Winter Storm and Heavy Rain in Virginia, March 21, 2000

Name: Winter Storm and Heavy Rain in Virginia, March 21, 2000
Start: 2000-03-21T00:00
End: 2000-03-21T16:00
Location: Virginia

March 21, 2000 · NWS LWX · 19 events in 16 counties and zones

Low pressure moved from the Ohio Valley on the 20th to the Mid-Atlantic region on the 21st. East winds ahead of the system ushered moist air into the region directly from the Atlantic Ocean.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 18 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 19

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.

Low pressure moved from the Ohio Valley on the 20th to the Mid-Atlantic region on the 21st. East winds ahead of the system ushered moist air into the region directly from the Atlantic Ocean. When the low passed through the area on the morning and afternoon of the 21st heavy rain fell east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Temperatures were cold enough in the mountains that most of the precipitation fell in the form of snow. Rainfall amounts east to the mountains ranged from 1 to 3 inches, and up to 7 inches of snow fell in the mountains. Along Skyline Drive, up to 3/4 of an inch of freezing rain accumulated during the morning of the 21st before changing over to rain during the afternoon. Park officials reported downed tees and power lines. Rainfall totals included 2.37 inches at Montebello in Nelson County, 2.32 inches at Tom's Branch in Augusta County, 2.28 inches at Briery Branch in Rockingham County, 2.20 inches at Lewis Mountain Camp in Page County, 2.16 inches at Limeton in Warren County, 2.14 inches in Falls Church, 2.03 inches at Sterling in Loudoun County, and 1.99 inches at National Airport in Arlington. Snowfall totals included up to 7 inches in the highest elevations of Highland and western Rockingham Counties, 3 inches in Monterey, 2 inches in Deerfield, and 1 inch in Staunton.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 heavy rain, 5 winter storm, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Warren

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Reported by: PARK/FOREST SERVICE
Coordinates: 38.909, -78.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Page

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where: Page forecast zone
Reported by: PARK/FOREST SERVICE
Coordinates: 38.620, -78.484 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Rappahannock

When: March 21, 12:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where: Rappahannock forecast zone
Reported by: PARK/FOREST SERVICE
Coordinates: 38.685, -78.159 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Augusta

When: March 21, 2:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Augusta forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.109, -78.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Rockingham / Harrisonburg

When: March 21, 2:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Rockingham / Harrisonburg forecast zone
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 38.481, -78.872 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Highland

When: March 21, 2:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Highland forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Heavy Rain, Page

When: March 21, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Page County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.620, -78.484 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Arlington

When: March 21, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Arlington County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.879, -77.101 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Alexandria (C)

When: March 21, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Alexandria (C) County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.805, -77.047 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Fairfax

When: March 21, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Fairfax County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.835, -77.276 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Fairfax (C)

When: March 21, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Fairfax (C) County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.846, -77.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Falls Church (C)

When: March 21, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Falls Church (C) County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.882, -77.171 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Warren

When: March 21, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Warren County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.909, -78.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Rockingham

When: March 21, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Rockingham County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.512, -78.876 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Harrisonburg (C)

When: March 21, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Harrisonburg (C) County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.450, -78.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Augusta

When: March 21, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Augusta County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.165, -79.134 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Staunton (C)

When: March 21, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Staunton (C) County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.149, -79.060 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Waynesboro (C)

When: March 21, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Waynesboro (C) County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.069, -78.889 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Nelson

When: March 21, 8:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Nelson County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 37.787, -78.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Virginia in 2000 Every state in 2000 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, March 2000

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: 5136363, 5136364, 5136365, 5136366, 5136367, 5136368, 5136369, 5136370, 5136371, 5136372, 5136373, 5136374, 5136375, 5136376, 5136377, 5136378, 5136379, 5136380, 5136780.