A strong upper trough for late July pushed a cold front through the region during the evening hours of the 23rd. cooling aloft allowed for a broken line of severe convection to propagate across the Blue Ridge and into the Piedmont during the evening.
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 RNK wrote it up.
A strong upper trough for late July pushed a cold front through the region during the evening hours of the 23rd. Although instability was rather marginal...cooling aloft allowed for a broken line of severe convection to propagate across the Blue Ridge and into the Piedmont during the evening.
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 Jul 23, 1:58 PM EST, 1 hour 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 258 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP EAST THROUGH THE MID ATLANTIC REGION THIS EVENING...PRECEDED AND ACCOMPANIED BY ANOTHER ROUND OF SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH MAY BE SEVERE. COOLER AND DRIER AIR IS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE REGION LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY...BRINGING CLEARING SKIES AND MODERATE TEMPERATURES. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/... WATER VAPOR SHOWS A VERY STRONG SHORT WAVE FOR THE END OF JULY...DEEPENING THE TROUGH IN THE EAST AND PUSHING A SFC COLD FRONT SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS WESTERN WV...EXTREME EASTERN KY AND EASTERN TN. THERE IS A LINE OF SHOWERS/SCT TSTMS AHEAD OF THE FRONT MOVG INTO THE WESTERN CWA AT THIS TIME. THE AIRMASS IS MODERATELY UNSTABLE...WITH CAPES OF AROUND 1500 J/KG. SHEAR IS INCREASING AS THE SHORT WAVE APPROACHES. WEST WIND SHAVE BECOME LIGHT AHEAD OF THE LINE...AND HAVE BACKED TO THE SOUTH OR SOUTHWEST EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. DEWPOINTS REMAIN IN THE MID 60S TO AROUND 70. I SEE NO REASON WHY THE THE LINE WILL NOT CONTINUE MOVING EAST...AND AS THE SHORT WAVE ROUNDS THE BASE OF THE TROUGH THIS EVENING IT THE FRONT BECOMES MORE PARALLEL TO THE UPPER FLOW AND SHOULD SLOW. THIS WILL OCCUR IN THE NC/VA PIEDMONT...CLOSE TO THE EASTERN CWA. FOR NOW...HAVE KEPT THE HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WORDING THROUGH THE EVENING OUT THAT WAY. FFG IS HIGH ENOUGH THAT WE DO NOT THINK A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NEEDED. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR VERY HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE PIEDMONT THOUGH. SEVERE THREAT WILL LAST THROUGH THE EVENING...BUT DECREASING WEST TO EAST...AS WELL. STAYED CLOSE TO MAV GUIDANCE LOWS- JUST A LITTLE WARMER IN THE EAST WHERE THE FRONT WILL SLOW AND CLOUD COVER WILL LINGER THE LONGEST. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY/... PASSAGE OF UPPER TROF AND ARRIVAL OF SURFACE RIDGE SHOULD ASSURE GOOD SUBSIDENCE THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT WITH PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. LOWERING DEW POINTS AND GOOD INSOLATION SHOULD RESULT IN GOOD DIURNAL TEMPERATURE CURVE...WITH DAYTIME HIGHS RANGING FROM THE 70S ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE WEST...TO THE 80S ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. NIGHTTIME LOWS SHOULD FALL BACK INTO THE 50S WEST...WITH 60S EAST. MAV GUIDANCE APPEARED REASONABLE FOR THIS FORECAST PERIOD...AND GENERALLY WAS ACCEPTED. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... LONG WAVE PATTERN STILL SHOWING AN UPPER RIDGE IN THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES WITH A TROF IN THE EAST. HPC IS FAVORING A SLOWER FRONTAL PASSAGE SIMILAR TO THE ECMWF WHICH HAS THE FRONT COMING THROUGH OUR FORECAST AREA SUNDAY AND MONDAY. HAVE KEPT TEMPERATURES...ESPECIALLY OVERNIGHT LOWS CLOSER TO THE WARMER GUIDANCE NUMBERS AHEAD OF THE FRONT. HAVE ALSO GRAUDALLY BROUGHT IN DRY WEATHER BEHIND THE FRONT ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. && .AVIATION /19Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... LINE OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS JUST AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT IS JUST MOVG INTO THE MTNS OF SRN WV AND FAR SW VA AT THIS TIME. THIS LINE SHOULD CONT PROGRESSING EASTWARD AND LIKELY BECOMING STRONGER. I HAVE TIMED THE LINE OF TSTMS/GREATEST THEAT AT EACH OF THE TAF SITES. FOR BLF AND LWB...WAS CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO HAVE A PREVAILING GROUP AND TEMPO OF HEAVIER SHOWERS. FURTHER EAST...I HANDLED IT WITH A TEMP GROUP OF 3 HOURS. TSTMS WILL LINGER LONGEST IN THE DANVILLE AREA...TILL 01 TO 02Z. COULD HAVE SOME MVFR FOG OVERNIGHT ONCE THE RAIN MOVES EAST OF THE AREA AND THERE IS SOME CLEARING. I PUT SOME IFR FOG IN DANVILLE...AND LIFR AT LWB TOWARD MORNING. LOOKS LIKE ALL FOG IN THE AREA WILL LIFT QUICKLY WITH A STRENGTHENING NW FLOW...AROUND 13Z. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED REST OF THE DAY THURSDAY...WITH NW TO NORTH WINDS POSSIBLY AS HIGH AS 10 KNOTS. SERIES OF SHORT WAVE TROUGHS ARE EXPECTED TO PASS EAST THROUGH THE SOUTHERN MID ATLANTIC REGION LATER FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND...EACH OF WHICH WILL REINTRODUCE THE THREAT OF WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH LOCALIZED MAINLY MVFR RESTRICTIONS TO VISIBILITY AND/OR CEILING. OTHERWISE...EXPECT TO SEE GENERAL VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL FOR MOST OF THE TIME AT ALL TERMINAL FORECAST SITES FROM TONIGHT THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...WERT NEAR TERM...JJ SHORT TERM...WERT LONG TERM...AMS AVIATION...JJ/WERT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 348 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008 NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ009-012>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059- 242000- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES- YADKIN-SMYTH-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG- ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-FRANKLIN- BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM- HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 348 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 739 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST THROUGH THE MID ATLANTIC REGION THIS TONIGHT...PRECEDED AND ACCOMPANIED BY SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE AND BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. VAZ007-010-011-WVZ042>045-242000- TAZEWELL-BLAND-GILES-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER- 348 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST THROUGH THE REGION THIS EVENING... PRECEDED AND ACCOMPANIED BY SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE AND BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO END FROM WEST TO EAST OVER THE AREA BY MID EVENING AS COOLER AND DRIER AIR BEGINS TO FILTER INTO THE AREA BEHIND THE FRONT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
321 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0317 PM TSTM WND DMG PEMBROKE 37.32N 80.64W
07/23/2008 GILES VA TRAINED SPOTTER
LARGE TREE LIMBS BLOWN DOWN TO THE GROUND
&&
CACCIAPAGLIAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
340 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 N DANVILLE CITY 36.61N 79.42W
07/22/2008 CITY OF DANVILLE VA PUBLIC
TREES DOWN ON FRANKLIN PIKE
&&
JJACKSONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
344 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0340 PM HAIL RADFORD 37.13N 80.57W
07/23/2008 M0.88 INCH CITY OF RADFORD VA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
CACCIAPAGLIAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
347 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0339 PM HAIL FAIRLAWN 37.15N 80.56W
07/23/2008 E1.00 INCH PULASKI VA TRAINED SPOTTER
HAIL LASTED 5 MINUTES
&&
CACCIAPAGLIAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
352 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0350 PM HAIL RADFORD 37.13N 80.57W
07/23/2008 M0.88 INCH CITY OF RADFORD VA PUBLIC
&&
CACCIAPAGLIAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
403 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0340 PM HAIL FAIRLAWN 37.15N 80.56W
07/23/2008 M1.25 INCH PULASKI VA PUBLIC
HAIL COVERED THE GROUND. HAIL LASTED 10 MINUTES
0355 PM TSTM WND DMG CHRISTIANSBURG 37.14N 80.40W
07/23/2008 MONTGOMERY VA PUBLIC
LARGE TREE BLOWN DOWN
0355 PM HAIL CHRISTIANSBURG 37.14N 80.40W
07/23/2008 M1.00 INCH MONTGOMERY VA PUBLIC
AT PLUM CREEK AND BLAIR STREET
&&
CACCIAPAGLIAThe Roanoke radar (KFCX), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:11 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Large tree limbs were blown down. Damage values are estimated.
Trees were blown down. Damage values are estimated.
A tree was blown down at the intersection of Highways 158 and 119. Damage values are estimated.
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, July 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: 125441, 125443, 125444.