A cold front moved through the area bringing with it showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms produced large hail and damaging winds.
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 cold front moved through the area bringing with it showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms produced large hail and damaging winds.
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 26, 12:52 PM EST, 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 152 PM EDT SAT APR 26 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST INTO THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE STALLING ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA TONIGHT. THE FRONT WILL RETURN BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT SUNDAY AHEAD OF A MUCH STRONGER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PASSING TO THE WEST SUNDAY NIGHT. A STRONG COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW WILL SWEEP EAST THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY FOLLOWED BY MUCH COOLER WEATHER FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... MODIFIED SOUNDINGS FROM RNK AND GSO SHOW SOME CAPES AROUND 1400 J/KG EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE THIS AFTERNOON WITH A DECENT DEW POINT DEPRESSION IN THE LOWEST 100 MB OF THE SOUNDING AND LARGE DCAPES OF 600-800 J/KG. CELLS STARTING TO DEVELOP AT 16Z IN NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND BETWEEN FVX AND CHO WHERE THE LATEST MSAS AND LAPS ANALYSIS IS SHOWING THE INSTABILITY IS AT A RELATIVE MINIMUM. HAVE SLIGHTLY ADJUSTED THE TIMING OF THE FRONT AND ASSOCIATED BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT BASED ON THE TIMING FROM THE RUC AND 12Z NAM. HAVE ALSO INCREASED CHANCE OF RAIN EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE BETWEEN 19-01Z SINCE THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY AND EITHER A PREFRONTAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARY OR THE ACTUAL COLD FRONT WILL TRIGGER SOME LIFT AND BASED ON CURRENT RADAR TRENDS. STAYED CLOSE TO A BLEND OF MAV/MET GUIDANCE FOR LOWS TONIGHT...KEEPING IT MILDER IN THE EXTREME SOUTHERN COUNTY WARNING AREA WHERE THE CLOUDS MAY NOT CLEAR OUT. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... DRY WEATHER LOOKS SHORT LIVED INTO SUNDAY AS NEXT STRONGER S/W RIDES UP THE RESIDUAL FRONT FROM THE SW AND GRADUALLY LIFTS THE FRONT BACK THRU THE REGION BY SUNDAY NIGHT. GUIDANCE DIFFS CONTINUE TO EXIST ON SUNDAY IN REGARDS TO NE ADVANCE OF DEEP MOISTURE INTO THE WEAK RIDGE/WEDGE WITH THE GFS QUITE FAST/WET WHILE MOST OTHER MODELS INCLUDING THE ENSEMBLES SLOWER WITH BEST LIFT PINNED IN THE FAR SW. THEREFORE FOLLOWING A SLIGHTLY DRIER TREND EXCEPT IN THE NC MOUNTAINS WHERE SE UPSLOPE FLOW LIKELY TO LEAD TO MORE SHRA THAN GUIDANCE DEPICTS. DEEPER RH FLUX WILL OCCUR SUNDAY NIGHT AS THE WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH AND THEN MONDAY ALONG THE COLD FRONT WHEN PRECIP LOOKS AIDED BY UPPER DIFFLUENCE AND STRONG 85H JET. APPEARS GOOD POTENTIAL TO SEE A DECENT SWATH OF QPF MOVE THRU THE REGION MONDAY UNLESS SPEED MAX SEEN ACROSS THE SE STATES CAUSES CONVECTION TO CUT OFF NORTHWARD INFLOW. OTRW CONTINUING TO RUN WITH MAINLY HIGH LIKELY POPS FOR NOW SUNDAY NIGHT GIVEN THE OVERDONE GFS QPF IN THE WARM SECTOR AND THEN LIKELYS TO CAT EAST MONDAY AS THE COLD FRONT ARRIVES. BUMPED UP TEMPS SOME SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT...THEN LOWERED A CAT OR SO WEST MONDAY WHERE STEADY OR SLOW TEMP FALLS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON. SHRA LOOKS TO TAPER OFF BY LATE MONDAY BEHIND THE FRONT WITH INCREASING LOW LEVEL NW FLOW MAKING FOR DOWNSLOPE DRYING EAST AND UPSLOPE CLOUDS/-SHRA FAR WEST. AXIS OF 5H COLD POOL PIVOTING THRU LATER MONDAY NIGHT COMBO WITH COLD ADVECTION SUPPORTS A CHANGE TO ELEVATION SNOW SHOWERS LATE SO INCLUDED MENTION MAINLY ABOVE 3K FEET. OTRW CUT BACK ON POPS MONDAY NIGHT AND LOWERED TEMPS SOME GIVEN PROGGED CHILLY 85H VALUES. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... 00Z/26 GFS IS WEAKER WITH UPPER LOW ACROSS SE CANADA/NEW ENGLAND NEXT WEEK COMPARED TO ITS PREVIOUS RUNS. HOWEVER...IT STILL IS DEEPER/STRONGER THAN THE 12Z ECMWF AND 00Z/26 CANADIAN RUNS. SFC FRONT WILL BE WELL EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY TUESDAY MORNING...BUT NORTHWEST FLOW AND RESIDUAL MOISTURE WILL BRING SOME SCT PCPN TO FAVORED WESTERN UPSLOPE REGIONS AND LOW LEVEL TEMPS SUPPORT PRECIP FALLING AS SNOW IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF GREENBRIER COUNTY. AS HIGH SETTLES OVER THE REGION TUESDAY NIGHT...WILL HAVE TO WATCH THE POTENTIAL FOR FROST/FREEZE IN MOUNTAIN VALLEYS...UNLESS CLOUDS IN NW FLOW KEEP TEMPS UP. FOR WED THROUGH FRIDAY...GFS KEEPS MEAN TROF OVER THE EASTERN USA AND WITH LARGE VORTEX SPINNING ACROSS SE CANADA/NEW ENGLAND...SFC BOUNDARY SLIPS INTO NRN VIRGINIA THURSDAY...THEN SOUTH INTO OUR FORECAST AREA BY FRIDAY. THIS FRONTAL POSITION IS FURTHER NORTH THAN PREVIOUS RUNS. MEANWHILE...12Z ECMWF AND 00Z/26 CANADIAN ARE MUCH WEAKER WITH THE UPPER LOW AND PUSH RIDGE OVER THE FORECAST AREA LATE IN THE LONG TERM PERIOD. WITH THE GFS TRENDING WEAKER WITH NEW ENGLAND UPPER LOW...LEANED TOWARD WARMER/DRIER ECMWF/CANADIAN FOR WED/THUR...BUT FORECAST CONFIDENCE IN THIS PERIOD LOW. DID ADD SMALL POPS TO FRIDAY WITH 00Z/26 CANADIAN MODEL PUSHING WEAK SHORTWAVE INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF MIDWEST SYSTEM. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE SINCE 16Z AND WILL BE CLOSE TO ROA FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE TAF. BASED ON RADAR TRENDS TRIED TO NARROW DOWN THE TIMING OF WHEN CONVECTION WOULD BE NEAR THE OTHER TAF SITES. MVFR FOG IS QUESTIONABLE AT DAN OVERNIGHT SINCE MID LEVEL CLOUDS MAY NOT COMPLETELY CLEAR OUT OF EXTREME SOUTHERN VIRGINIA. OTHERWISE...THERE WILL BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF VFR CONDITIONS BEHIND THE FRONT TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. A RENEWED THREAT OF SHRA/TSRA WITH A FRONTAL PASSAGE RETURNS WITH THE PASSAGE OF A MUCH STRONGER COLD FRONT MONDAY. UNSETTLED CONDITIONS INCLUDING LINGERING LOW CLOUDS MAY PERSIST IN THE MOUNTAINS TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY OTRW VFR IS EXPECTED TO RETURN INTO MIDWEEK. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JH/PC NEAR TERM...AMS SHORT TERM...JH/KK LONG TERM...PH AVIATION...AMS/JH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 412 AM EDT SAT APR 26 2008 NCZ001-002-018-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-WVZ042>045-270815- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-WATAUGA-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI- MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE- BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER- 412 AM EDT SAT APR 26 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...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...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY COLD HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS MAY RESULT IN FROST OR FREEZE CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE VALLEYS BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ003>006-019-020-VAZ032>035-043>047-058-059-270815- SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WILKES-YADKIN-PATRICK-FRANKLIN- BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM- HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 412 AM EDT SAT APR 26 2008 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...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY AFTERNOON POSSIBLY BRINGING A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO PARTS OF THE AREA MAINLY EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 209 PM EDT SAT APR 26 2008 VAZ032-033-043-261915- PATRICK VA-FRANKLIN VA-HENRY VA- 209 PM EDT SAT APR 26 2008 AT 203 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTH OF WOOLWINE...OR ABOUT 2 MILES SOUTH OF BUFFALO RIDGE...MOVING EAST AT 29 MPH. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...CRITZ AT 215 PM EDT...SANVILLE...FAIRY STONE STATE PARK AT 225 PM EDT...PHILPOTT DAM...SPENCER AT 230 PM EDT...BASSETT AT 235 PM EDT...STANLEYTOWN...FIELDALE AT 240 PM EDT...COLLINSVILLE... AND VILLA HEIGHTS AT 245 PM EDT. EXPECT RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH DURING THE NEXT 30 MINUTES. WIND GUSTS WILL BE 30 TO 40 MPH WITH THIS STORM. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. AMS
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 62 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:27 UTC.
6 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds blew down trees across Highway 460. Power lines were also blown down by the winds. Damage values are estimates.
The hail completely covered the ground.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, 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: 96564, 96567, 96569, 96572, 96575, 96591, 96592.