General Information (Shopping, Churches, etc)


Arbovale Methodist Church

Churches

There are a number of churches in and around the Green Bank area offering worship services for various denominations. Multi-denominational worship services are also offered at some churches. Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Brethren, Lutheran, Episcopalian and Catholic Churches all exist in the area.

Shopping

The Green Bank area is rural and has only a few stores and shops. In the immediate area of the Observatory, the stores include Trent's General Store, and Henry's Quick Stop convenience store. Although small, among Trent's, and Henry's, the variety of items stocked is surprisingly large, and you can find most of the necessities of life. Trent's and Henry's carry basic food products including milk,eggs, bread, canned goods, and some produce. Trent's also carrys a good selection of hardware items.

For larger scale shopping, you will need to travel to one of the larger towns in the area.The most popular locations are Elkins, an hour's drive to the north, and Lewisburg, 1.5 hours to the south. Elkins has two large supermarkets, a Walmart, hardware stores, restaurants, and a movie theatre. Lewisburg is slightly larger and has a Walmart Super Store and most of the other stores.

For somewhat larger scale shopping, popular locations are Harrisonburg, Virginia (2hour's drive), Charlottesville, Virginia (2.5 hours), Clarksburg, West Virgina (2 hours), and Roanoke, Virginia (3 hours). All of these cities have large shopping malls, and have a variety of "super-centers" such as Costco, Sam's Club, Lowes, Home Depot, etc.

Medical Care

Pocahontas County offers 911 emergency service. The BFD fire and ambulance station exists just opposite the Observatory. An annual contribution to the BFD provides you and your family with free ambulance service. Physicians in the immediate Green Bank include Dr. John Eilers, DO, Green Bank Tuesday afternoons and all day Thursday in Green Bank (456-5050); in Slatyfork (572-4410) at the base of Snowshoe on other weekdays. Deer Creek Clinic (456-4211) Northern Pocahontas County Health Clinic (in Durbin, 15 minutes to the north) (456-5115) The nearest hospitals are Davis Memorial Hospital in Elkins (65 minutes drive north) 800-889-5063 Pocahontas Memorial Hospital in Marlinton (45 minutes drive south) 799-7400 Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Lewisburg/Ronceverte (90 minutes south) 304-647-6080 Other specialist doctors, dentists, orthodontists, etc., are located in Elkins and Lewisburg. Major medical centers are located at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville (2.5 hours' drive east), and the West Virginia University in Morgantown (3 hours' drive north).

Climate

Selected Climatic Data for Green Bank.

WV Location: East-central West Virginia; Latitude -38° 26'N; Longitude -79° 49'W; Elevation -2745 feet above mean sea level)

Average annual total snowfall = 42.5 inches.

Average annual heating degree days (HDD) = 6580.

Average date of first freezing temperature = September 14.

Average date of last freezing temperature = May 20.

Prevailing wind direction & mean speed = NW @ 6 mph.

Sub-zero temperatures (°F) can occur 2-3 times per year for 1 week durations.

Normal Daily Maximum. Minimum. & Average Temperatures (°F) (1990-1999)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max.	38	42	49	60	68	76	80	78	72	63	50	42
Avg.	30	30	37	46	55	63	68	66	59	48	38	31
Min.	17	20	24	32	41	51	55	53	46	33	22	20

Normal Monthly Total Precipitation (inches)

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
5.2	3.6	5.5	4.6	4.2	3.3	3.9	4.3	3.2	2.4	3.4	4.4

Source:

1) Climates of The States, U.S. Department of Comrnerce, 1974

2) Climatic Atlas of The U.S., U.S. Department of Comrnerce, 1968. Reprinted by National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration in 1979.

3) NRAO-GB weather recordings archive, 1990-1999.

Settling In

If you move to Green Bank from out-of-state, you must obtain a West Virginia drivers license within 6 months of arrival. If you have a valid drivers license from another state or Canada, you will not have to take any tests, but need only have a new photo license made. You will have to surrender your old license. The nearest drivers license stations are in Elkins and Lewisburg. You will need two IDs, which may be your old license and a passport, birth certificate, etc.