Strong Wind, Highland
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Highland forecast zone
Strong Wind in Virginia, February 24, 1998
An intensifying storm off the middle Atlantic coast produced sustained northwest winds of 25 to 32 mph with frequent gusts in excess of 40 mph over all of northern Virginia during the afternoon. Winds gradually diminished after sunset; a result of the departing storm and the loss of daytime heating.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 19 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 23
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.
An intensifying storm off the middle Atlantic coast produced sustained northwest winds of 25 to 32 mph with frequent gusts in excess of 40 mph over all of northern Virginia during the afternoon. Winds gradually diminished after sunset; a result of the departing storm and the loss of daytime heating. According to news accounts, property damage was minimal, likely consisting of isolated fallen power lines (need final stuff from Virginia Power). The combination of wind and saturated soil caused scattered trees and limbs to fall. Minor shingle damage was reported in western Fairfax Co (VAZ053).
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
23 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong Wind, Augusta / Staunton / Waynesborro
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Augusta / Staunton / Waynesborro forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.109, -78.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Rockingham / Harrisonburg
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Rockingham / Harrisonburg forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.481, -78.872 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Shenandoah
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Shenandoah forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.858, -78.571 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Frederick / Winchester
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Frederick / Winchester forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.195, -78.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Page
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Page forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.620, -78.484 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Warren
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Warren forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.909, -78.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Clarke
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Clarke forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.112, -77.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Nelson
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Nelson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.787, -78.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Albemarle / Charlotttesville
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Albemarle / Charlotttesville forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.029, -78.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Greene
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Greene forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.298, -78.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Madison
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Madison forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.414, -78.279 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Rappahannock
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Rappahannock forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.685, -78.159 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Fauquier
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Fauquier forecast zone
Strong Wind, Loudoun
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Loudoun forecast zone
Strong Wind, Orange
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Orange forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.246, -78.013 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Culpeper
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Culpeper forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.486, -77.956 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Prince William / Manassas
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Prince William / Manassas forecast zone
Strong Wind, Fairfax
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Fairfax forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 38.841, -77.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Arlington / Alexandria / Falls Church
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Arlington / Alexandria / Falls Church forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.855, -77.106 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Stafford
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Stafford forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.421, -77.457 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, Spotsylvania / Fredericksburg
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Spotsylvania / Fredericksburg forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.244, -77.558 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Strong Wind, King George
- When
- February 24, 12:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- King George forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.274, -77.156 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Dense Fog in California, February 24, 1998
- Strong Wind in Maryland, February 24, 1998
- High Wind in New Mexico, February 24, 1998
- Winter Storm in Vermont, February 24 to 25, 1998
- Winter Storm in New York, February 24 to 25, 1998
- Winter Storm in Vermont, February 24 to 25, 1998
- Flood in California, February 24, 1998
- High Wind in Maryland, February 24, 1998
- Heavy Snow in New York, February 24, 1998
- High Wind in North Carolina, February 24, 1998
- High Wind in Arizona, February 24, 1998
- High Wind in North Carolina, February 24, 1998
More
Every storm in Virginia in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, February 1998
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5635661, 5635662, 5635663, 5635664, 5635665, 5635666, 5635667, 5635668, 5635669, 5635670, 5635802, 5635803, 5635804, 5635805, 5635806, 5635807, 5635808, 5635809, 5635810, 5635811, 5635812, 5635813, 5635814.