Strong Wind in Virginia, February 9 to 10, 2001

Name: Strong Wind in Virginia, February 9 to 10, 2001
Start: 2001-02-09T20:00
End: 2001-02-10T12:00
Location: Virginia

February 9 to 10, 2001 · NWS LWX · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A strong cold front crossed the Mid Atlantic region during the morning of the 10th. Ahead of the front, southwest winds of 15 to 25 MPH gusted to 35 MPH.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: 6

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.

A strong cold front crossed the Mid Atlantic region during the morning of the 10th. Ahead of the front, southwest winds of 15 to 25 MPH gusted to 35 MPH. Behind the front, winds shifted to the northwest at 20 to 30 MPH and gusted up to 50 MPH. A wind gust of 51 MPH was recorded at Washington Reagan National Airport in Arlington County. Across Fairfax County, wind gusts included 44 MPH in Herndon and 40 MPH in Falls Church. Measured wind gusts in Loudoun County included 45 MPH at Dulles International Airport and 44 MPH at Leesburg. Winds gusted to 47 MPH at the Winchester Regional Airport in Frederick County and 43 MPH at New Market in Shenandoah County.

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 Feb 9, 2:59 PM EST, 5 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 9, 2:59 PM EST, 5 hours 1 minute before

RECORD SETTING WARMTH HITS BOTH IAD AND DCA SO FAR TDA...BUT A BIT
OF A SHOCK IN STORE FOR ANYONE THINKING THIS WILL LAST. STRNG CD
FNT..STRNG 850 MB WINDS..AND A LOT OF THAT MIXING DOWN. AS A RESULT
A WIND ADVSRY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE MOUNTAINS FOR TNGT. ETA SHOWS
A PROLONGUED PD OF CAA BEHIND THE FNT ON SAT...SO ADSRY MAY NEED TO
BE EXTENDED AND EXPANDED.

SHWRS EXPECTED WITH THE FNT...BUT OUT OF THE AREA BY SAT MRNG. MAIN
WX FEATURE ON SAT WL BE THE WINDS...ESPECIALLY DURG THE FIRST HALF
OF THE DAY.

HIGH PRES TO SETTLE IN FOR SAT NGT AND SUN. NEXT BEST CHC OF PCPN
APPEARS TO BE ON WED WITH ANOTHER CD FNT.

DCA   46  50  26  42 /  50  20   0  10
BWI   45  49  24  41 /  50  20   0  10
MRB   42  46  22  40 /  50  10   0  10
IAD   45  49  22  41 /  50  20   0  10
CHO   45  50  22  41 /  50  20   0  10
HGR   42  46  22  40 /  50  10   0  10
NHK   48  51  22  41 /  50  20   0  10

.LWX...
DC...NONEn.
MD...WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONE MDZ002.

VA...WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONE VAZ021.

WV...WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES WVZ048>050...WVZ054>055.

SMALL CRAFT ADVSRY UPPER CHES BAY AND PTMC.

WOODY!

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Shenandoah

When: February 9, 8:00 PM EST to February 10, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Shenandoah forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 38.858, -78.571 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Frederick / Winchester

When: February 9, 8:00 PM EST to February 10, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Frederick / Winchester forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 39.195, -78.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Clarke

When: February 9, 8:00 PM EST to February 10, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Clarke forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 39.112, -77.997 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Loudoun

When: February 9, 8:00 PM EST to February 10, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Loudoun forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind, Fairfax

When: February 9, 8:00 PM EST to February 10, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Fairfax forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 38.841, -77.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Arlington / Alexandria / Falls Church

When: February 9, 8:00 PM EST to February 10, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Arlington / Alexandria / Falls Church forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 38.855, -77.106 (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

Every storm in Virginia in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, February 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: 5233524, 5233525, 5233526, 5233527, 5233528, 5233529.