Hail and Damaging Wind in West Virginia, May 9, 2003

Name: Hail and Damaging Wind in West Virginia, May 9, 2003
Start: 2003-05-09T17:25
End: 2003-05-09T19:45
Location: West Virginia

May 9, 2003 · NWS RLX · 9 events in 5 counties and zones

8 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: $5,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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 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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 9, 5:15 PM EST, 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 9, 5:15 PM EST, 10 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
615 PM EDT FRI MAY 9 2003

*******************************************************************
615 PM EDT FRI MAY 9 2003
UPDATING ZONES TO ADD COUNTIES IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER
322.  WITH DEWPOINTS HAVING CLIMBED INTO THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S
THIS AFTERNOON AND ADDITIONAL AFTERNOON HEATING...CONDITIONS HAVE
BECOME UNSTABLE AND SEVERE STORMS ARE A POSSIBILITY THROUGH THE
EVENING HOURS.

.RLX...
WV...FLOOD WATCH FOR SATURDAY FOR ZONES
WVZ009>011...WVZ019>020...WVZ029>032...WVZ039>040...WVZ047.

VA...NONE.
KY...NONE.
OH...FLOOD WATCH FOR SATURDAY FOR ZONES OHZ066>067...OHZ075>076.

.END/ESS
*******************************************************************
335 PM EDT FRI MAY 9 2003

TONIGHT AND SATURDAY...

WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF 1.25 TO 2.00 INCHES ACROSS NORTHERN PARTS OF
AREA WITH 0.77 INCHES OF RAIN IN 36 MINUTES AT HTS.  ACTIVITY
STARTING TO POP ALONG BOUNDARIES LEFT OVER FROM MORNING MCS.
THINKING IS WITH GOOD SURFACE CONVERGENCE AND PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE TO TAP...LINE SHOULD FILL IN ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-64.  FOG
ALSO A GOOD BET IN DEEPER VALLEYS AS WINDS GO LIGHT AND VARIABLE.

SATURDAY 12Z NCEP CHAIN AT A CONSENSUS BRINGING A COMPLEX UP FROM
THE SOUTHWEST FROM MID-MORNING ON.  SO INCREASED POPS TO LIKELY OVER
ALL AREAS.  PWATS REMAIN AROUND 1.8 INCHES AND GIVEN ABUNDANT
MOISTURE AND DEEP VERTICAL MOTION...WILL HOIST A FFA FOR A UNI-EKN
LINE SATURDAY.  3HR FFG VALUES AROUND AN 1.5 AND THAT/S DEFINITELY A
POSSIBILITY AS ATMOSPHERE REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM TODAY.

OPTED FOR WARMER FWC NUMBERS SATURDAY AND UPPED A NUMBERS A BIT
TONIGHT WITH HIGHER SURFACE DEWPOINTS EXPECTED.

SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...
COLD FRONT FINALLY ROTATES THROUGH REGION EARLY SUNDAY AS SURFACE
LOW TRACKS ACROSS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES.  RESIDUAL CLOUDINESS AND
SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL LINGER INTO MONDAY ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHERN
TIER OF COUNTIES.

TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...

BASICALLY DRY TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THOUGH DID ADD SLIGHT
CHANCE SHOWERS IN THE WRAP AROUND UPSLOPE FLOW NORTHERN MOUNTAINS
TUESDAY.  HAVE TEMPERATURES MARGINAL FOR FROST NORTHERN MOUNTAIN
VALLEYS.

MUCH TIMING UNCERTAINTY WITH SYSTEM LATE IN THE WEEK AND ROLLED WITH
LOW CHANCE POPS.  MORE OR LESS ON OR CLOSE TO MOS.

FWM/DB/TRM
********************************************************************
1015 AM EDT FRI MAY 9 2003

WARM FRONT POSITIONED FORM AN ATHENS TO ELKINS LIKE AT THIS TIME
WITH CONVECTION ONGOING OVER NORTHWESTERN AREAS.  LINE WILL CONTINUE
TO PROGRESS 290/25 AND AFFECT NORTHERN CWA...THUS WILL UP POPS TO
LIKELY ACROSS ENTIRE NORTHERN SECTION.

TUFF CALL OVER SOUTHERN PART WHERE TSTMS FIRE WITH GREATEST
INSTABILITY OFF TO THE WEST OVER INDIANA AND WESTERN OHIO.  WORRIED
OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES OVER OHIO WILL CONTINUE TO SAG SOUTHERN AND
INTERACT WITH SW WINDS IN WARM SECTOR.  GIVEN MODERATE INSTABILITY
PRESENT AND HIGH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL MENTION HEAVY RAINFALL AS
PWATS INCREASE TO 1.8 INCHES.  OTHERWISE REST UNCHANGED.

99
********************************************************************
330 AM EDT FRI MAY 9 2003

TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY....

MCS OVER ILLINOIS AND INDIANA WILL CONTINUE TO RIDE ALONG THE WARM
FRONT THIS MORNING.  GFS HAS A PRETTY GOOD HANDLE ON IT AND IT
SHOULD STAY MAINLY NORTH OF CWA. INCREASED POPS TO LIKELY NORTH AND
CHANCE ELSEWHERE...AS PREVIOUS MCS THAT MOVED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
ZONES TENDED TO MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD AND CURRENT MCS LIKELY TO DO THE
SAME. KEPT CHC POPS IN EVERYWHERE AS SYSTEM EXITS. THE WARM FRONT
WILL BE THE FOCUS AGAIN ON SATURDAY AS YET ANOTHER S/W RIDES ALONG
IT.  CURRENT GRID TEMPS IN LINE WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES AND
GUIDANCE.

SATURDAY NIGHT ON...
VERY LITTLE CHANGE TO PREVIOUS FORECAST. MODELS CONTINUE IN GOOD
AGREEMENT ON COLD FRONT COMING ACROSS CWA DURING THE DAY SUNDAY.
WILL KEEP HIGH CHANCE POPS FOR SUNDAY. ONLY OTHER CHANCE FOR
PRECIPITATION WOULD BE IN THE NORTH ON MONDAY WHERE WEAK WRAPAROUND
OCCURS...AND ON THURSDAY AS THE NEXT SYSTEM APPROACHES.
OTHERWISE...HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE WITH TEMPERATURES JUST A
LITTLE BELOW NORMAL.

JS/JV
********************************************************************
937 PM EDT THU MAY 8 2003

FOR UPDATE TONIGHT WILL INCREASE POPS TO LIKELY ACROSS THE SOUTH AS
MCS OVER INDIANA AND WESTERN KENTUCKY SLIDES ESE ALONG THE
APPROACHING WARM FRONT.  18Z GFS SEEMS TO HAVE THE BEST HANDLE ON
THE SYSTEM AND SLIDES IT ACROSS THE REGION AROUND 6Z WHICH TIMING
WISE SEEM TO BE IN THE BALL PARK.  WHILE AT THIS TIME DO NOT EXPECT
ANY THING IN THE WAY OF SEVERE WEATHER...HEAVY DOWNPOURS ACCOMPANIED
BY THUNDER AND LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE.  TO THE NORTH...HAVE
INCREASED POPS SLIGHTLY WEST OF THE OHIO RIVER ACROSS SE OHIO TOWARD
PARKERSBURG AS CONVECTION OVER MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS MOVES EAST
TOWARD SUNRISE.  NEW MAV GUIDANCE SUGGEST LIKELY POPS...BUT THINK
THE BEST CHANCE WILL BE FROM 12Z ONWARD.  ALSO INCREASED CLOUDS
ACROSS THE REGION AS WELL AS ADJUSTED TEMPERATURES DOWN JUST A HAIR
AS DEWPOINTS HAVE NOT YET RESPONDED TO INCREASED SOUTHWEST FLOW
ALOFT.  OTHERWISE...FORECAST UNCHANGED.

********************************************************************

Hazardous weather outlook, May 9, 3:17 PM EST, 2 hours 8 minutes before

KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011-
013>020-024>040-046-047-100217-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
417 PM EDT FRI MAY 9 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEASTERN
OHIO...NORTHEASTERN KENTUCKY...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...AND MOST OF WEST
VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT IN SOUTHEAST
OHIO...NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. LARGE HAIL IS
THE PRIMARY THREAT...POSSIBLY ALONG WITH DAMAGING WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...AS WELL AS ISOLATED FLOODING PROBLEMS...WILL
REMAIN POSSIBLE FROM TIME TO TIME UNTIL SUNDAY. A COLD FRONTAL
PASSAGE ON SUNDAY WILL END THE THREAT OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER.

* FLOOD WATCH FOR SATURDAY OVER PARTS OF SOUTHEASTERN OHIO AND
NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA..SEE WGUS61 KRLX - FFARLX FOR DETAILS *

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 9, 12:51 PM EST, 4 hours 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
151 PM EDT FRI MAY 09 2003

THE FOLLOWING REPORTS ARE UNOFFICIAL AND MAY HAVE BEEN COLLECTED
FROM UNTRAINED SOURCES

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

119 PM     BOOMER                    WV   .50 INCH HAIL
05/09/03   FAYETTE                        EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
                                          104 PM AND 119 PM

123 PM     KIMBERLY                  WV   .50 INCH HAIL
05/09/03   FAYETTE                        EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
                                          108 PM AND 123 PM

137 PM     KIMBERLY                  WV   .50 INCH HAIL
05/09/03   FAYETTE                        EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
                                          122 PM AND 137 PM

Local storm report, May 9, 4:30 PM EST, 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
530 PM EDT FRI MAY 09 2003

THE FOLLOWING REPORTS ARE UNOFFICIAL AND MAY HAVE BEEN COLLECTED
FROM UNTRAINED SOURCES

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

520 PM     JACKSONVILLE              OH   PEA SIZE HAIL
05/09/03   ATHENS                         EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
                                          505 PM AND 520 PM

524 PM     GLOUSTER                  OH   .50 INCH HAIL
05/09/03   ATHENS                         EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
                                          509 PM AND 524 PM

526 PM     JACKSONVILLE              OH   .75 INCH HAIL
05/09/03   ATHENS                         EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
                                          511 PM AND 526 PM

Local storm report, May 9, 4:34 PM EST, 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
534 PM EDT FRI MAY 09 2003

THE FOLLOWING REPORTS ARE UNOFFICIAL AND MAY HAVE BEEN COLLECTED
FROM UNTRAINED SOURCES

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

531 PM     NELSONVILLE               OH   WIND DAMAGE
05/09/03   ATHENS                         EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
                                          516 PM AND 531 PM
                                          LARGE BRANCHES BROKEN.

Local storm report, May 9, 4:39 PM EST, 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
539 PM EDT FRI MAY 09 2003

THE FOLLOWING REPORTS ARE UNOFFICIAL AND MAY HAVE BEEN COLLECTED
FROM UNTRAINED SOURCES

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

533 PM     GLOUSTER                  OH   .75 INCH HAIL
05/09/03   ATHENS                         EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
                                          518 PM AND 533 PM

535 PM     NELSONVILLE               OH   .50 INCH HAIL
05/09/03   ATHENS                         EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
                                          520 PM AND 535 PM

537 PM     NELSONVILLE               OH   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/09/03   ATHENS                         EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
                                          522 PM AND 537 PM

Local storm report, May 9, 4:43 PM EST, 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
543 PM EDT FRI MAY 09 2003

THE FOLLOWING REPORTS ARE UNOFFICIAL AND MAY HAVE BEEN COLLECTED
FROM UNTRAINED SOURCES

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

540 PM     NELSONVILLE               OH   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/09/03   ATHENS                         EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
                                          525 PM AND 540 PM

Local storm report, May 9, 5:09 PM EST, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
609 PM EDT FRI MAY 09 2003

THE FOLLOWING REPORTS ARE UNOFFICIAL AND MAY HAVE BEEN COLLECTED
FROM UNTRAINED SOURCES

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

601 PM     THE PLAINS                OH   .50 INCH HAIL
05/09/03   ATHENS                         EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN
                                          546 PM AND 601 PM

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 106 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:23 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Wood

When: May 9, 5:25 PM EST
Where: Wood County, Washington
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 39.267, -81.667

Hail, Wirt

When: May 9, 5:45 PM EST
Where: Wirt County, Elizabeth
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.067, -81.400

Hail, Wood

When: May 9, 5:50 PM EST
Where: Wood County, Parkersburg
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.267, -81.550

Hail, Wirt

When: May 9, 5:50 PM EST
Where: Wirt County, Palestine
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.033, -81.400

Hail, Calhoun

When: May 9, 6:28 PM EST
Where: Calhoun County, Mt Zion
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 38.867, -81.117

Hail, Calhoun

When: May 9, 6:35 PM EST
Where: Calhoun County, Grantsville
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 38.917, -81.100

Hail, Braxton

When: May 9, 7:15 PM EST
Where: Braxton County, Sutton
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.667, -80.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Webster

When: May 9, 7:41 PM EST
Where: Webster County, Cowen
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.417, -80.550

A roof to a business was damaged.

Hail, Webster

When: May 9, 7:45 PM EST
Where: Webster County, Cowen
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.417, -80.550

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in West Virginia in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in West Virginia, May 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5351440, 5351442, 5351441, 5351443, 5351444, 5351445, 5351446, 5351448, 5351447.