than 12.00″ were estimated by a follow up study along windward facing mountain slopes, with the High Knob Massif likely having among the most.

*A total of 0.8″ of snow fell at the end of this event in Wise, with 2-3″+ of snow falling in parts of the mountain area at the conclusion of this flood.