Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2025
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 52, NWS Blacksburg, VA
NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 16, 2025, 1:31 PM EDT for 4 counties in Virginia; Mercer County, West Virginia. It was in force for 59 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 16, 2025, 1:31 PM EDT (17:31 UTC)
- Expired
- May 16, 2025, 2:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 59 min
- Issued by
- NWS Blacksburg, VA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.25 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Bland County, VA, Smyth County, VA, Tazewell County, VA, Wythe County, VA, Mercer County, WV
The radar
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:33 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 11:10 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 5.5 hours before the alert went out and 159 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 486 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -63 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 789 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 180 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 232 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.4
- Supercell composite
- 3.6
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 16, 12:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 16, 12:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, May 16, 4:38 AM EDT, 8 hours 53 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 438 AM EDT Fri May 16 2025 VAZ007-009-WVZ042-043-508-170845- Tazewell-Smyth-Mercer-Summers-Western Greenbrier- 438 AM EDT Fri May 16 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southwest Virginia and southeast West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Strong to severe storms are possible this afternoon into tonight. Damaging winds are the main threat, though large hail and tornadoes could also occur. Heavier downpours from thunderstorms may also cause localized flash flooding, particularly in already saturated areas. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. There is a low probability for widespread hazardous weather. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed. NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ010>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059-WVZ044- 507-170845- Ashe-Alleghany NC-Surry-Stokes-Rockingham-Caswell-Watauga-Wilkes- Yadkin-Bland-Giles-Wythe-Pulaski-Montgomery-Grayson-Carroll-Floyd- Craig-Alleghany VA-Bath-Roanoke-Botetourt-Rockbridge-Patrick- Franklin-Bedford-Amherst-Henry-Pittsylvania-Campbell-Appomattox- Buckingham-Halifax-Charlotte-Monroe-Eastern Greenbrier- 438 AM EDT Fri May 16 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central North Carolina, northwest North Carolina, central Virginia, south central Virginia, southwest Virginia, west central Virginia and southeast West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. There is a slight risk (level 2 of 5) for severe thunderstorms this afternoon into tonight. Thunderstorms may produce severe wind gusts and large hail. An isolated tornado and localized flooding are also possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. An isolated strong to severe storm is possible Saturday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 16, 1:14 PM EDT, 17 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service BLACKSBURG VA
114 PM EDT Fri May 16 2025
VAZ007-010-012-161745-
Tazewell VA-Bland VA-Wythe VA-
114 PM EDT Fri May 16 2025
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT EAST CENTRAL TAZEWELL...BLAND
AND NORTHWESTERN WYTHE COUNTIES THROUGH 145 PM EDT...
At 114 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Suiter, or near Burkes Garden, moving east at 45 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Bland...
Ceres...
Bastian...
Rocky Gap...
Burkes Garden...
Long Spur...
and Mechanicsburg.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 600 PM EDT for
southwestern Virginia...and southeastern West Virginia.
&&
LAT...LON 3713 8142 3730 8098 3727 8101 3718 8090
3718 8089 3719 8087 3718 8086 3717 8088
3715 8086 3712 8089 3711 8093 3705 8090
3700 8136
TIME...MOT...LOC 1714Z 252DEG 37KT 3710 8128
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
BMGThe office that day
Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 1:14 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RNK | Bland | 31 min |
| May 16, 2:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Bland, Craig, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski, Wythe and 1 more | 64 min |
| May 16, 2:57 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Bland, Smyth, Tazewell, Wythe | 63 min |
| May 16, 3:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles and 6 more | 55 min |
| May 16, 3:14 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RNK | Amherst, City of Buena Vista | 16 min |
| May 16, 3:36 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Wythe, City of Galax | 54 min |
| May 16, 3:56 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Bedford, Franklin, Pittsylvania | 64 min |
| May 16, 3:57 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Henry, Pittsylvania, City of Danville, City of Martinsville | 20 min |
| May 16, 4:01 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Appomattox, Buckingham | 33 min |
| May 16, 4:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Carroll, Floyd, Franklin, Henry, Patrick, City of Martinsville | 65 min |
| May 16, 4:28 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Charlotte, Halifax, Henry, Pittsylvania, City of Danville | 62 min |
| May 16, 5:19 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RNK | Caswell | 26 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Virginia, 2025Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in West Virginia, 2025Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2025
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.