North Carolina, 2003

High Wind in North Carolina, November 13 to 14, 2003

November 13 to 14, 2003 · NWS RNK · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A non-thunderstorm high wind event occurred during the 13th and into the early morning hours on the 14th. High winds knocked down large trees along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Alleghany County, toppled numerous trees 4 miles north of Jefferson in Ashe County, and knocked down a few trees 5 miles north of Dobson.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 RNK wrote it up.

A non-thunderstorm high wind event occurred during the 13th and into the early morning hours on the 14th. High winds knocked down large trees along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Alleghany County, toppled numerous trees 4 miles north of Jefferson in Ashe County, and knocked down a few trees 5 miles north of Dobson.

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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 13, 3:08 AM EST, 1 hour 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 13, 3:08 AM EST, 1 hour 54 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 13, 4:50 AM EST, 12 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Watauga

When
November 13, 5:02 AM EST
Where
Watauga forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
36.231, -81.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Ashe

When
November 13, 7:00 AM EST to 8:00 AM EST
Where
Ashe forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.434, -81.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Alleghany

When
November 13, 5:00 PM EST to November 14, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Alleghany forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
36.491, -81.127 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, November 2003

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5328790, 5328791, 5328789.