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Shaded-relief map of War, West Virginia: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
WEST VIRGINIA · MCDOWELL COUNTY

War

546 people, 1,430 ft above sea level in McDowell County.

1,430 ftElevation, city center
546People, 2024 estimate
1 sq miLand area
Sunny 33°
Sunny now Dew point 27° · WNW 10 mph · high 37°
City of War River Interstate 2 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The War plate. Relief from Copernicus GLO-30; rivers and lakes from USGS NHD; watersheds from the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset; roads and city limits from Census TIGER 2024.

MILE1
TODAY

Today in War

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 3:00 PM EST
RIGHT NOW Mercer County Airport (KBLF) · 3:52 PM
Sunny
33° Sunny Feels like 25° · high of 37° near 4 PM
WindWNW 10 mphgusts 22
Humidity78%rising to 100% by morning
Pressure30.09 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 27° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 120.32 in · 2 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for McDowell County
NWS Charleston and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 4:18 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 7:04 AM5:17 PM ↓
10 h 12 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
27
GOODAir quality index · ozone
No pollen source yet.

The next three days, hour by hour

Sky: clear, cloudy, night Rain likely National Blend of Models
SATURDAY, NOV. 14
SUNDAY, NOV. 15
MONDAY, NOV. 16
TUESDAY, NOV. 17
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
1p
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
1p
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
1p
mostly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
overcast
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy day
overcast
overcast
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy day
partly cloudy day
mostly sunny
clear night
clear night
clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
clear day
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
37°
31°
41°
28°
48°
26°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
10
8
9
8
8
8
8
8
6
4
2
0
0
0
1
3
2
0
0
0
0
0
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0
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 21 to 32°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 53° / 35°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
37° 31°
0% rain — WNW 10 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
41° 28°
0% rain — WNW 8 A
MON Nov. 16 Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
50° 26°
0% rain — N 2 B
TUE Nov. 17 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
57° 29°
0% rain — NNE 5 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
60° 31°
0% rain — SE 5 A
THU Nov. 19 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
62° 36°
0% rain — SW 5 B
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
62° 36°
0% rain — NNW 5 B
How sure are we? AModels agree: highs within 4° BSome spread: within 8° CWide spread: check back
Range from the National Blend of Models percentiles · graded on Forecast Scores
AIR MAIL

Where today’s air came from

The air arriving over War about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the open Pacific three days ago, and over the northern Plains a day ago, about 3,590 miles back along its path. It came down from about 12,700 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Near the ground the air came from British Columbia; at 10,000 feet, from the Pacific north of Hawaii. It feels dry all the same. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses and the GFS beyond them, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK, SEVEN YEARS AGO Nov. 13, 2019

The coldest this week has been

11° on Nov. 13, 2019, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1989. Next is 12° in 2014.

12°
11°
20142019
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Richlands record since 1989.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What War stands on

War’s center stands about 1,430 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,360 ft to 2,400 ft, a difference of 1,040 ft: steep hill country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Deskin Mountain, about 3,720 ft, 15 miles south-southeast.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows New River Formation (sandstone), from the Carboniferous, 299 to 324 million years old.

The section below crosses 2 rock units mapped at the surface.

War, cut in half from southwest to northeast

A section southwest to northeast, 24 miles through the town center
1,500 ft2,000 ft2,500 ft3,000 ft WAR1,430 ftHigh point of the line3,090 ftTug Forkabout 1,310 ft ← SWDavy · NE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 11×. The colored band under the surface is the rock the state geologic map shows at the surface, not a picture of what lies beneath.

Rock at the surface along the line

New River Formation

Sandstone. Age: Carboniferous, 299 to 324 million years old. About 17 mi of the line.

New River Formation

Sandstone, siltstone, shale. Age: Carboniferous, 299 to 324 million years old. About 8 mi of the line.

From the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation (Horton and others, 2017), the states’ geologic maps joined at a common scale.

Heights from Copernicus GLO-90 (a surface model: it includes buildings and tree canopy); summits from USGS GNIS; rivers from USGS NHDPlus HR; rock from the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation.

MILE3
THE WATER

Where War’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in War reaches the Gulf of America by way of Johns Branch, the Dry Fork, the Tug Fork, the Ohio and the Mississippi: about 1,790 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
War≈ 1,790 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF WAR ≈ 1,790 mi to the Gulf of America Johns Branch → Dry Fork → Tug Fork → Ohio → Mississippi

970 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.

Traced down the USGS NHDPlus V2.1 river network from the Census center point of War; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

War’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1989 · Richlands, 16 mi south-southwest

War has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 23° in January. A normal year brings about 18 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 45 inches of water.

44°23°48°25°56°31°66°39°74°49°80°57°83°62°83°60°78°53°68°41°57°31°48°26° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 TODAY WAR 44.6 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average83° / 62°high / low, the warmest month
January, average44° / 23°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow44.6 inwettest months: July and May
Snow a year17.6 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record96°FJuly 1, 2012
Coldest on record−18°FFebruary 6, 1996
Wettest day on record3.91 inOctober 9, 2021
Snowiest day on record11.0 inFebruary 17, 2015
90° days a year5none reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°126and 13 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHumid subtropicalKöppen Cfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 17, to the last in spring, about April 28 (median dates)
2Lows below freezingNov. 8 to March 24; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 War normally reaches 58° and falls to 31°. The record high is 77°, in 1994; the record low 14°, in 2019. The most rain on this date, 0.21 in, fell in 2024.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high44°48°56°66°74°80°83°83°78°68°57°48°
Normal low23°25°31°39°49°57°62°60°53°41°31°26°
Rain and melt, in3.353.284.023.984.474.304.753.823.362.722.773.78
Snow, inches6.34.42.90.30.00.00.00.00.00.00.33.4
Record high73° (2023)77° (2023)85° (2012)91° (2010)90° (2011)96° (2012)96° (2012)93° (2019)95° (1998)91° (2019)82° (2003)79° (2001)
Record low−16° (1994)−18° (1996)−8° (1993)19° (2021)27° (2020)37° (2003)46° (2014)42° (1989)32° (1999)20° (1997)5° (2008)−15° (1989)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1989 at Richlands, 15 miles south-southwest, 480 ft higher. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around War on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Charlotte NC · 153 MI 153 miles south Lexington-Fayette urban county KY · 160 MI 160 miles west Raleigh NC · 197 MI 197 miles southeast Columbus OH · 198 MI 198 miles north
FORECASTCITY
Map of War, West Virginia. Explore the plate
WEST VIRGINIA · MCDOWELL

War

546 people, 1,430 ft above sea level in McDowell County.

1,430 ftElevation
546People
1 sq miLand
Sunny 33°
SunnyDew point 27°
1

Today in War

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly cloudy day 37° 0%
7p partly cloudy night 34° 0%
10p mostly cloudy night 32° 0%
1a mostly cloudy night 32° 1%
4a mostly cloudy night 31° 1%
7a mostly cloudy day 31° 1%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
31
37
A
Sun0%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
28
41
A
Mon0%
Partly cloudy; warmer Partly cloudy; warmer
26
50
B
Tue0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
29
57
A
Wed0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
31
60
A
Thu0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
36
62
B
Fri0%
Mostly sunny Mostly sunny
36
62
B
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK, SEVEN YEARS AGO · NOV. 13, 2019

11°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1989.

2

What War stands on

War’s center stands about 1,430 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,360 ft to 2,400 ft, a difference of 1,040 ft: steep hill country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Deskin Mountain, about 3,720 ft, 15 miles south-southeast.

War, southwest to northeast War1,430 ftTug Forkabout 1,310 ft ← SWNE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 21×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center1,430 ft
Within 3 miles1,360 to 2,400 ft
Lie of the landSteep hill country (1,040 ft of relief)
High point nearbyDeskin Mountain, 3,720 ft, 15 mi south-southeast
Rock at the surfaceNew River Formation
Its ageCarboniferous, 299 to 324 million years old
5

War’s year

War has a humid subtropical climate. Summer afternoons average 83° in July; winter nights fall to about 23° in January. A normal year brings about 18 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 45 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 12 44.6 in
July, average83° / 62° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average44° / 23° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow44.6 in · wettest months: July and May
Snow a year17.6 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record96°F · July 1, 2012
Coldest on record−18°F · February 6, 1996
Wettest day on record3.91 in · October 9, 2021
Snowiest day on record11.0 in · February 17, 2015
90° days a year5 · none reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°126 · and 13 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHumid subtropical · Köppen Cfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 17, to the last in spring, about April 28 (median dates)
2Lows below freezing · Nov. 8 to March 24; normal lows fall below 32°
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 War normally reaches 58° and falls to 31°. The record high is 77°, in 1994; the record low 14°, in 2019. The most rain on this date, 0.21 in, fell in 2024.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1989 at Richlands, 15 miles south-southwest, 480 ft higher. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,790 mito the Gulf of AmericaJohns Branch → Dry Fork → Tug Fork → Ohio → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in War reaches the Gulf of America by way of Johns Branch, the Dry Fork, the Tug Fork, the Ohio and the Mississippi: about 1,790 river miles.

970 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.