Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front. Several reports were received of significant property damage due to these storms.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front. Several reports were received of significant property damage due to these storms.
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 Jul 5, 10:30 AM EST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1130 AM EDT TUE JUL 5 2005 .SHORT TERM (REST OF TODAY)... H5 VORTICITY MAX CAN BE SEEN ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY ENTERING WEST CENTRAL VA AT 1445Z. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL VA AND CENTRAL MD AHEAD OF OVER THE PAST COUPLE HOURS. VIS SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS AN LARGE AREA OF MOSTLY CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES TO THE WEST OF THE VORTICITY CENTER. THIS AREA OF CLEARING WILL CROSS THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON. UPDATED ZONES TO INDICATE MOSTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...FOLLOWED BY PARTIAL CLEARING. MODIFIED 12Z IAD RAOB REVEALED MODERATE INSTABILITY THIS AFTERNOON WITH APPROXIMATELY 1800 J/KG SB CAPE. 0-6 KM SHEAR APPEARED TO BE WEAK TO MODERATE WITH WEAK DIRECTIONAL SHEAR AND APPROXIMATELY 20 KT OF SPEED SHEAR. MAIN THREAT FOR ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOULD BE DAMAGING WINDS. UPDATED PREVIOUS ZONE PACKAGE TO INCREASE CLOUD COVER EARLY THIS AFTERNOON EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. && .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... (ISSUED 345 AM EDT TUE JUL 5 2005) SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TNGT... CONVECTION LOOKS TO BE MORE WIDESPREAD TODAY AND HV INCLUDED CHC POPS AREAWIDE. WEAK BUT BROAD FORCING EVIDENT ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. PLENTY OF MOISTURE WITH PWATS APCHG 2 IN ACROSS THE AREA. DEEP LYR SHEAR IS WEAK 25 KT OR LESS SUGGESTING THAT CONVECTION SHOULD REMAIN UNORGANIZED AND MAINLY MULTICELL. INSTABILITY WILL BE LIMITED BY INCREASING CLOUDS THRUT THE DAY BOTH FROM THE W AND S. HV BACKED OFF ON MDL TDS AS THEY APPEAR TO BE A FEW DEGREES TOO HIGH BASED ON CURRENT OBSERVATIONS. MDLS WELL INITIALIZED THOUGH GFS PWATS ARE A BIT TOO HIGH IN THE EAST BASED ON 00Z RAOBS. FCST SNDGS SUGGEST THAT MARGINAL INSTABILITY OF 700-1100 J/KG AVAILABLE THIS AFTN WITH SOME LOW LEVEL CURVATURE TO THE HODOGRAPHS. PRIND THAT SUFFICIENT FLOW TO KEEP STORMS MOVING ENOUGH TO KEEP THE HVY RAFL AT BAY DESPITE MOISTURE AVAILABILITY. BEST CHANCES FOR HVY RAFL W AND WELL N OF THE AREA TODAY. LONG TERM...WED AND BEYOND... DID NOT MAKE MANY CHANGES TO THE LONG TERM FORECAST...JUST A FEW TWEAKS TO TEMPS AND POPS. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EXTENDED PORTION OF THE FORECAST...A FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS POSITIONED JUST TO THE WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS BOUNDARY IS PROGGED TO MOVE VERY SLOWLY EAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY...INTO EARLY THURSDAY. HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO BUILD OVER THE CWFA FOR THE LATE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. BOTH THE GFS AND THE ETA HAVE VERY LITTLE PRECIP ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE ON WEDNESDAY. THERE IS SOME SURFACE INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOUNDARY AND SOME MID LEVEL SUPPORT...BUT JET DYNAMICS ARE AT A MINIMUM. PWATS ARE 1.75+ AND DEWPOINTS ARE IN THE LOWER TO MID 60S...SO THE AIRMASS WILL BE JUICY ENOUGH FOR CONVECTION. WILL LEAVE IN THE LOW END CHANCE POPS AND TWEAK ACCORDINGLY WITH FURTHER MODEL RUNS. THE FORECAST INTO THE LATTER PORTION OF THE WEEK...INTO THE EARLY WEEKEND WILL DEPEND HEAVILY ON THE TRACK OF T.D. 3. LATEST GUIDANCE FROM THE HURRICANE CENTER HAS THE REMNANTS OF T.D. 3 OVER NORTHEAST ALABAMA BY LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. THE ETA DOESNT SEEM TO HANDLE THE SYSTEM WELL AT ALL...AND THE GFS IS TOO FAST BRINGING THE SYSTEM NORTHEAST AND UP THE EAST COAST. SO...THE CURRENT FORECAST AGREES WELL WITH THE CURRENT HURRICANE CENTER GUIDANCE...HOWEVER WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST UPDATES. AVIATION...05/0600Z-06/0600Z... WINDOW FOR CONVECTION IS WIDE AND TIMING OF STORMS AT ANY ONE LOCATION DIFFICULT. BEST WINDOW APPEARS TO BE ROUGHLY BETWEEN 17 AND 00Z TODAY BUT WITH ONLY VERY WEAK...BROAD FORCING MECHANISMS AND PLENTY OF MOISTURE...DIFFICULT FCST TO BE SURE. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...SMITH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1133 AM EDT TUE JUL 5 2005 ANZ530>537-DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021- 025>031-036>042-050>057-WVZ048>055-061545- 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- 1133 AM EDT TUE JUL 5 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 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LEVELS WITH DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE MOST LIKELY THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. SMITH
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 133 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:35 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree limb fell on a playground fence in the City of Harrisonburg.
Trees and power lines downed.
In Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville, heavy rain and high winds left downed trees and power lines. There were also several reports of trees downed and funnel cloud sightings on and near the University of Virginia campus. Two cars were also damaged when trees fell on them. General damage estimates, according to local media accounts, were in the thousands. Also, some low-lying areas experienced minor flooding. A business in the city of Charlottesville reported 6 inches of standing water at the building door.
In Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville, heavy rain and high winds left downed trees and power lines. There were also several reports of trees downed and funnel cloud sightings on and near the University of Virginia campus. Two cars were also damaged when trees fell on them. General damage estimates, according to local media accounts, were in the thousands. Also, some low-lying areas experienced minor flooding. A business in the city of Charlottesville reported 6 inches of standing water at the building door.
In Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville, heavy rain and high winds left downed trees and power lines. There were also several reports of trees downed and funnel cloud sightings on and near the University of Virginia campus. Two cars were also damaged when trees fell on them. General damage estimates, according to local media accounts, were in the thousands. Also, some low-lying areas experienced minor flooding. A business in the city of Charlottesville reported 6 inches of standing water near the entrance to the building at the front door.
Broadcast media reported power lines downed.
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, July 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: 5463576, 5463577, 5463574, 5463575, 5463636, 5463578.