A frontal boundary was stalled across the mid-Atlantic, and interacted with the moist and unstable airmass already in place. Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon due to the heating of the surface of the Earth.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
A frontal boundary was stalled across the mid-Atlantic, and interacted with the moist and unstable airmass already in place. Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon due to the heating of the surface of the Earth. A few of these thunderstorms reached severe limits. In addition, some flooding conditions also occurred due to the heavy rainfall associated with the thunderstorms.
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 6, 1:45 PM EST, 3 hours 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 245 PM EDT SAT AUG 6 2005 .SHORT TERM... DIURNAL TSRA HV BUBBLED...LARGELY OVR HIER TRRN IN THE W/SW. AM MORE CONCERNED TWD THE H8 FRNT...DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BNDRYS...AND BAY BRZ INTERACTIONS AS PRIMARY INITIATION MODES TAFTN/EVE. SFC FLOW WL BE WEAKLY CONVERGENT. SFC DEWPTS HV BEEN DROPPING OWING MORE TO MIXING OF COLUMN THAN A CAA REGIME...SO WUD XPCT MESOSCALE MSTR POOLING TO OCCUR. MDL GDNC SUGGESTS ACTVTY ONGOING OVNGT. MINIMAL B+ WL EXIST ABV A SFC CAP. HVG TRBL BUYING INTO QPF AMTS AFTR LOOKING AT MDL SNDGS. WL GO DRY AFT 06Z IN THE N...DUE TO LWR PWATS...AND SCHC ELSW. SUFFICIENT MSTR IN COLUMN TO KEEP A GOOD DEAL OF CLDCVR ARND THRU NGT...THO IT/LL BE MOSTLY DEBRIS STUFF LATE. AS SFC BNDRY DSPTS VA/NC BRDR TMRW...RTN FLOW WL SET UP...ALLWG MORE MSTR TO ADVC NWD. ALSO...SHEARED VORT AXIS WL STAGGER EWD. COMBINE THAT W/ ALL THE FACTORS AVBL FOR CNVCTN ATTM...AND APPRS TO BE A GOOD CHC FOR ADDTL TSRA TMRW. WL PLACE BEST POPS NW...CLOSEST TO S/WV FORCING. MOS TEMP GDNC CLOSE...AND BLEND TAKEN. && .AVIATION...TAFS CARRYING VCTS ATTM. LIKELY IFR CONDS W/IN STORMS... BUT CVRG PRECLUDES SPECIFIC MNTN. WL TAKE A WAIT AND SEE APPCH...AND AMD IF/WHEN THEY ROAM OUT OF THE MTNS. THRAFTR...MOSTLY VFR THRU 18Z...XPCT FOR A PD OF MVFR IN PREDAWN BR. && .MARINE...LGT FLOW NXT CPL OF DAYS. WL TAKE A SLY FETCH TNGT...AND MAY LCLLY CHANNEL UP THE BAY. HWVR...WELL BLO SCA LVLS. && .LONG TERM (SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY)... OBSERVATIONS...500MB HEIGHT/ANOMALY PATTERN DURING THE PAST 5 DAYS SHOWS THAT THE MEAN FLOW ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER HAS ALTERED FROM A PERIODIC RIDGE-TROUGH PATTERN TO ZONAL FLOW. THIS OCCURS AS A TROUGH-RIDGE BEGIN TO AMPLIFY ACROSS THE CENTRAL PACIFIC. WATER VAPOR LOOP SHOWS A NEARLY STATIONARY SHEAR ZONE FROM NEW ENGLAND INTO THE LOWER GREAT LAKES IS MAKING A SOUTHERLY PUSH ACROSS THE PLAINS. A WEAK UPPER LOW RESIDES ACROSS THE CENTRAL GULF STATES. 12Z SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACES A COLD/STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM THE LOWER DELMARVA WEST THROUGH THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS...THEN SOUTHWEST INTO THE PLAINS. A 1024MB ANTICYCLONE DOMINATES THE MIDWEST AND GREAT LAKES REGIONS. MODELS...THE 12Z NAM/GFS/CANADIAN ALONG WITH THE 00Z EUROPEAN/UKMET WERE INSPECTED. MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT INTO THE MEDIUM RANGE WITH A DISSOLVING UPPER LOW ADVANCING INTO THE REGION EARLY NEXT WEEK...AS THE UPPER LEVEL SHEAR AXIS SETTLES SOUTHEAST INTO THE AREA AS WELL. MODELS DIVERGE INTO TWO SOLUTIONS FOR THE EXTENDED HOWEVER. 12Z CANADIAN IS ON THE SAME PAGE AS THE 00Z UKMET BUILDING A LARGE SCALE DEEP TROUGH SOUTH INTO THE GREAT LAKES LATE DURING THE WORK WEEK. THE 12Z GFS HAS COME INTO LINE WITH THE 00Z EUROPEAN WHICH SHOWS A LARGE SCALE RIDGE DEVELOPING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST CONUS DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. ENSEMBLES...MAJORITY OF THE 00Z GFS 500MB HEIGHT MEMBERS INDICATE THAT THE GULF STATES UPPER LOW IS ABSORBED NORTHEAST EARLY NEXT WEEK...WHILE THE SHEAR AXIS NOW LOCATED ACROSS THE CENTRAL CONUS MOVES ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC DURING THE MID WEEK...AND EXITS AROUND THURSDAY. NO OTHER SYNOPTIC SCALE FEATURES ARE SHOWN TO AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST CYCLE AS THE MEAN FLOW REMAINS ACROSS THE CANADIAN BORDER. 00Z GFS ENSEMBLE MOS MEAN HIGH TEMPERATURES INDICATE A WARMING TREND INTO THE UPPER 80S BY THE END OF THE WORK WEEK. MEAN POPS FALL BELOW THE CHANCE CATEGORY THURSDAY. FORECAST RATIONALE...MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT INTO THE MEDIUM RANGE. APPEARS THE STAGNANT UPPER LEVEL SHEAR AXIS WILL HOLD THE SURFACE BOUNDARY IN THE LOWER MID ATLANTIC...ALLOWING DEEP MOISTURE TO QUICKLY RETURN NORTHWARD AS AN UPPER LOW DISSOLVES AS IT IS ABSORBED NORTHEAST INTO THE AREA EARLY IN THE WEEK. EXPECTING TO SEE PLENTY OF CLOUDS ALONG WITH PERIODS OF SCATTERED TO CLUSTERED THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS WEAKENING UPPER LOW AND APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL SHEAR AXIS APPLY FORCING TO A MOIST AND UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT. GFS/UKMET/CANADIAN/EUROPEAN MODELS DIVERGE WITH REGARD TO THE LARGE SCALE SYNOPTIC PATTERN EVOLUTION DURING THE EXTENDED...WITH TWO MODELS FAVORING A DEEPENING TROUGH SOUTH ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES...AND TWO OTHER SUPPORTING A STRONG RIDGE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST CONUS. THIS FORECAST FAVORS THE EUROPEAN/GFS SOUTHEAST CONUS RIDGE SOLUTION. THE EUROPEAN IS TYPICALLY A FAVORED MODEL DURING PATTERN CHANGES...WITH THE 12Z GFS TRENDING MUCH CLOSER TO THE 00Z EUROPEAN SOLUTION. ALSO...WITH AMPLIFYING UPSTREAM WITHIN THE MEAN FLOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL PACIFIC...A BLOCKING PATTERN WILL LIKELY EMERGE LATE NEXT WEEK ACROSS THE CONUS. RETROGRATION IS FAVORED IN BLOCKING PATTERNS...WHICH COULD CONCEIVABLY ALLOW THE ATLANTIC RIDGE TO BUILD WESTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST CONUS. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE WELL INTO THE 90S LATE IN THE FORECAST CYCLE SHOULD THE GFS/EUROPEAN SOLUTION VERIFY. FOR NOW...KEPT TEMPERATURES NEAR 89 DEGREES AS THE CANADIAN/UKMET SOLUTION WOULD BE MUCH COOLER FOR THE REGION. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION/MARINE FORECASTER: HTS LONG TERM FORECASTER: ROGOWSKI
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1125 AM EDT SAT AUG 6 2005 ANZ530>537-DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021- 025>031-036>042-050>057-WVZ048>055-070900- CHESAPEAKE BAY NORTH OF POOLES ISLAND MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM POOLES ISLAND TO SANDY POINT MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO NORTH BEACH MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NORTH BEACH TO DRUM POINT MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM DRUM POINT MD TO SMITH POINT VA- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM KEY BRIDGE TO INDIAN HEAD MD- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM INDIAN HEAD TO COBB ISLAND MD- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND MD TO SMITH POINT VA- DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-ALLEGANY-WASHINGTON-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL- NORTHERN BALTIMORE-HARFORD-MONTGOMERY-HOWARD-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE- PRINCE GEORGES-ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-ST. MARYS-CALVERT-HIGHLAND- AUGUSTA-ROCKINGHAM-SHENANDOAH-FREDERICK VA-PAGE-WARREN-CLARKE- NELSON-ALBEMARLE-GREENE-MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-FAUQUIER-LOUDOUN- ORANGE-CULPEPER-PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX- ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-SPOTSYLVANIA- KING GEORGE-GRANT-MINERAL-HAMPSHIRE-MORGAN-BERKELEY-JEFFERSON- PENDLETON-HARDY- 1125 AM EDT SAT AUG 6 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MARYLAND WEST OF THE EASTERN SHORE INCLUDING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND EAST OF GARRETT COUNTY...EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA...NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA... WASHINGTON DC AND THE TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. HTS
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 125 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:33 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees down along Route 29 in the north portion of the county.
Dime sized hail was reported in Albemarle County.
US Route 250 was closed for a short period of time due to standing water.
Trees down on Park Street.
Trees down across road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, August 2005
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: 5469513, 5469516, 5469515, 5469512, 5469514.