Rain fell into the midday period on the 11th, from Huntington and Charleston vicinity on north. This laid down a boundary, with much warmer temperatures to its south.
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 RLX wrote it up.
Rain fell into the midday period on the 11th, from Huntington and Charleston vicinity on north. This laid down a boundary, with much warmer temperatures to its south. Dew points reached near 60 degrees over the southern coal field counties during the afternoon.
A bow echo raced out of eastern Kentucky during the late afternoon, and crossed West Virginia from Mingo County to Pocahontas 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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 11, 3:07 PM EST, 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 407 PM EDT FRI APR 11 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA EARLY TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES IN LATE SATURDAY AND LINGERS THROUGH MONDAY. HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... MODELS APPEAR TO HANDLE THE SYNOPTIC MASS FIELDS QUITE WELL. COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM INDIANA SOUTHWESTWARD THRU SOUTHWESTERN KENTUCKY IS FORECAST TO ACCELERATE EASTWARD AS SHORT WAVE ENERGY ROTATES AROUND VIGOROUS UPPER LOW OVER THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. FRONT PUSHES ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER AROUND 03Z...I79 CORRIDOR AROUND 06Z...AND EXITS THE MOUNTAINS BY 09Z. HOWEVER...WITH A MOIST AND UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE AHEAD OF THE FRONT...MODELS HAVING DIFFICULT TIME HANDLING THE CONVECTION. EVOLUTION OF DEVELOPING CONVECTION INDICATES THE TYPICAL SCENARIO. MAIN LINE OF CONVECTION DEVELOPING WELL AHEAD OF THE FRONT FROM CENTRAL OHIO SOUTHWARD THRU EASTERN KENTUCKY WILL ACCELERATE EASTWARD ACROSS OUR AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...TAKING MOST OF THE ATMOSPHERIC ENERGY WITH IT. MENTIONED GUSTY WINDS REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE STORMS...STILL POSSIBLE A FEW STORMS MAY BE SEVERE. IN ADDITION...50-60 KT SOUTHERLY 850MB JET WILL KEEP GUSTY WINDS THIS AFTERNOON... DIMINISHING WITH LOSS OF HEATING. BEHIND THIS LINE...KEPT CHANCE POPS UNTIL THE FRONT MOVES THRU. CLOUD MAY BREAK FOR A WHILE BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT WILL MOVE BACK IN LATER TONIGHT AS COLD ADVECTION INCREASES AND THE UPPER LOW BEGINS TO DROP SOUTH. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... PERIOD STARTS WITH DRY SLOT MOVING ACROSS CWA WITH SOME BREAKS IN CLOUDS. MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH UPPER LOW APPROACHES DURING THE DAY AND SHOULD SEE INCREASING CLOUDS IN THE WEST ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON. ISOLATED SHOWERS WILL START MOVING IN AROUND 21Z AS WELL. LIKED COOLER MET AS WELL. SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY WILL FEATURE PLENTY OF CLOUDS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS AS UPPER TROUGH DIPS INTO THE AREA. EARLIER RUNS OF THE GFS DUMPED MORE ENERGY IN THE BASE OF THE TROUGH TO OUR SOUTHWEST...BUT NOW IT IS MORE SIMILAR TO MODELS LIKE THE NAM/ECMWF/SREF. RIPPLES IN THE MEAN FLOW MAY LOCALLY ENHANCE COVERAGE FROM TIME TO TIME. BEST COVERAGE WILL BE SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH DECENT INSTABILITY...ALTHOUGH LAPSE RATES WILL NOT BE ESPECIALLY STEEP ACCORDING TO BUFKIT SOUNDINGS. WENT WITH LIKELY POPS AREAWIDE. H850 TEMPS OF AROUND -4C WILL ALLOW FOR SOME MIXED-IN SNOW MAINLY AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...AND STILL CANNOT RULE OUT SMALL HAIL/GRAUPEL IN ANY SHOWER IN THIS PATTERN. RAN ON COOLER SIDE OF MOS FOR BOTH SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. SUNDAY NIGHT...THE MOISTURE STARTS TO WANE AS H500 TROUGH AXIS PASSES BY. CLOUDS WILL HANG AROUND AS LOW LEVEL FLOW GOES NORTHERLY OR EVEN NORTH-NORTHEAST...BUT SUPPORT FOR SHRA WILL WANE WITH USUAL DIURNAL DECREASE IN INSTABILITY. ONLY HAVE SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FROM I-64 ON SOUTH CLOSE TO 12Z MONDAY. MAV/MET TEMPERATURE BLEND LOOKS FINE. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... MODELS CONCUR ON FASTER TIMING...PULLING SYSTEM AWAY FROM THE AREA MON...TAKING ITS PRECIPITATION WITH IT. HOWEVER...FORECAST UPPER HEIGHTS AND TEMPERATURES ARE STILL LOW ENOUGH TO MAKE ANY RETURN OF SUNSHINE MON SELF DESTRUCTIVE...GIVING WAY TO LOTS OF AFTERNOON CU. THESE CLOUDS OF COURSE WILL DIE WITH THE SETTING SUN. HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE SE ACROSS THE AREA WED MORNING BUT THEN ONLY SLOWLY DRIFT ACROSS THE SE STATES THROUGH LATE WEEK. THIS SETS US UP WITH A PATTERN TYPICAL OF SPRING BUT ATYPICAL OF WHAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED SINCE THE MIDDLE OF LAST AUTUMN...DRY WITH A GRADUAL WARMING TREND. THIS WILL ESPECIALLY BE THE CASE WED AFTERNOON FORWARD...WHEN FORECAST AREA IS IN RETURN SW FLOW ON BACK SIDE OF AFOREMENTIONED HIGH. ONGOING HIGHS MON WERE IN LINE WITH NEW NUMBERS EXCEPT SW...WHICH WAS SHAVED TO BETTER FIT NEW MEX AND ISC. WENT NEW MEX...WHICH WAS A BIT LOWER FOR LOWS MON NT...MORE OF A RADIATION NT WITH QUICKER SYSTEM EXODUS. ONGOING FORECAST WAS IN LINE WITH LATEST MEX NEGATING NEED FOR CHANGE. AS SLOW MODERATING TREND CONTINUES THROUGH THE BALANCE OF THE PERIOD...KEPT ONGOING HIGHS WHICH REFLECTED TREND WELL...AND LOWERED LOWS ESPECIALLY IN THE VALLEYS ON RADIATION...SLOWING THE NOCTURNAL MODERATION AND COMING MORE IN LINE WITH GUIDANCE. && .AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... 18 FRIDAY THRU 18Z SATURDAY... A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH EASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA EARLY TONIGHT. PRECEDING THE FRONT FOR MUCH OF THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS...ALONG WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY IN THE WEST EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. STORMS WILL BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED BY MID AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST...WHICH WILL MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH AND WEST. OUTSIDE THE CONVECTION...VFR CEILINGS. BEHIND THE FRONT...CONVECTION RAPIDLY ENDS BY 05Z IN THE MOUNTAINS. VFR CEILINGS PREVAIL EXCEPT BECOMING MVFR CEILINGS IN THE MOUNTAINS BY 06Z. THESE CONDITIONS CONTINUE THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY. AVIATION OUTLOOK /AFTER 18Z SAT/... NO IFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...NONE. OH...NONE. KY...NONE. VA...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JMV/CL/TRM NEAR TERM...JMV SHORT TERM...CL LONG TERM...TRM AVIATION...JMV
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 328 PM EDT FRI APR 11 2008 KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011- 013>020-024>040-046-047-120845- GREENUP-CARTER-BOYD-LAWRENCE KY-PERRY-MORGAN-ATHENS-WASHINGTON- JACKSON OH-VINTON-MEIGS-GALLIA-LAWRENCE OH-DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-WAYNE- CABELL-MASON-JACKSON WV-WOOD-PLEASANTS-TYLER-LINCOLN-PUTNAM-KANAWHA- ROANE-WIRT-CALHOUN-RITCHIE-DODDRIDGE-MINGO-LOGAN-BOONE-CLAY-BRAXTON- GILMER-LEWIS-HARRISON-TAYLOR-MCDOWELL-WYOMING-RALEIGH-FAYETTE- NICHOLAS-WEBSTER-UPSHUR-BARBOUR-POCAHONTAS-RANDOLPH- 328 PM EDT FRI APR 11 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...SOUTHEAST OHIO...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS TONIGHT. IN ADVANCE OF THIS FRONT...STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 325 PM EDT FRI APR 11 2008 WVZ005-013-024>026-034-112130- LOGAN WV-WAYNE WV-WYOMING WV-LINCOLN WV-MINGO WV-BOONE WV- 325 PM EDT FRI APR 11 2008 HERE IS A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE... AT 325 PM EDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED OVER SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY...NEAR JACKSON...MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. THIS LINE WILL AFFECT THE WAYNE AND MINGO COUNTY LINE OF WEST VIRGINIA AROUND 4 PM AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE QUICKLY EAST NORTHEAST THROUGH 5:30 PM. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...SMALL SIZE HAIL...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE ALL POSSIBLE WITH THIS LINE OF STORMS. MOTORISTS SHOULD ALLOW EXTRA TIME FOR TRAVEL. PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY. 21
The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 85 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:57 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down in Williamson and along Route 52 over Buffalo Mountain.
Windshields were broken on vehicles.
Trees were blown down in the city. One tree hit a mobile home and slightly injured a woman. A large restaurant sign fell down onto several parked vehicles.
Trees were knocked down and a metal carport was blown over.
Numerous trees were blown over.
Trees fell on the west side of town.
Several trees were blown down.
Trees fell onto power lines.
Trees fell onto power lines.
Fallen trees knocked down a few power lines.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in West 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: 85957, 85956, 85961, 85958, 85962, 85964, 85966, 85967, 85965, 85968, 85969, 85970, 85971, 85972.