Extreme Cold in Virginia, April 19, 2001

Name: Extreme Cold in Virginia, April 19, 2001
Start: 2001-04-19T02:00
End: 2001-04-19T06:00
Location: Virginia

April 19, 2001 · NWS LWX · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

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: 22

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.

High pressure over the Mid-Atlantic region created calm winds and clear skies during the early morning hours of the 19th. These conditions in combination with a chilly airmass in place allowed temperatures to plummet into the mid 20s to lower 30s between 3 and 7 AM EDT. The resulted in a hard freeze which unfortunately was preceded by unseasonably warm weather which had caused many plants to bloom early. Farmers with budding peach and apple crops and homeowners and nurseries with outdoor vegetation in bloom reported losses.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 18, 8:07 PM EST, 5 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 18, 8:07 PM EST, 5 hours 53 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
907 PM EDT WED APR 18 2001

DEEP COLD TROUGH OVR THE ERN U.S. WILL MOVE OFFSHR DURING THE NEXT
24 HRS TO BE REPLACED WITH RISING HEIGHTS...AND EVENTUALLY A RIDGE
OVR THE ERN U.S.  THIS WILL RESULT IN A MODERATION OF TEMPS OVR THE
NEXT FEW DAYS.

HAD QUITE A BIT OF INSTABILITY CU/SC AROUND UP UNTIL SUNSET AND WE
EVEN HAD ISOLD BRIEF SHRA/SHSN AROUND...BUT WITH LOSS OF SFC
HEATING...ALL OF THAT IS RAPIDLY DISSIPATING. SCT/BKN CLOUDINESS
BANKED UP ON THE FAR WRN RIDGES SHUD ALSO DISSIPATE NEXT HOUR OR SO
AS CYCLONIC NW FLOW WEAKENS AS TROUGH CONTINUES TO MOVE EWD. WILL
CALL IT M/CLR ALL AREAS OVRNGT.

AXIS OF SFC HIGH REMAINS JUST TO OUR W BY 12Z SO THERE WILL CONTINUE
TO BE A LIGHT GRADIENT WIND OVRNGT IN THE BOUNDARY LYR ESP IN ERN
AREAS WHICH WILL BE FURTHEST AWAY FROM THE SFC RIDGE AXIS.
HOWEVER...EXPECT GRADIENT WIND TO BE LGT ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE
ATMOSPHERE TO COMPLETELY DECOUPLE OVRNGT IN THE LOW SPOTS WITH WINDS
BECOMING LGT ELSEWHERE. (WIND ALREADY DOWN TO 4KTS AT 01Z AT IAD).
THIS DECOUPLING ALG WITH M/CLR SKIES WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO REACH FCSTD
VALUES. 00Z TEMPS ARE RIGHT ON TARGET WITH NGM MOS FCST FOR 00Z.
FREEZE WARNING APPEARS ON TRACK. WILL LEAVE TEMPS AS IS EXCEPT I
WILL SPLIT OUT DC AND BAL TO REFLECT SLIGHTLY HIER TEMPS IN THE
CITIES.

AXIS OF SFC HIGH OVRHD ON THU AND ALL THE MODELS INDICATE A DRY AIR
MASS TOP TO BOTTOM WITH SUBSIDENCE. THERE MAY BE A FEW CU OR A FEW
CI AROUND BUT SUNNY FCST SHOULD WORK FINE.

AXIS OF SFC HIGH MOVES TO OUR E THU NGT AND WAA BEGINS. MODELS
INDICATING SOME MID AND HIGH LVL CLOUDINESS MOVING INTO THE AREA
ASSOCD WITH THE WAA. INCREASE IN CLOUDS...WAA AND S FLOW DVLPG WILL
KEEP TEMPS MUCH HIER THAN THEY WILL BE TNGT.

SHORTWAVE RIDES OVR THE DEVELOPING ERN U.S. RDG FRI WITH MOST OF THE
SHORTWAVE PASSING JUST TO OUR N. BEST UVVS/ISENTROPIC LIFT REMAIN
JUST N OF OUR AREA BUT IT APPEARS SOME OF IT WILL GRAZE OUR NRN ZNS.
CHC POPS LOOK APPROPRIATE BUT LATER SHIFTS MAY HAVE ADJUST THEM A
BIT TO PLACE HIEST POPS NRN ZNS AND LOWEST POPS SRN ZNS.

UPR LVL RIDGE CONTINUES TO DVLP OVR THE ERN U.S. OVR THE WEEKEND.
THIS WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO CONTINUE TO WARM. WITH ENERGY REMAINING
WELL N OF THE AREA AND RDG IN CONTROL...LOOKS LIKE A DRY WEEKEND.

FCSTID = 15 / DMW

DCA   33  61  43  67 /   0   0  10  30
BWI   30  60  42  67 /   0   0  10  30
MRB   27  60  37  69 /   5   0  20  40
IAD   27  60  37  69 /   5   0  10  40
CHO   28  62  42  68 /   0   0  10  30
HGR   26  58  35  66 /   5   0  20  40
NHK   32  59  42  68 /   0   0  10  30

.LWX...
DC...FREEZE WARNING FOR TONIGHT FOR DCZ001.
MD...FREEZE WARNING FOR TONIGHT FOR MDZ011...MDZ013>014...
     MDZ016>018... MDZ002>003...MDZ004>007...MDZ009>010.
VA...FREEZE WARNING FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES VAZ054...VAZ057...
     VAZ021...VAZ025>031...VAZ036>042...VAZ050>053...VAZ055>056.
WV...FREEZE WARNING FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES WVZ048>055.
MARINE...NONE.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

22 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Frederick / Winchester

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Frederick / Winchester forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.195, -78.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Clarke

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Clarke forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.112, -77.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Loudoun

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Loudoun forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Fairfax

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Fairfax forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.841, -77.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Prince William / Manassas

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Prince William / Manassas forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Fauquier

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Fauquier forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Warren

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.909, -78.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Shenandoah

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Shenandoah forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.858, -78.571 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Page

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Page forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.620, -78.484 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Rappahannock

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Rappahannock forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.685, -78.159 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Culpeper

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Culpeper forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.486, -77.956 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Stafford

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Stafford forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.421, -77.457 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, King George

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: King George forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.274, -77.156 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Spotsylvania / Fredericksburg

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Spotsylvania / Fredericksburg forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.244, -77.558 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Orange

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Orange forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.246, -78.013 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Madison

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.414, -78.279 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Greene

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.298, -78.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Rockingham / Harrisonburg

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Rockingham / Harrisonburg forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.481, -78.872 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Highland

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Highland forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Augusta / Staunton / Waynesborro

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Augusta / Staunton / Waynesborro forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.109, -78.974 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Albemarle / Charlotttesville

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Albemarle / Charlotttesville forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.029, -78.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Nelson

When: April 19, 2:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Nelson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 37.787, -78.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill: Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Virginia in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, April 2001

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: 5240041, 5240042, 5240043, 5240044, 5240045, 5240046, 5240047, 5240048, 5240049, 5240050, 5240051, 5240052, 5240053, 5240054, 5240055, 5240056, 5240057, 5240058, 5240059, 5240060, 5240061, 5240062.