A cold front approached the Mid Atlantic during the evening of June 3. Warm, moist and unstable air developed ahead of the front, allowing scattered strong to severe thunderstorms to develop.
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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 LWX wrote it up.
A cold front approached the Mid Atlantic during the evening of June 3. Warm, moist and unstable air developed ahead of the front, allowing scattered strong to severe thunderstorms to develop. Several reports of downed trees and power lines were received. A roof was also blown off a house in Warrenton. One thunderstorm produced heavy rainfall that resulted in flash flooding in Mitchells in Culpeper County.
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 Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 3, 2:14 PM EST, 3 hours 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 314 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL SAG SOUTHWARD TO NEAR THE MASON-DIXON LINE THIS EVENING...AND THEN STALL OVER THE MID ATLANTIC THROUGH LATE THURSDAY. THE COMBINATION OF THE STALLED FRONT AND SEVERAL UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL HELP SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN FOR THE WEEKEND...WITH WARMER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES EXPECTED. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/... WATER VAPOR LOOP SHOWS NORTHWESTERLIES ALOFT AS RIDGING EXTENDS NORTHEAST FROM NORTHERN MEXICO AND THE WESTERN GULF STATES...NORTHWARD. AN UPPER LOW IS SPINNING OVER LAKE HURON. ACARS 400-250MB WIND OBSERVATIONS REVEAL AN 80-110KT ANTICYCLONIC JET OVER THE MIDWEST AND LOWER GREAT LAKES REGION. 11Z SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACED A 1018MB ANTICYCLONE ALONG THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. A WARM FRONT EXTENDED SOUTHEAST FROM A 999MB CYCLONE IN SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA INTO THE CAROLINAS WHERE IT STALLED. A COLD FRONT WAS STALLING ACROSS THE EASTERN AND LOWER GREAT LAKES TO THE SURFACE CYCLONE. 1018MB ANTICYCLONE DOMINATED SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA AND THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES. MOISTURE CONTINUES TO INCREASE...AHEAD OF A WARM FRONT LIFTING NORTHEAST THROUGH THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS. THIS HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS LOWER SOUTHERN MARYLAND THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO INCREASE IN WEST VIRGINIA...WITH DIFFERENTIAL HEATING SERVING AS A TRIGGER. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD SPREAD EASTWARD DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE BEST CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION IS ANTICIPATED LATE TONIGHT...AS VIGOROUS CONVECTION DEVELOPS INTO A MCS TO OUR NORTHWEST. GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF DEEP LAYER SHEAR AND BUILDING INSTABILITY ALOFT ON STRENGTHENING MID AND LOW LEVEL JETS...THERE WILL BE A THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT. GFS GUIDANCE MAY BE BIASED WITH CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK ISSUES...ALTHOUGH EXPECT MAJORITY OF NUMERICAL GUIDANCE TO HAVE DIFFICULTY RESOLVING THE COMPLEX CONVECTIVE SCENARIO ACROSS THE EAST CENTRAL CONUS AND MID ATLANTIC REGION. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM WEDNESDAY/... CONVECTIVE FORECAST IS HIGHLY DEPENDANT ON EVOLUTION OF ACTIVITY OVERNIGHT. WITH ANTICIPATED TRAIN OF MCVS IN THE WESTERLIES ALOFT...THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY TO TRIGGER ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. DEEP LAYER SHEAR OF 30KTS WILL CERTAINLY BE ENOUGH TO ORGANIZE THIS ACTIVITY...THUS THE FORECAST AREA IS IN SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TOMORROW. HAVE WORDED AS PERIODS OF AS SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRECIPITATION TOMORROW...FIRST WITH THE EARLY MORNING MCS...THEN SECONDARY DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION...WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES OF 1.5-2 AND THE POSSIBILITY OF TRAINING STORMS...WILL HAVE TO MONITOR FOR LOCALIZED FLASH FLOOD RISK. HAVE LOWERED HIGH TEMPERATURE FORECAST GIVEN EXTENT OF CLOUDINESS AND ANTICIPATED CONVECTION WEDNESDAY. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... WED NIGHT THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY GRADLY PUSHES OFFSHORE AFTER A SECONDARY VORT MAX PUSHES THE SFC LOW SE ACROSS THE NRN BAY AND OFF THE DELMARVA COAST OVERNIGHT. RESIDUAL UPSLOPE SHRA ACTIVITY MAY LINGER ACROSS THE CNTRL APLCHNS FOR THE LATE NIGHT HRS OF WED NIGHT...THO THE FORCING WILL EXIT THE AREA QUICKLY DRNG THE EARLY MRNG HRS ON THURS. THE AFTN HRS LOOK BETTER FOR CONVN...ESPC W/ NAM/GFS DVLPNG 2000-3000 J/KG CAPE VALUES ACROSS THE REGION. OTHER CONVECTIVE PARMS MAY NOT BE AS IMPRESSIVE AS THE WED DYNAMICS...THO THE SIGNS OF INSTAB SHOULD NOT BE DISCOUNTED...ESPC W/ SFC LOW PASSING JUST TO THE NORTH OF THE MID ATLNC REGION. ANY AMNT OF FORCING MAY BE ABLE TO DESTABILIZE THE BNDRY LAYER DRNG THE AFTN W/ HIGHS NEAR 90 AND PLENTY OF BUILDING LL INSTAB. LATEST GUIDANCE PAINTS A SLIGHTLY MORE ACTIVE EXTENDED THAN PREV RUNS...W/ ALMOST DAILY CONVN ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE ERN SEABOARD FROM THURS THRU THE FORECAST PERIOD. TEMPS ALSO INCR A FEW DEGREES THRU THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK. GFS/ECMWF MEANDER A STRONG 592-594 DEM MID LEVEL HIGH WILL OVR THE ERN SEABOARD...W/ THE UPPER RIDGE DRIFTING FROM THE SRN APLCHNS NE ACROSS THE MID ATLNC FOR THE END OF THE WEEK. EACH AFTN...WEAK TO MOD INSTAB...HIGHS IN THE LOWER 90S AND STEADY S-SW/RLY MOIST RETURN FLOW WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR AT LEAST ISLTD DIURNAL CONVN. THE MTNS WOULD BE MOST LIKELY FOR INITIATION IF FLOW REMAINS WEAK UNDER THE UPPER RIDGE...FROM TERRAIN INDUCED LIFT. EVEN WEAK LOW-MID LEVEL STEERING FLOW WOULD DIRECT THIS ACTIVITY OUT INTO THE PIEDMONT REGION...SO AT LEAST SLIGHT POPS INTRODUCED ACROSS THE REGION W/ AREAS OF CHNCE POPS FOR THE MTNS W/ ISLTD CONVN FROM THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION /19Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... MCS LIKELY TO ROLL ACROSS THE REGION FROM WEST TO EAST BETWEEN 00-07Z SO HAVE INCLUDED TEMPO GROUP ACCORDINGLY. KCHO LEAST LIKELY TO HAVE TSTMS SO JUST HAVE VCTS GROUP FOR THEM. LARGE HAIL POSSIBLE WITH THIS ACTIVITY DUE TO STRONG VEERING PROFILE/SHEAR AND LARGE AMTS OF ELEVATED INSTABILITY. SOME STRATIFORM -RA POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT WITH MVFR CIGS LINGERING INTO MID MORNING. ANOTHER MCS LIKELY TO AFFECT NRN TAF SITES TOMORROW BUT SHOULD HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER 18Z. THE MAIN CONCERN FOR THE LONG TERM WOULD BE THE PSBLTIES OF DAILY TSTM ACTIVITY THRU THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. MUCH OF THE ACTIVITY LOOKS TO DEVELOP ACRS THE MTNS...THO SCT/D TSTM ACTIVITY PSBLE ACRS THE PIEDMONT REGION TWRD EVNG EACH DAY. && .MARINE... MIXING EVEN AHEAD OF THE WARM FRONT HAS YIELDED SMALL CRAFT CRITERIA WIND GUSTS THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT SOUTHERLY CHANNELING SHOULD ALLOW WIND GUSTS TO INCREASE JUST ABOVE 20KTS OVERNIGHT. WESTERLY LOWER LEVEL WINDS STRENGTHEN OVERNIGHT...AND SHOULD MIX DOWN TOMORROW AFTERNOON WITHIN THE WARM SECTOR. CONVECTION COULD BE QUITE VIGOROUS OVERNIGHT...AND AGAIN TOMORROW AFTERNOON...INCLUDING SPECIAL MARINE CRITERIA WINDS AND CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. WINDS SHLD REMAIN FAIRLY WEAK /BELOW SCA AT LEAST/ THRU THE EXTND...THO S/RLY CHANNELING FROM AN EXITING HIGH THIS WEEKEND MAY PICK WINDS UP ACRS THE BAY. THE HIGH THEN LOOKS TO MEANDER JUST OFFSHORE FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK...WHICH MAY KEEP THE S/RLY CHANNELING GOING EACH AFTN. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR ANZ530>537. && SYNOPSIS...ROGOWSKI NEAR TERM...ROGOWSKI SHORT TERM...ROGOWSKI LONG TERM...GMS AVIATION...ROGOWSKI/GMS MARINE...ROGOWSKI/GMS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 340 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 ANZ530>537-DCZ001-MDZ006-007-011-013-014-016>018-VAZ052>057- 041000- CHESAPEAKE BAY NORTH OF POOLES ISLAND MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM POOLES ISLAND TO SANDY POINT MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO NORTH BEACH MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NORTH BEACH TO DRUM POINT MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM DRUM POINT MD TO SMITH POINT VA- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM KEY BRIDGE TO INDIAN HEAD MD- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM INDIAN HEAD TO COBB ISLAND MD- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND MD TO SMITH POINT VA- DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-NORTHERN BALTIMORE-HARFORD- SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES-ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-ST. MARYS- CALVERT-PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX- ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-SPOTSYLVANIA- KING GEORGE- 340 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MARYLAND PORTION OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY...TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER...AND ADJACENT COUNTIES IN CENTRAL MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. GUSTY WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED AT THE LEADING EDGE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS. LOCALIZED STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE AND EVEN AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE GREATEST RISK WILL RESIDE NORTHWEST OF THE DISTRICT...THOUGH THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE I-95 CORRIDOR OVERNIGHT. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL GO INTO EFFECT AT NOON TODAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE MARYLAND PORTION OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL WILL ONCE AGAIN BE THE PRIMARY THREAT. THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONTINUES THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE ENTIRE MARYLAND PORTION OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER. TEMPERATURES THIS WEEKEND WILL RISE WELL ABOVE NORMAL...WITH HIGHS IN THE 90S. THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID HEAT RELATED INJURIES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT...AND AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY. MDZ003>005-009-010-501-502-VAZ021-025>031-036>042-050-051- WVZ050>055-501>504-041000- WASHINGTON-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-MONTGOMERY-HOWARD- EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY-CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY-HIGHLAND- AUGUSTA-ROCKINGHAM-SHENANDOAH-FREDERICK VA-PAGE-WARREN-CLARKE- NELSON-ALBEMARLE-GREENE-MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-FAUQUIER-LOUDOUN- ORANGE-CULPEPER-HAMPSHIRE-MORGAN-BERKELEY-JEFFERSON-PENDLETON- HARDY-WESTERN GRANT-EASTERN GRANT-WESTERN MINERAL-EASTERN MINERAL- 340 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA... NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA...AND CENTRAL AND WESTERN MARYLAND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GARRETT COUNTY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A COMPLEX OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED AT THE LEADING EDGE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS...NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY...AND NORTHERN MARYLAND HAS THE GREATEST RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL WILL ONCE AGAIN BE THE PRIMARY THREAT. TEMPERATURES THIS WEEKEND WILL RISE WELL ABOVE NORMAL...WITH HIGHS IN THE 90S. THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID HEAT RELATED INJURIES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT...AND AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 608 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 VAZ040>042-051>053-032315- CULPEPER VA-RAPPAHANNOCK VA-FAUQUIER VA-LOUDOUN VA- PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK VA-FAIRFAX VA- 608 PM EDT TUE JUN 3 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT CULPEPER...RAPPAHANNOCK... FAUQUIER...EASTERN LOUDOUN...PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK AND FAIRFAX COUNTIES... AT 608 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER JEFFERSONTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 31 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF OPAL...CASANOVA... AND NOKESVILLE AND BULL RUN WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM. RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO TAKE COVER IF THEY HEAR THIS STORM APPROACHING.
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:16 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Fauquier County 911 Center reported that a roof was blown off a house in Old Town Warrenton.
The Stafford County 911 Center reported scattered trees down in Garrisonville.
Page County Emergency Management reported power lines down in the extreme southern part of the county near Shenandoah.
Orange County Emergency Management reported trees down across roadways and power outages in extreme south central parts of the county near Gordonsville.
An NWS Employee reported a tree uprooted and blown across Interstate 95 near mile marker 131.
Mitchell Road was closed due to flash flooding.
Virginia Department of Transportation reported two trees down on Stuarts Draft Highway.
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, June 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: 103985, 103986, 103987, 103988, 103989, 103991, 103990.