Thunderstorms with high winds, hail, and frequent lightning moved through the northern half of Virginia during the afternoon and evening of the 27th. In Shenandoah County, numerous trees were downed in Strasburg and Toms Brook.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.
Thunderstorms with high winds, hail, and frequent lightning moved through the northern half of Virginia during the afternoon and evening of the 27th. In Shenandoah County, numerous trees were downed in Strasburg and Toms Brook. Pea sized hail was also reported. In Page County, a tree was downed onto a car in Shenandoah. In Warren County, a tree was downed onto a house in Front Royal. In Culpeper County, a few trees were downed in Jeffersonton and Rixeyville. In Orange County, penny sized hail fell just north of Orange. In Fredericksburg, the attic of a home on Weedon Street caught fire after being struck by lightning. Scattered trees were felled onto parked cars and at least one house. In Prince William County, a tree was downed onto Route 1 at Cardinal Drive in Newport. In Fauquier County, numerous trees were downed. Pea sized hail was reported in Orlean. In Loudoun County, a downburst of wind estimated up to 70 MPH downed several power poles and trees in the Cascades section of Sterling. This area had been hit by 2 previous storms the day before and residents were still cleaning up the damage when this storm struck. So many people were without power and unable to reach their homes after the storm that a shelter was set up nearby. Tree damage and penny sized hail was reported in the nearby Westerley neighborhood. Pea sized hail fell in Ashburn. A tree was also downed in Middleburg. In Fairfax County, a few trees were downed across the county, including one which fell on a road in Great Falls. A wind gust of 49 MPH was recorded at Ft. Belvoir. Pea sized hail fell in Vienna. A home on Herndon Parkway in Herndon caught fire after being struck by lightning. In Arlington County, a wind gust of 47 MPH was recorded at Washington Reagan National Airport. A tree was downed onto Route 123 at Spout Run.
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 Aug 27, 2:00 PM EST, 2 hours 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 300 PM EDT WED AUG 27 2003 ...SHORT TERM (TNGT AND THU)... BUSY SHIFT TODAY WITH MONITORING STORMS THIS MORNING...THEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SATL IMAGRY SHOWS IMPRESSIVE SVR STORM COMPLEX OVER ERN-CNTRL OH...WITH LATEST REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...2.75 IN... COMING FROM EASTERN OH. THIS SVR COMPLEX IS HEADING EAST AND WHILE THERE IS SOME QUESTION ON WHETHER IT WILL HOLD TOGETHER...THE AIRMASS REMAINS UNSTABLE OVER ERN OH/WRN PA/NRN WV...WHICH SHOULD SERVE AS A BREEDING GROUND FOR NEW THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. HAVE ISSUED AN SPS REGARDING THIS. THE WEATHER OVER THE CWA IS LIKE A TALE OF TWO CITIES. EARLIER CONVECTIVE FROM THIS MORNING HAS STABLIZED THE AIRMASS ACROSS ABOUT THE NRN HALF OF THE CWA WITH READINGS IN THE 70S/L80S...WHILE THE SRN PORTION REMAINS VERY WARM...LOWER 90S...AND MOIST. MID-LEVEL CLD DEBRIS HAS SET UP A WEAK DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BOUNDARY AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT CANNOT BE RULED OUT. FOR THAT REASON AND THE PRESENCE OF THE ERN OH STORM COMPLEX...AND AFTER COORDN WITH SPC...WILL LET WATCH STAND UNTIL 4 PM. HOWEVER...COULD ENVISION ANOTHER SVR BOX FOR THE MID-ATLC LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING. FOR TONIGHT...BEST POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION WOULD BE EARLY ...BEFORE MIDNIGHT...FOR WRN/SWRN PORTION OF CWA. WL KEEP SLGT CHC TRW UNTIL ABOUT 05Z FOR THOSE AREAS. OTHERWISE...WL GO DRY FOR TONIGHT WITH NOT MUCH CHANGE FROM PRVS PACKAGE...OTHER THAN SKY COVER AND TEMPS. FOR THU...FRONT SHOULD BE THROUGH MOS OF THE CWA BY 12Z BUT THEN STALL ACROSS THE SRN THIRD OF THE CWA. THEN THROUGH THE DAY ON THU...NCEP GUIDNANCE FROM GFS/ETA SUGGEST SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT BACK TO THE NORTH AS A WEAK WARM FRONT. IN FACT...MDL 85H FIELDS SHOW THETA-E RIDGE JUST NORTH OF THE SFC FNT PSN THAT COULD ALLOW FOR AFTN CONVECTION TO RE-FIRE ON THU AFTER 18Z. OTHER THAN THE WEAK WARM FNT...IT WILL BE HARD TO PINPOINT WHERE CONVECTION WILL FIRE ON THU...AND UPPER SUPPORT NOT QUITE AS GOOD AS LAST FEW DAYS. SO WL GO SLGT CHANCE FOR POPS ON THU AFTN. NE PORTION OF CWA MIGHT REMAIN N OF FNT ALL DAY...AND HENCE HAVE THE LEAST CHC OF PCPN ON THU UNDER NE FLOW. SMZ .LONG TERM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY... LONG HOLIDAY WEEKEND WILL BE RIDDLE WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE PERIOD AND THE ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. DIGGING TROUGH OVER THE PLAINS ON FRIDAY WILL GRADUALLY MOVE EAST WITH TIME. THE PROGRESSION OF THE TROUGH AND THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL BE SLOW AS THE TROUGH ENCOUNTERS THE H5 RIDGE CENTERED OFF THE EAST COAST. BOUNDARY SLATED TO ENTER THE NORTHWEST ZONES ON SATURDAY AND CONTINUE A SLOW TREK SOUTHWARD SUNDAY...BOUNDARY THEN LIFTS BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT AS RIDGE EXPANDS SOUTHWEST. THEN FRONT STARTS TO SAG SOUTH AGAIN MONDAY AND TUESDAY. BY WEDNESDAY MOST OF THE ENERGY WILL BE EAST OF THE AREA...BUT MOISTURE WILL STILL BE PLENTIFUL. WILL KEEP A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MOST OF THE EXTENDED...EXPECT SLIGHT CHANCE THURSDAY NIGHT AND LATE WEDNESDAY. AIRMASS NEVER REALLY DRIES OUT...AT TIMES PWATS ARE SLATED TO BE OVER 2. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED HYDRO ISSUES MAY ARISE LATER. .LWX... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...NONE.
DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021-025>031-036>042- 050>057-WVZ048>055-281000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1130 AM EDT WED AUG 27 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MARYLAND WEST OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND EAST OF GARRETT COUNTY...THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA...NORTHERN VIRGINIA...THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL SHENANDOAH VALLEY...AND THE EASTERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA. THE ATMOSPHERE IS MOIST AND VERY UNSTABLE...WITH VERY STRONG WINDS ALOFT. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON...PRODUCING STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ACROSS THE AREA. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON.
DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021-025>031-036>042- 050>057-WVZ048>055-272130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 245 PM EDT WED AUG 27 2003 ...STATUS OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 900... LATEST INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE MUCH OF THE AIRMASS OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION...PARTICULARLY OVER NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN MARYLAND...HAS STABILIZED AND HENCE IS LESS CONDUCIVE TO THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER...OVER PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA AS WELL AS LOWER SOUTHERN MARYLAND...THE AIRMASS REMAINS UNSTABLE AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE A POSSIBILITY THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FURTHER WEST...THE AIRMASS IS UNSTABLE AND CONDUCIVE TO THUNDERSTORM FORMATION OVER EASTERN OHIO AND NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. AT 2:45 PM A COMPLEX OF SEVERE STORMS WAS LOCATED OVER SOUTHEAST OHIO AND IS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 30 MPH. THIS COMPLEX...IF IT HOLDS TOGETHER...COULD AFFECT AREAS OF WESTERN MARYLAND AND THE EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE AFTER 4:00 PM AND PERHAPS REACH THE DC METRO AREA SOMETIME BETWEEN 5:00 AND 7:00 PM. IT APPEARS THE AREAS WITH THE BEST POTENTIAL TO EXPERIENCE SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON ARE AREAS TO THE SOUTH OF WINCHESTER... MANASSAS AND ANNAPOLIS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/ER/LWX LR/SMZ
WVZ050-272115- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 428 PM EDT WED AUG 27 2003 AT 428 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES WEST OF SPRINGFIELD...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF ROMNEY WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM THROUGH 515 PM EDT. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. LFR
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
502 PM EDT WED AUG 27 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0418 PM PIEDMONT WV WIND DAMAGE
08/27/03 MINERAL POWERLINES DOWN.MDZ002-003-WVZ051-272145- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 510 PM EDT WED AUG 27 2003 AT 510 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF GREEN RIDGE...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF BERKELEY SPGS WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM THROUGH 545 PM EDT. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. SMZ
VAZ027-272145- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 529 PM EDT WED AUG 27 2003 AT 527 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF TOMS BROOK...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF STRASBURG AND WOODSTOCK WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM THROUGH 545 PM EDT. THIS STORM IS SHOWING SIGNS OF RAPID DEVELOPMENT AND IS BEING MONITORED FOR SEVERE POTENTIAL. RESIDENTS IN NORTHERN SHENANDOAH COUNTY SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10:00 PM THIS EVENING. LFR/SMZ
WVZ052-272215- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 531 PM EDT WED AUG 27 2003 AT 531 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER GLENGARY...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF INWOOD AND MARTINSBURG WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM THROUGH 615 PM EDT. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. ROSA
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:56 UTC.
11 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were downed in Strasburg and Toms Brook.
A tree was downed onto a house.
A tree was downed onto a car.
Numerous trees were downed.
A downburst of wind estimated up to 70 MPH downed several trees and power lines in the Cascades area.
Penny sized hail fell.
A home caught fire after being struck by lightning.
A few trees were downed.
A few trees were downed.
A tree was downed.
A tree was downed onto Route 123 at Spout Run. The time was estimated.
A tree was downed onto Route 1 near Cardinal Drive.
A home caught fire after being struck by lightning.
Penny sized hail fell.
Trees were downed onto parked cars and a house. The time was estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, August 2003
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: 5371159, 5371160, 5371161, 5371162, 5371163, 5371164, 5371167, 5371269, 5371165, 5371166, 5371270, 5371271, 5371272, 5371336, 5371273.