High Wind in North Carolina, April 3, 2006

Name: High Wind in North Carolina, April 3, 2006
Start: 2006-04-03T21:03
End: 2006-04-03T23:40
Location: North Carolina

April 3, 2006 · NWS RNK · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Non-convective high winds developed in the wake of an exiting cold front across the higher terrain of northwest North Carolina the evening of the 3rd. Gusts of 60 mph to near 70 mph were measured.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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.

Non-convective high winds developed in the wake of an exiting cold front across the higher terrain of northwest North Carolina the evening of the 3rd. Gusts of 60 mph to near 70 mph were measured.

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 Apr 3, 8:23 PM EST, 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 8:23 PM EST, 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
923 PM EDT MON APR 3 2006

.SHORT TERM /REST OF TONIGHT/...

COLDER AIR PLOWING ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING SUPPORTED BY
STRONG PRESSURE RISES AND WESTERLY WINDS. STILL A FEW -SHRA
LINGERING OVER THE WEST OTHERWISE WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR DEEPER COLDER
AIR TO ARRIVE FOR WESTERN SLOPE SNOW SHOWERS LATER. HOWEVER MODELS
SHOW MOISTURE QUITE SHALLOW WHEN COLD ENOUGH AIR GETS IN PLACE SO
EXPECT -SHSN COVERAGE LIMITED UNTIL LATE OR INTO TUESDAY. BIGGER
CONCERN WITH WINDS GIVEN BEST 85H JET SET TO ARRIVE AFTER MIDNIGHT
AHEAD OF NEXT S/W DIGGING IN FROM THE NW BY MORNING. WITH THE NW
NC RIDGES ALREADY AT ADVISORY SPEEDS...COULD SEE SOME RIDGETOPS
CLIP 60-65 MPH IN THE PRE-DAWN HOURS WHEN BETTER PUNCH OF COLD
AIR ALOFT ARRIVES. THUS WILL UP WINDS A BIT BUT NOT EXTEND GOING
NPW TO ANY OTHER ZONES AT THIS POINT. OTHERWISE ONLY SMALL CHANGES
EXPECTED TO GOING POPS WITH RANGE FROM LITTLE CHANCE OUT EAST IN
DOWNSLOPE TO LOW LIKELYS NW PENDING -SHSN DEVELOPMENT OVERNIGHT.
MAY RAISE LOW TEMPS JUST A BIT OUT EAST WHERE MIXING LIKELY TO
HOLD VALUES UP A LITTLE.
&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...
 (ISSUED 744 PM EDT MON APR 3 2006)

AVIATION...

COLD FRONT HAS MOVED THROUGH MOST OF THE AREA AND WILL MOVE ACROSS
THE DANVILLE AND LYNCBURG AREAS SHORTLY. WINDS HAVE INCREASED AT
BLF/ROA/LWB AND EXPECT GUSTY WINDS TO SET IN AT LYH AND DAN BY 03-
04Z. VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE PREVALENT EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS...BUT
LOWER CLOUDS ALONG WITH A FEW RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS ARE GOING TO
AFFECT SOUTHEAST WV THIS EVENING THROUGH ABOUT DAWN. OVERALL
EXPECT NO WORSE THAN LOW MVFR AT BLF/LWB...BUT HIGHER TERRAIN WEST
OF LWB WILL SEE LOWER CIGS AND VSBYS IN SHSN AFTER 04Z. DRIER AIR
WILL SCOUR OUT THE LOW CLDS IN SE WV AROUND 12-14Z TUESDAY. WINDS
FROM THE WEST-WNW WILL CONTINUE TO GUST EVERYWHERE TOMORROW.

PREV DISCUSSION...
 (ISSUED 653 PM EDT MON APR 3 2006)

SHORT TERM /REST OF TONIGHT/...

THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED TO THE EAST. TORNADO WATCH
HAS BEEN CANCELED AND SEVERE THREAT NO LONGER EXIST. UPDATE WILL
ALSO INCLUDED LOWERING POPS...ESPECIALLY IN THE EAST THIS EVENING.

PREV DISCUSSION...
 (ISSUED 422 PM EDT MON APR 3 2006)

SHORT TERM /THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING/...

UPDATING ZONES FOR TORNADO WATCH.

PREV DISCUSSION...
 (ISSUED 345 PM EDT MON APR 3 2006)

SHORT TERM /TONIGHT/...

SINCE THE FORECAST TONIGHT BEGINS AT 6:00 PM...WE WILL BE DEALING
WITH ONGOING CONVECTION IN THE FORECAST AREA. THINKING THAT AT THAT
POINT MOST OF IT WILL BE IN THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT...SO I KEPT
LIKELY POPS OUT THAT WAY THROUGH 8:00 PM WITH CHANCE FURTHER WEST.
AFTER 8:00 PM I EXPECT THE COLD FRONT TO BE EAST OF THE FORECAST
AREA...SO I BACKED POPS OFF THE LOW CHANCE FOR LINGERING SHOWERS IN
THE PIEDMONT AND BROUGHT IN UPSLOPE NORTHWEST FLOW SHOWERS IN THE
MOUNTAINS. LOOKS LIKE TEMPS WILL BE COOLING QUICKLY OVERNIGHT...BUT
THE MOISTURE ALSO GETS SHALLOW QUICKLY WHICH SHOULD LIMIT ANY
POSSIBLE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. IN ADDITION...THE GROUND WILL BE QUITE
WARM...SO I HAVE PUT A HALF AN INCH TO AN INCH DEPENDANT ON
ELEVATION FOR MOST UPSLOPE AREAS...WITH AROUND 2 INCHES IN WESTERN
GREENBRIER COUNTY. THE NAM IS STILL SHOWING 6 HR PRESSURE RISES THRU
03Z OF AROUND 8 MBS IN THE MTNS. 850 MB WINDS ARE PROGGED TO BE 50
TO 60 KNOTS...BUFKIT SOUNDINGS SHOW THE LOW LEVEL INVERSION AROUND
4000 FEET...SO WE WILL BE ISSUING A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE HIGH
ELEVATIONS AREAS WHICH INCLUDE GRAYSON...ASHE AND WATAUGA COUNTIES
EXPECTING WIND GUSTS IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF AROUND 60 MPH. WILL
ALSO MAINTAIN WIND ADVISORY FOR COUNTIES ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE OF
NC/VA WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH BY
SUNRISE. WINDS SHOULD FALL BELOW CRITERIA TUESDAY MORNING BUT
WINDY/BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST INTO THE AFTERNOON. WITH COLD
AIR ALOFT...MIXING SHOULD KEEP TEMPS A LITTLE COOLER THAN MOS BY A
FEW DEGREES.

LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...

A SECOND UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL BRING REINFORCING COLD AIR TO THE AREA
TUESDAY NIGHT. WINDS AGAIN WILL PICK UP AS THIS SYSTEM MOVES TO THE
NORTHEAST COAST WEDNESDAY MORNING. NOCTURNAL JET NOT AS STRONG AS
TONIGHT JET...BUT ADVISORY WINDS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE.

FINALLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE WEATHER BEGIN TO RELAX AS HIGH
PRESSURE MAKES A BRIEF STAY ALONG THE EAST COAST. RAIN REENTERS THE
REGION AS A WARM FRONT MARCHES TO THE NORTH THURSDAY
AFTERNOON/NIGHT. MAJORITY OF THE RAIN SHOULD STAY IN THE OHIO VALLEY
STRETCHING BACK INTO THE VA HIGHLANDS. 850 TEMPS FRIDAY MORNING
QUITE WARM AT 14C. WITH THE COLD FRONT NOT EXPECTED INTO THE AREA
UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT...FRIDAY WILL BE THE WARMEST DAY. FRONT MAY BE
SLOW TO MOVE TO THE EAST COAST SO WILL KEEP A SMALL CHANCE IN FOR
SATURDAY MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE ENTERS THE REGION ON SUNDAY.

FIRE WEATHER...

SOME RAIN TO BRING A LITTLE RELIEF TO THE DRY CONDITIONS THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. HOWEVER...WINDY/GUSTY CONDITIONS ON TUESDAY
WITH HUMIDITY LEVELS IN THE 20S BY THE AFTERNOON WILL LEAD TO
ENHANCED FIRE WEATHER DANGER. ONE THING WORKING AGAINST THE FIRE
DANGER IS INCREASING FUEL MOISTURES FROM THIS AFTERNOONS PRECIP.
WILL ISSUE A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT (SPS) FOR ENHANCED FIRE
DANGER FOR TUESDAY. MAY UPGRADE TO A RED FLAG WARNING DEPENDING ON
OVERNIGHT PRECIP.

&&

.RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
VA...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR VAZ015 UNTIL 6 AM TUESDAY.
  ...WIND ADVISORY FOR VAZ009>014-016>020-022>024-032>035 UNTIL 6
     AM TUESDAY.
NC...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR NCZ001-018 UNTIL 6 AM TUESDAY.
  ...WIND ADVISORY FOR NCZ002-003-019 UNTIL 6 AM TUESDAY.
WV...NONE.
&&

JH

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 3, 5:56 PM EST, 3 hours 7 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
656 PM EDT MON APR 3 2006

NCZ001-018-VAZ015-040915-
ASHE-WATAUGA-GRAYSON-
656 PM EDT MON APR 3 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST NORTH
CAROLINA AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT OVERNIGHT. NORTHWEST WINDS AT 25
TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

NCZ002-003-019-VAZ009>014-016>020-022>024-032>035-040915-
ALLEGHANY-SURRY-WILKES-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-
CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-
FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-
656 PM EDT MON APR 3 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...
SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL
VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT OVERNIGHT. WESTERLY WINDS AT 20 TO 35
MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

VAZ007-WVZ042>045-040915-
TAZEWELL-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER-
656 PM EDT MON APR 3 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT
EXITING THE AREA THIS EVENING. UP TO AN INCH OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE
ON HIGHER WEST FACING SLOPES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

NCZ004>006-020-VAZ043>047-058-059-040915-
STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-YADKIN-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-
APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
656 PM EDT MON APR 3 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND
SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 3, 4:06 PM EST, 4 hours 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
506 PM EDT MON APR 03 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0455 PM     HAIL             5 NE MARTINSVILLE AIRPO 36.68N 79.95W
04/03/2006  E0.88 INCH       HENRY              VA   PUBLIC

&&

BSUTHERL

Local storm report, Apr 3, 4:45 PM EST, 4 hours 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
545 PM EDT MON APR 03 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0505 PM     HAIL             LYNCHBURG CITY          37.42N 79.15W
04/03/2006  E0.25 INCH       CITY OF LYNCHBURG  VA   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

0505 PM     HAIL             LYNCHBURG CITY          37.42N 79.15W
04/03/2006  E0.75 INCH       CITY OF LYNCHBURG  VA   PUBLIC

0505 PM     HAIL             GRETNA                  36.95N 79.37W
04/03/2006  E0.50 INCH       PITTSYLVANIA       VA   PUBLIC

0515 PM     HAIL             LYNCHBURG CITY          37.42N 79.15W
04/03/2006  E0.75 INCH       CITY OF LYNCHBURG  VA   TRAINED SPOTTER

0525 PM     HAIL             RIDGEWAY                36.80N 79.13W
04/03/2006  E0.25 INCH       HALIFAX            VA   PUBLIC

0530 PM     HAIL             EDEN                    36.51N 79.74W
04/03/2006  E1.75 INCH       ROCKINGHAM         NC   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

&&

RMG

Local storm report, Apr 3, 5:17 PM EST, 3 hours 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
617 PM EDT MON APR 03 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0600 PM     TSTM WND DMG     11 S APPOMATTOX         37.20N 78.83W
04/03/2006                   CHARLOTTE          VA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            POWER LINE DOWN ON ROUTE 727 NEAR CHARLOTTE BORDER

0600 PM     HAIL             3 NW EDEN               36.54N 79.78W
04/03/2006  E0.88 INCH       ROCKINGHAM         NC   PUBLIC

0600 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 N ROCKY MOUNT         37.06N 79.88W
04/03/2006                   FRANKLIN           VA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREE DOWN JUST OFF ROUTE 220

0605 PM     HAIL             1 E WENTWORTH           36.40N 79.75W
04/03/2006  E1.75 INCH       ROCKINGHAM         NC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            AT PLANTATION GOLF COURSE

&&

RMG

Local storm report, Apr 3, 5:49 PM EST, 3 hours 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
649 PM EDT MON APR 03 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0600 PM     TSTM WND DMG     10 S APPOMATTOX         37.21N 78.83W
04/03/2006                   APPOMATTOX         VA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            POWER LINE DOWN ON ROUTE 727 NEAR CHARLOTTE BORDER

&&

WHP

Local storm report, Apr 3, 6:54 PM EST, 2 hours 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
754 PM EDT MON APR 03 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0545 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CENTENARY               37.70N 78.52W
04/03/2006                   BUCKINGHAM         VA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREE DOWN ON ROUTE 20

&&

BSUTHERL

Local storm report, Apr 3, 7:07 PM EST, 1 hour 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
807 PM EDT MON APR 03 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0600 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CAMP SPRINGS            36.30N 79.50W
04/03/2006                   CASWELL            NC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TWO TREES DOWN ON HIGHWAY

&&

BS

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: April 3, 9:03 PM EST
Where: Watauga forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 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: April 3, 10:40 PM EST
Where: Ashe forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.434, -81.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Ashe

When: April 3, 11:40 PM EST
Where: Ashe forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.434, -81.500 (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

Every storm in North Carolina in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, April 2006

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: 5503835, 5503836, 5503837.