Severe drought (D2) conditions persisted for the first half of December. Sufficient rainfall subsided the drought by December 16th.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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.
Severe drought (D2) conditions persisted for the first half of December. Sufficient rainfall subsided the drought by December 16th.
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 Nov 30, 8:32 PM EST, 3 hours 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 832 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008 .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE PASSING TO THE NW OF THE AREA TONIGHT WILL DRAG A TRAILING FRONTAL BOUNDARY THROUGH THE REGION BY MORNING. HOWEVER WESTERLY FLOW COMBINED WITH ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL KEEP RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS GOING ESPECIALLY ALONG THE WESTERN SLOPES THROUGH TUESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN BRIEFLY WEDNESDAY BEFORE A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH ON THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... MID LEVEL DRY SLOT HAS WORKED INTO THE REGION FROM THE SW THIS EVENING PER SATELLITE JUST AHEAD OF THE OCCLUDED FRONT NOW STARTING TO CROSS THE APPALACHIANS. THIS DRYING ALOFT SHOULD PUSH MOST EASTERN -RA OUT OF THE AREA SHORTLY WITH ONLY PATCHY -RA/SHRA WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THIS IN LINE WITH SOME OF THE LATEST SHORT TERM GUIDANCE WHICH KEEPS MOST MEASURABLE PRECIP ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OVERNIGHT WHERE COLDER AIR SHOULD GRADUALLY CHANGE WHATS LEFT OF THE LINGERING -SHRA TO SNOW SHOWERS LATE. WILL HAVE TO WATCH ACROSS THE SW...ESPCLY THE NW NC RIDGES TOWARD MORNING AS ENERGY NOW OVER THE LOWER MISS VALLEY SHIFTS NE. BOTH THE GFS/NAM SHOW A SWATH OF MORE DYNAMICAL DRIVEN SNOW AROUND 12Z ALONG UPPER JET SO UPPED POPS/AMOUNTS THERE SOME. OTRW CUTTING BACK ON CHANCES MOST OTHER LOCATIONS OVERNIGHT WITH ONLY VERY LOW POPS EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. WITH THE ERODING WEDGE...WILL CONTINUE TO SEE FOG DENSE AT TIMES ACROSS THE AREA UNTIL THE OCCLUSION MOVES THRU FROM THE WEST SO KEEPING MENTION FOR A FEW MORE HOURS. ALSO MESONET OBS SHOW TEMPS SLOWLY RISING ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE BUT WILL KEEP SPS GOING FOR ICY SPOTS AND DENSE FOG ALONG THE PARKWAY UNTIL AROUND MIDNIGHT OR SO. MAKING SOME SLIGHT ADJUSTS TO LOW TEMPS SINCE GIVEN WARMTH JUST OFF THE SURFACE PER RNK 00Z RAOB...EXPECT SHIFT TO WEST/SW FLOW MAY CAUSE READINGS TO BRIEFLY RISE AS MIXING INCREASES AND THEN FALL AGAIN LATE WITH WEAK COLD ADVECTION. SKIES WILL BEGIN CLEARING THE EASTERN 2/3RDS BEHIND THE FRONT WITH SW WINDS MIXING DOWN AND GUSTING INTO THE 15 TO 25 KT RANGE BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. COLD ADVECTION WILL INCREASE TONIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT...HOWEVER WITH LOW LEVEL FLOW FROM THE SOUTHWEST THRU MONDAY LOW LEVEL TEMPS WILL BE SLOW TO COOL OFF. SOME LIGHT RAIN AND SNOW WILL CONTINUE IN THE FAR WEST MONDAY....BUT NOT EXPECTING MUCH ACCUMS OTHER THAN ON THE PEAKS WITH THE LOW LEVEL TEMPS MARGINAL. ONLY LOOKING FOR 1-2 INCHES...MAINLY ABOVE 3000 FT...THRU LATE MONDAY. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... THE PRIMARY AXIS OF THE UPPER TROUGH ACROSS THE REGION WILL SHIFT EAST OF THE REGION AS ITS PARENT LOW HEADS INTO EASTERN CANADA. BEHIND IT THOUGH WILL BE A FINAL IMPULSE OF ENERGY THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. THE RESULT WILL BE A GRADUAL DECREASE IN SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AND COVERAGE DURING THE MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY TIME PERIODS IN THE MOUNTAINS...ENDING LAST IN THE WESTERN SLOPES OF GREENBRIER CO WV. WEST OF THE CREST OF THE BLUE RIDGE THE TREND WILL BE FOR DECREASING CLOUD COVER. TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WE WILL BRIEFLY TRANSITION INTO ZONAL FLOW WILL INCREASING HEIGHTS ACROSS THE AREA. EXPECT A DRY FORECAST...LIMITED CLOUD COVER AND MODERATING TEMPERATURES. TEMPERATURES WILL BE AT MORE SEASONAL LEVELS HEADING INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS A SOUTHERLY FLOW PREVAILS IN ADVANCE OF OUR NEXT COLD FRONT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS IN ASSOCIATION WITH THIS FRONT WILL ARRIVE AROUND OR AFTER MIDNIGHT IN WESTERN PARTS OF THE REGION. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL ARRIVE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING...ALLOWING FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS WITH ACCUMULATIONS. NOT THE MOST FAVORABLE WIND DIRECTION...HOWEVER TEMPS DROP TO -15C AT H85 AS ANOTHER DISTURBANCE DIVES SE LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER REINFORCING SHOT OF AIR OF THIS MAGNITUDE MAY ARRIVE BY NEXT SUNDAY OR MONDAY. THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ECMWF/GFS AND THE END OF THE FORECAST IS A CLOSED LOW/UPPER HIGH NEAR BAJA CALIFORNIA...WHICH IF THE LATTER VERIFIES WOULD MEAN A STRONGER CENTRAL/EASTERN TROUGH THAN THE ECMWF SUGGESTS. && .AVIATION /01Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... WIDESPREAD IFR/OCNL LIFR IN LOW CLOUDS/FOG AND PATCHY -RA WILL PERSIST THIS EVENING AHEAD OF A FRONTAL BOUNDARY JUST WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS. SHOULD START TO SEE SOME SLOW IMPROVEMENT OVERNIGHT AS THE FRONT SLIDES ACROSS AND THE LOW LEVEL FLOW BECOMES MORE WEST/SW MAINLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. EXPECT BLF/LWB WILL SEE THE FRONT PUSH THROUGH BETWEEN 04-06Z WITH SOME IMPROVEMENT...BUT AS COLDER AIR MOVES IN LATE AN INCREASE IN RAIN AND SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL AND AGAIN LOWER CIGS AND VSBYS...ESP AT BLF. EASTERN SITES WILL SEE QUICK IMPROVEMENT AFTER 06-08Z WITH MVFRVFR EXPECTED TOWARD MORNING. FOR MONDAY MVFR TO OCNL IFR FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS WILL EXIST WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE...IMPACTING BOTH KLWB AND KBLF THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF VFR TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY BEFORE YET ANOTHER COLD FRONT POSSIBLY BRINGS THE NEXT ROUND OF POOR FLIGHT CONDITIONS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND ACROSS SE WVA WITH UPSLOPE -SHSN ON THURSDAY. VFR CONDITIONS LOOK TO RETURN UNDER HIGH PRESSURE FOR THE END OF THE WEEK. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...AMS/JH/WP NEAR TERM...JH/JS SHORT TERM...DS LONG TERM...KM/WP AVIATION...JH/JS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1202 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008 NCZ001-002-018-VAZ014>020-022>024-011715- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-WATAUGA-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG- ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE- 1202 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. COLDER AIR WILL COME INTO THE REGION BY MONDAY...CHANGING THE RAIN TO SNOW SHOWERS. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED BY TUESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. WVZ042-043-045-011715- MERCER-SUMMERS-GREENBRIER- 1202 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. COLDER AIR WILL COME INTO THE REGION BY MONDAY...CHANGING THE RAIN TO SNOW SHOWERS. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED BY TUESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ003>006-019-020-VAZ032>035-043>047-058-059-011715- SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WILKES-YADKIN-PATRICK-FRANKLIN- BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM- HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 1202 PM EST SUN NOV 30 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...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. VAZ007-009>013-WVZ044-011715- TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONROE- 1202 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. COLDER AIR WILL COME INTO THE REGION BY MONDAY...CHANGING THE RAIN TO SNOW SHOWERS. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED BY TUESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 613 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008 NCZ001-002-018-VAZ015>017-022>024-010500- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-WATAUGA-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT- ROCKBRIDGE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WEST JEFFERSON...SPARTA...BOONE... INDEPENDENCE...GALAX...FLOYD...SALEM...FINCASTLE...LEXINGTON 613 PM EST SUN NOV 30 2008 ...ICY SPOTS LINGER ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY... THE COMBINATION OF ICING FROM EARLIER THIS MORNING AND LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE THIS EVENING CONTINUES TO CAUSE ICY AREAS ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY. REPORTS FROM FLOYD COUNTY INDICATE MUCH OF THE ICING IS AROUND 3000 FEET AND HIGHER WITH SOME SPOTS ALONG THE PARKWAY HAVING A LIGHT COATING OF ICE ALONG THE ROADWAY. SOME ADDITIONAL VERY LIGHT ICING MAY CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS BEFORE A FRONT CAUSES WINDS TO SHIFT AND TEMPERATURES TO BRIEFLY RISE OVERNIGHT. IF YOU ARE TRAVELING ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY TONIGHT...BE ALERT FOR ICY SPOTS. ALSO DENSE FOG MAY CAUSE VISIBILITIES TO DROP TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought conditions were observed over the northwestern portion of the county through December 15th.
Severe drought conditions were observed over most of the county through December 15th.
Severe drought conditions were observed over most of the county through December 15th.
Severe drought conditions were observed over the county through December 15th.
Severe drought conditions were observed over the county through December 15th.
Severe drought conditions were observed over the northern portion of the county through December 15th.
Severe drought conditions were observed over the northern portion of the county through December 15th.
Severe drought conditions were observed over the county through December 15th.
Severe drought conditions were observed over the county through December 15th.
Severe drought conditions were observed over the county through December 15th.
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, December 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: 147066, 147069, 147070, 147071, 147072, 147073, 147074, 147075, 147076, 147077.