A cold front swept across Virginia November 15th. Strong southerly winds ahead of the front helped bow out a line of thunderstorms, which brought damaging winds to the ground over portions of the Virginia piedmont late on the morning of the 15th.
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 swept across Virginia November 15th. Strong southerly winds ahead of the front helped bow out a line of thunderstorms, which brought damaging winds to the ground over portions of the Virginia piedmont late on the morning of the 15th.
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 15, 10:20 AM EST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1020 AM EST SAT NOV 15 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY AND OFF THE COAST THIS EVENING. A COLD AIRMASS WILL MOVE IN BEHIND THIS FRONT FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEKEND. ANOTHER FRONT WILL BRING A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR IN BY TUESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... A COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE AREA WILL CONTINUE TO BRING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS THIS MORNING. A LINE OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED GUSTY WINDS MOVING ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE LATE THIS MORNING WILL EVENTUALLY MOVE ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT SECTIONS EARLY AFTERNOON. CAPE VALUES BEST JUST EAST OF THE CWA AND WITH ANY BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS...AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM CAN NOT BE RULED OUT FOR THE PIEDMONT. BEHIND THE FRONT...SHOWERS BEGIN TO WEAKEN AND BREAK WITH DRY SLOT PROJECTED OVER THE AREA BY MID AFTERNOON. WINDS ALREADY BECOMING WESTERLY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS WITH COOLER DRIER AIR EXPECTED IN THE AFTERNOON. THE DEW POINT FRONT LOOKS TO BE SLOWER. THEREFORE TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY REMAIN STEADY THEN DROP LATE IN THE AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST WV. AS THE FRONT PUSHES EAST THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS BY LATE MORNING...COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL BEGIN IN EARNEST WITH FALLING TEMPS. SNOW SHOWERS WILL NOT BEGIN UNTIL AFTER 00Z. THE WEST-NW FLOW WILL TAP SOME MOISTURE FROM THE LAKES. LOOKING AT 1-2 INCHES POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN OF WRN GREENBRIER WITH AROUND 1 INCH FURTHER SOUTH INTO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NC/SW VA. NOT ENOUGH TO WARRANT ADVISORY. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... BY SUNDAY MORNING 850 TEMPS WILL BE DROPPING TO ABOUT -6 TO -8 AND REMAINING THERE THRU THE DAY WITH GUSTY WEST WINDS. LOW LEVEL MOISTR WILL BE PUSHING UP AGAINST THE WESTERN SLOPES DURING THE DAY BUT DUE TO A LESS FAVORABLE WESTERLY LOW LEVEL TRAJECTORY...IT LOOKS AS THOUGH MOISTR WILL BE RELATIVELY SHALLOW AND WESTERN MTNS WILL ONLY SEE AN INCH OR TWO BEFORE MOISTR DRIES UP SUNDAY NIGHT. FLURRIES WILL LIKELY DRIFT AS FAR EAST AS THE BLUE RIDGE. MONDAY WE WILL SEE A BRIEF RESPITE IN COLD AIR ADVECTION AS A CLIPPER DROPS DOWN TOWARD THE AREA. A BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL ENTER THE PICTURE MONDAY NIGHT AS REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR POURS SOUTH ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES BEHIND THE CLIPPER. FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE MOISTURE PROFILES WILL DEEPEN WITH POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ON THE WINDWARD SLOPES...AND FLURRIES WITH THIS NEXT GO ROUND MAY DRIFT AS FAR EAST AS THE PIEDMONT. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... A PERSISTENT UPPER LEVEL RIDGE ACROSS WESTERN CONUS WILL CONTINUE DURING THIS TIME PERIOD AND ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL NORTHERN STREAM NORTHWEST FLOW LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS/TROUGHS TO HEAD INTO NEW ENGLAND AND MID-ATLANTIC STATES. FOR THE AREA...THIS WILL RESULT IN TEMPERATURES RANGING FIVE TO TEN DEGREES BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD AND MOST DAYS WITH UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS...AND LEE SIDE SUBSIDENCE WITH LIMITED CLOUD COVER EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS. THE CHALLENGE WILL BE THE TIMING OF THE BEST ENERGY THROUGH THE AREA IN ASSOCIATION WITH THESE LOWS/TROUGHS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED COLD FRONTS. CURRENTLY TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT AND THEN AGAIN THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY SHOW PROMISE FOR TIME PERIODS FOR THE BEST UPSLOPE SNOW POTENTIAL IN THE SE WV MOUNTAINS AND NEIGHBORING PORTIONS OF SW VA. HAVE FAVORED GUIDANCE IN LINE WITH THE OUTPUT BY HPC. && .AVIATION /15Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... NOT A GOOD MORNING FOR FLYING. SHOWERS WILL BECOME MORE NUMEROUS THIS MORNING AS A COLD FRONT PRESSES IN FROM THE WEST. SOME RAINFALL WILL BE VERY HEAVY WITH EMBEDDED TSTMS. WIDESPREAD IFR/MVFR CIGS THIS MORNING. EXPECT STRONG SHEAR IN THE LOW LEVELS (NOT LLWS CRITERIA) WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS AT THE SFC BECOMING SOUTHWEST AROUND 40KTS AT 2000 FT. GUSTY SFC WINDS VEER TO THE SOUTHWEST AND WEST BY 00Z BEHIND THE FRONT. SHOWERS MOVE EAST OF THE AREA WITH IMPROVING CIGS BUT ADDITIONAL RAIN SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP AT BLF/LWB LATE TODAY AND THIS EVENING...CHANGING TO SNOW SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH IFR CIGS/VSBYS LIKELY AT TIMES. IN THE EAST IT WILL MAINLY BE A WIND ISSUE AS GUSTY WEST WINDS CONT. SUNDAY WILL ALSO BE BLUSTERY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS INCLUDING ROA...WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KNOTS EXPECTED. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...RCS NEAR TERM...RCS SHORT TERM...PM LONG TERM...DS AVIATION...JS/WP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 352 AM EST SAT NOV 15 2008 NCZ002>004-019-020-VAZ010>014-016>020-022>024-032>035-043-WVZ044- 160900- ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-WILKES-YADKIN-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI- MONTGOMERY-CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT- ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-MONROE- 352 AM EST SAT NOV 15 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...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ005-006-VAZ044>047-058-059-160900- ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM- HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 352 AM EST SAT NOV 15 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A STRONG COLD WILL MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PIEDMONT ABOUT MIDDAY TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF AND ACCOMPANYING THE FRONT MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ001-018-VAZ007-009-015-WVZ042-043-045-160900- ASHE-WATAUGA-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-GRAYSON-MERCER-SUMMERS-GREENBRIER- 352 AM EST SAT NOV 15 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER RAIN WILL CHANGE TO A PERIOD OF SNOW LATE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY WITH SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE AT THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SHOW SHOWERS WILL BRING SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS TO THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS SUNDAY. A BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR ACCUMULATING MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS IS EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. ELEVATIONS ABOVE 2500 FEET MAY RECEIVE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW BY DAYBREAK TUESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 924 AM EST SAT NOV 15 2008 NCZ003-004-VAZ014-016>019-022>024-032>035-043-044-151530- ALLEGHANY VA-AMHERST VA-BEDFORD VA-BOTETOURT VA-CARROLL VA-CRAIG VA- FLOYD VA-FRANKLIN VA-HENRY VA-MONTGOMERY VA-PATRICK VA- PITTSYLVANIA VA-ROANOKE VA-ROCKBRIDGE VA-STOKES NC-SURRY NC- 924 AM EST SAT NOV 15 2008 ...SHOWERS WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL AFFECT ALLEGHANY...AMHERST... BEDFORD...BOTETOURT...CARROLL...CITY OF BEDFORD...CITY OF BUENA VISTA...CITY OF COVINGTON...CITY OF LEXINGTON...CITY OF MARTINSVILLE...CITY OF ROANOKE...CITY OF SALEM...CRAIG...FLOYD... FRANKLIN...HENRY...MONTGOMERY...PATRICK...PITTSYLVANIA...ROANOKE... ROCKBRIDGE...STOKES AND SURRY COUNTIES... AT 921 AM EST...SHOWERS WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM JORDAN MINES TO ELLISTON TO BOTTOM...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE SHOWERS AS THEY MOVE EAST ACROSS THE BLUE RIDGE AS WELL AS THE FOOTHILLS IN THE NEXT HOUR. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR LATER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. JH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1028 AM EST SAT NOV 15 2008 NCZ003>006-020-VAZ024-032>035-043>046-058-059-151630- AMHERST VA-APPOMATTOX VA-BEDFORD VA-CAMPBELL VA-CASWELL NC- CHARLOTTE VA-FRANKLIN VA-HALIFAX VA-HENRY VA-PATRICK VA- PITTSYLVANIA VA-ROCKBRIDGE VA-ROCKINGHAM NC-STOKES NC-SURRY NC- YADKIN NC- 1028 AM EST SAT NOV 15 2008 ...SHOWERS WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL AFFECT AMHERST...APPOMATTOX... BEDFORD...CAMPBELL...CASWELL...CHARLOTTE...CITY OF BEDFORD...CITY OF DANVILLE...CITY OF LYNCHBURG...CITY OF MARTINSVILLE...FRANKLIN... HALIFAX...HENRY...PATRICK...PITTSYLVANIA...ROCKBRIDGE...ROCKINGHAM... STOKES...SURRY AND YADKIN COUNTIES... AT 1025 AM EST...SHOWERS WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM SNOWDEN TO BOONVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY MOVE OFF THE BLUE RIDGE AND INTO PARTS OF THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT BEFORE NOON. IN ADDITION A BRIEF BURST OF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ALONG WITH A SUDDEN DROP IN TEMPERATURES WILL ACCOMPANY THIS LINE. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR LATER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. JH
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:29 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree was blown down at the corner of 5th and Taylor street in downtown Lynchburg.
A tree was blown down onto a power line along Gala Lake Road.
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, November 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: 140806, 140807.