CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — The National Weather Service (NWS) has expanded its severe High Wind Watch for Saturday to include most of West Virginia. Higher elevations could see gusts over 60 miles per hour.
Until early Friday morning, only a few counties in the higher elevations were under the High Wind Watch, but an update at 3:38 a.m. put all of north central West Virginia under the watch as well most of northern Virginia, southern Pennsylvania and western Maryland.
According to the NWS offices in Charleston and Pittsburgh, most of West Virginia will see wind gusts of at least 50 miles per hour, with the highest winds taking place around noon on Saturday.
Here are the NWS’s estimations for top wind gusts in north central West Virginia cities.
- Clarksburg – 55 mph
- Morgantown – 55 mph
- Elkins – 51 mph
- Davis – 60 mph
- Snowshoe – 63 mph
Places that are not highlighted by the NWS should expect wind gusts of up to 50 mph, and sustained winds—the average wind speed over a two-minute period—are expected to be between 20 and 30 mph, according to NWS.
According to the NWS, sustained wind that is faster than 25 mph is considered a “moderate threat,” and sustained wind speed over 40 mph is considered a “high threat.” When sustained wind speeds or frequent wind gusts reach 58 mph, it is considered an “extreme threat.”
Last weekend, heavy wind caused damage across north central West Virginia; both residences and businesses saw expensive roof damage, and more than 19,000 residents lost power.
