Rainfall helped to mitigate drought conditions across the region during the month. The trend during the month was to transition from Extreme/Severe D3/D2 categories to Severe/Moderate D2/D1 conditions.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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 RNK wrote it up.
Rainfall helped to mitigate drought conditions across the region during the month. The trend during the month was to transition from Extreme/Severe D3/D2 categories to Severe/Moderate D2/D1 conditions.
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 Mar 31, 7:57 PM EST, 4 hours 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 857 PM EDT MON MAR 31 2008 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN WEDGED IN PLACE EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION LATE TUESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM TUESDAY MORNING/... THE CURRENT FORECAST IS LOOKING PRETTY GOOD AS LIGHT RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL ACROSS THE ERN 2/3 OF THE FORECAST AREA...BUT MORE PREVALENT IN THE PIEDMONT. RADAR SHOWING LIGHT RETURNS. THE 18Z GFS APPEARS TO HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON THIS. GIVEN THIS...I REDUCED POPS IN THE WEST OVERNIGHT TO SLIGHT CHANCE TO NONE. FOG WILL BE AN ISSUE IN SPOTS...AS IT IS CURRENTLY DENSE IN PORTIONS OF THE NEW RIVER VALLEY AND HIGH COUNTRY OF NC. CLOUD COVER WILL BE BKN TO OVC OVERNIGHT. THINK THE DENSE FOG WILL BE PATCHY TO LOCALLY DENSE...AND WILL NOT ISSUE AN ADVISORY AT THIS POINT. CURRENT TEMPS RUNNING WARMER THAN FORECAST...AND MADE EVENING ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... THE COUNTY WARNING AREA SHOULD BE COMPLETELY IN THE WARM SECTOR BY 18Z TUESDAY. BY THEN THE LIFTED INDEX VALUES IN THE PIEDMONT WILL BE CLOSER TO ZERO...UNSTABLE ENOUGH TO A CHANCE OF THUNDER IN THE FORECAST FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. THE LOW LEVEL JET INCREASES INTO THE 40 TO 60 KNOT RANGE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. THIS BRINGS 850 MB TEMPERATURES TO AROUND +10 ON TUESDAY. NORMALLY WOULD GO WARMER THAN GUIDANCE FOR MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES BUT WITH ALL THE CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL STAY CLOSE TO MAV NUMBERS. TAPER OFF POPS FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST TUESDAY NIGHT. PLAY LOWS FROM MID 30S IN THE NORTHWEST TO AROUND 50 IN THE SOUTHEAST. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY WEDNESDAY... EVENTUALLY STRENGTHENING AND SETTING UP ALONG SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. THIS WILL RESULT IN ANOTHER COOL WEDGE EVENT ON THURSDAY. ADDED A LIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN TO THE SOUTHWEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT. LOWERED HIGH TEMPERATURES THURSDAY...PLAYED IT ON COOL SIDE WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED WEDGE. ELECTED TO GO WITH CHC POPS FOR RAIN ON THURSDAY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT ARRIVES LATER FRIDAY WITH RAIN. POSTED THE HIGHEST POPS IN THE WEST FOR FRIDAY. POLAR VORTEX DIVES INTO JAMES BAY BY THE END OF NEXT WEEKEND. QUESTION ON THE STRENGTH OF THE TROF AND WHETHER WAVE FORMS ON THE FRONT. ADDED LIGHT POPS IN THE WEST ON SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. && .AVIATION /01Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... LOOK FOR PERIODS OF LIFR/VLIFR FOG TONIGHT AT ROA/LYH/DAN WITH ERODING WEDGE OF COOL AIR AT THE SFC. THERE WILL ALSO BE SOME LIGHT RAIN AND DRZL OVERNIGHT IN THE EAST. IN THE WEST...VFR/MVFR CIGS AND FOG WHERE WEDGE IS LESS OF A FACTOR. LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR COULD BECOME AN ISSUE TONIGHT WITH LIGHT WINDS AT THE SFC QUICKLY BECOMING SW AT 25 TO 30 KTS...BUT SHEAR LIKELY BELOW CRITERIA. A BAND OF SHOWERS WILL MOVE INTO THE WEST DURING THE MID MORNING HOURS AND MOVE INTO THE PIEDMONT DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON. THE BAND COULD CONTAIN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM CELLS...ESP IN THE EAST. SKIES WILL PROBABLY BREAK OUT TO VFR IN THE WAKE OF THIS BAND WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS BECOMING GUSTY. A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THROUGH THE AREA ON TUESDAY NIGHT WITH ANOTHER BAND OF SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE TSTMS APPROACHING THE WEST TOWARD 00Z...THEN LIKELY DIMINISHING AS IT MOVES THRU THE WEST AFTER 00Z. THE HIGH THAT BUILDS IN BEHIND THE FRONT WILL FORM ANOTHER WEDGE TYPE SURFACE PATTERN WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY WITH WIDESPREAD IFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS DUE TO LOW CLOUDS...FOG AND RAIN POSSIBLE THURSDAY. THE THREAT OF LOWER CIGS AND VSBYS WILL REMAIN INTO THE WEEKEND. && .CLIMATE... DUE TO THE WARM TEMPERATURES THIS SPRING...THE GROWING SEASON HAS STARTED EARLY THIS YEAR. IN COORDINATION WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES AND AGRICULTURE AGENCIES IN THE REGION...NWS BLACKSBURG WILL BE STARTING THE FROST-FREEZING PROGRAM 10 DAYS EARLIER THIS YEAR. FOR THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT COUNTIES OF SW VA/NW NC...THE FROST FREEZE PROGRAM WILL START APRIL 5TH. THE SOUTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY EAST TO LYNCHBURG...THE PROGRAM BEGINS APRIL 15TH. ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...START DATE WILL BE APRIL 25TH. IF FREEZING TEMPERATURES OR FROST CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AFTER THESE DATES FOR A SPECIFIC LOCATION...A FREEZE WARNING OR FROST ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...PM/WP NEAR TERM...AMS/WP SHORT TERM...AMS/KK/PM LONG TERM...KK/KM AVIATION...AMS/JS CLIMATE...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 415 AM EDT MON MAR 31 2008 VAZ020-024-035-010815- BATH-ROCKBRIDGE-AMHERST- 415 AM EDT MON MAR 31 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THIS MORNING...IN THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS...TEMPERATURES WILL BE AROUND FREEZING. THIS WILL RESULT IN FREEZING DRIZZLE ALONG THE MOUNTAIN RIDGES...COATING THE TREES WITH A GLAZE OF ICE. CONCERN IS FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE ABOUT 2800 FEET. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>019-022-023-032>034-043>047-058-059- WVZ042>045-010815- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES- YADKIN-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON- CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-PATRICK-FRANKLIN- BEDFORD-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX- CHARLOTTE-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER- 415 AM EDT MON MAR 31 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND 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 IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. 11
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Most of the county began the month in a Severe Drought (D2). On the morning of the 8th, the drought category was decreased to Moderate (D1).
The southern quarter of the county began the month in an Extreme (D3) drought with the remainder of the county under a Severe (D2) drought. On April 8, drought conditions were improved so that now the southern half of the county was under a Severe (D2) drought while the rest of the county was under a Moderate (D1) drought. On the 22nd, conditions were upgraded again so that now the entire county was under a Moderate (D1) drought.
The far southeast corner of the county began the month in an Extreme (D3) drought with the remainder of the county under a Severe (D2) drought. On April 8, drought conditions were improved so that now the southeast part of the county was under a Severe (D2) drought while the rest of the county was under a Moderate (D1) drought. On the 22nd, the entire county was under a Moderate (D1) drought.
Most of the county began the month in a Severe Drought (D2). On the morning of the 8th, the drought category was decreased to Moderate (D1).
The southeast corner of the county began the month under a Severe (D2) drought. By the morning of the 1st, the Severe (D2) drought had been expanded to include most of the county. On the 8th, drought conditions improved so that all the county was only under a Moderate (D1) drought.
Most of the county began the month under a Severe (D2) drought. On the morning of the 8th, the drought conditions were improved to Moderate (D1) levels.
The southern third of the county started the month under a Severe (D2) drought. By the morning of the 1st, the Severe (D2) drought had expanded north to include the entire county. On the 8th, conditions improved a little across the county with only the southern third of the county under a Severe (D2) drought with the rest of the county having a Moderate (D1) drought. This level of drought severity continued through the end of the month.
The county began the month with the far southeast corner of the county under an Extreme (D3) drought and the rest of the county under a Severe (D2) drought. On the 8th, conditions improved so that only the southern half of the county was under a Severe (D2) drought with the rest of the county having a Moderate (D1) drought. This level of drought severity continued until the end of the month.
The county began the month only at the Moderate (D1) category of drought severity, but increased the morning of the 1st to the Severe (D2) category in the southern part of the county. It remained only at this level one week before falling again to the Moderate (D1) level on the 8th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, April 2008
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: 93304, 93306, 93307, 93309, 93310, 93312, 93313, 93315, 93303.