BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) – The beginning of May has ushered in a chilly start for the mountain state.

Soggy weather and cloudy skies continue to hamper any outdoor spring plans.

According to James Zvolensky, meteorologist for the Charleston National Weather Service office, these showers are forming up due to a northern storm system. 

“A broad storm system is basically parked just north of us. That’s going to continue to move moisture from the Great Lakes across the mountains. This is going to induce more snowfall potential than usual,” Zvolensky said.

Snow showers during the month of May are not an incredibly rare event for West Virginia.

This is true especially across the highest elevations, including Snowshoe in Pocahontas County. Zvolensky says this event is anticipated to be different for the highest mountain peaks, though.

“Snowshoe, they have an average of about an inch. I think it’s 0.8 inches a year for every May, so it can happen. This caliber is very rare,” Zvolensky said.

According to Zvolensky, the record for a multi-day snow event across Snowshoe is 7 and a half inches.

If the current forecast remains on track, the Charleston office believes the record will be shattered over the next several days. Despite the daytime melting of snow, Zvolensky says he has a firm confidence of the forecast.

“I think the confidence is pretty decent. Usually you’ll see some lower confidence, especially with accumulations in an upslope event. Because you just never know that upslope can get cut off or something can go wrong,” Zvolensky said.