A stationary frontal boundary was stretched across the Mid Atlantic on July 5th. This boundary combined with a very humid atmosphere to produce scattered showers and thunderstorms across portions of the eastern pan handle of West Virginia.
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 LWX wrote it up.
A stationary frontal boundary was stretched across the Mid Atlantic on July 5th. This boundary combined with a very humid atmosphere to produce scattered showers and thunderstorms across portions of the eastern pan handle of West Virginia. One severe storm in Grant County produced 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 Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 5, 2:11 PM EST, 1 hour 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 311 PM EDT SAT JUL 5 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A FRONT WILL REMAIN STALLED THE MID ATLANTIC THROUGH MONDAY. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO DEVELOP IN VICINITY OF THE BOUNDARY UNTIL IT MOVES NORTH AND DISSIPATES LATE MONDAY. A SECOND FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA LATE NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING/... PARTIAL BREAKS IN CLOUD COVER THIS MRNG ACROSS THE WRN HALF OF THE CWA HAS AIDED IN THE INCR INSTAB AND SUBSEQUENT INITIATION OF SCT/D TSTMS ALONG RIDGE LINES. A WEAK 25-30KT 700-800MB LAYER JET REGION ACROSS THE CNTRL APLCHNS LIKELY AIDING IN LIFT ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE W OF I-81 AND S OF THE PTMC HILANDS. OTHER SCT/D ACTIVITY ACROSS THE NRN BLUE RIDGE IN FREDRICK CO MD. LIFE SPAN OF INDIV CELLS IS FAIRLY SHORT AWAY FROM THE RIDGE LINES...THO CONT/D DEVELOPMENT AND MULTIPLE OUTFLOW BNDRIES...ALONG W/ THE APRCHNG UPPER DYNAMICS WILL LIKELY MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO PUSH THE ACTIVITY E/WRD INTO THE PIEDMONT. 12Z GFS DEVELOPING A SIZABLE CAPE REGION ACROSS THE I-95 CRDR FROM NC INTO NRN VA...UPWARD OF 2500 J/KG IN EXTREME SRN PRTN OF THE CWA...W/ A +2000 STREAK TO THE MASON/DIXON LINE. THESE VALUES MAY BE A BIT ADVANTAGEOUS W/ TEMPS STRUGGLING INTO THE L80S...THO HIGH MOISTURE THRESHOLDS MAY PRODUCE THE NECESSARY LL LAPSE RATES TO CONT BREAKING THE BNDRY LAYER INVRSN. KEPT CATEG POPS IN THE THRU LATE EVNG...W/ A SLIGHT DECR FOR THE OVERNIGHT HRS. THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTN AND EARLY EVNG WILL CONT TO BE HAZY W/ SCT/D CB DEVELOPING ACROSS THE MTNS AND EVNTLY INTO THE PIEDMONT. PWAT VALUES EXPTD NEAR 2 INCHES BY LATE THIS EVNG. SMALL-SCALE/ISLTD FLOODING ONE OF THE CONCERNS W/ NEARLY ANY TYPE OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. ONE LIMITING FACTOR WOULD BE THE FORWARD SPEED FROM THE DECENT 30-40KT MID LEVEL STEERING FLOW. BEING ON THE WAA SIDE OF THE UPPER TROD AXIS ACROSS THE OHIO RVR VALLEY PULLS THE UPPER DIVERGENCE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. WEAK BNDRY LAYER FLOW NOT FAVORABLE FOR TRAINING /ESPC W/ CALM SFC WINDS/...THO INDIV CELLS COULD AGAIN REPLACE THESE HIGH PWAT VALUES IN THE LOWER LEVELS TO LOCALIZED AREAS OF TORRENTIAL /SHORT-LIVED/ RAIN EVENTS. THE COLUMN LOOKS SIMILAR TO FRI W/ THE RANDOM DRY LAYERS IN THE MID LEVELS...AND A MOIST SFC-6KM REGION. ISLTD DWNBRST PTNL EXISTS AGAIN...AS WELL AS A MINOR HAIL THREAT. THE INITIAL TSTMS ON THE 4TH THAT DEVELOPED ACRS THE BLUE RIDGE HAD EVIDENCE OF WEAK ROTATING UPDRAFTS...THO THEY WERE PULSE IN NATURE. THIS SEEMS WORRISOME...NOT SO MUCH FROM A TORNADIC STAND-POINT BUT LONGER LIVED STORMS THAT CAN PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS W/ FROM A MUCH LOWER HEIGHT THAN A TYPICAL PULSE STORM...NOT TO MENTION MODIFYING IT/S ENVRMNT AND STEER AWAY FROM THE MEAN FLOW. THIS TYPE OF SCENARIO COULD REPEAT TODAY /AS WELL AS THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS/ WITH A SIMILAR REGIME IN PLACE. THE DYNAMICS OF THE UPPER TROF MAY AGAIN OVERRULE THE TYPICAL SUMMER-DAY TSTM NEED FOR LARGE AMNTS OF INSTAB. && .SHORT TERM /10 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY/... NAM PSBLY KEYING IN ON THE DVLPMNT OF AN LEE MESO LOW ACROSS THE SHNDH VALLEY OVRNGHT...WHICH SPINS AREAS OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY INTO THE REGION FROM THE SW INTO EARLY SUN. A VAGUELY SIMILAR FEATURE FROM THE 12Z GFS. UNSURE HOW MUCH INSTAB WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR EARLY MRNG CONVN...THO A BNDRY LAYER INV MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SET UP W/ THE NEARLY OVERCAST SKIES AND DYNAMIC BNDRY LAYER MIXING OVRNGHT. EXPTNG PATCHY FOG/DZ/-RA SCT/D IN COVERAGE OVERNIGHT...DISSIPATING DRNG THE MRNG HRS. A NEAR PERSISTENCE FORECAST FOR SUN W/ LIKELY POPS/TSTM CHNCS. SLIGHTLY LESS COVERAGE AND CERTAINTY AT THIS POINT...BUT UNDER NEARLY THE SAME REGIME. AFTN TSTMS UNDER THE BEST AREAS OF CLEARING...LIKELY MTN CONVN AGAIN. NEARLY THE SAME FORECASTED CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS FOR SUN AFTN FROM THIS AFTN /SAME LOCALES/. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... THE LONG TERM PORTION OF THE FORECAST WILL REMAIN UNSETTLED WELL INTO NEXT WEEK. WEAK BOUNDARY CURRENTLY STALLED ACROSS THE CENTRAL CWFA WILL HANG AROUND THROUGH MUCH OF MONDAY BEFORE MOVING NORTHWARD AND DISSIPATING. THE BOUNDARY WILL SERVE TO FOCUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR SUNDAY AND INTO MONDAY. TUESDAY WILL BE A TRANSITION DAY...AS HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS OFF THE COAST AND A FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. WHILE SCATTERED CONVECTION IS POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...CONVECTION WILL BE MORE ISOLATED IN NATURE ON TUESDAY. A FRONT WILL BEGIN TO APPROACH THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY...WITH INCREASING CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION. THIS FRONT ALSO LOOKS PRETTY SLOW TO DEPART THE CWFA...AND MAY END UP STALLING SOMEWHERE OVER THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN VA. HAVE PLAYED THINGS OPTIMISTIC AND KEPT THE NORTHERN CWFA DRY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH THE FRONT STALLING TO THE SOUTH OF THE CWFA. && .AVIATION /19Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... HZ AND MVFR VSBYS WILL CONT TO INFLUENCE THE REGION INTO THE EVNG HRS. SCT/D TSTMS WILL CONT TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE MTNS...DRIFTING SLOWLY E/WRD. THE STORMS ARE NOT EXPTD TO PUSH INTO THE PIEDMONT AND I-95 CRDR UNTIL LATER IN THE EVNG WHEN OUTFLOW BNDRIES CAN PUSH CONVECTION FURTHER E/WRD. IF THAT DOESN/T HAPPEN...TERMINAL MAY REMAIN FAIRLY DRY INTO THE NIGHTTIME HRS. DEEP LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL CREATE FOR PERSISTENT VFR/MVFR HZ/BR COND/S THRU EARLY SUNDAY. KCHO/KMRB EXPTD TO DROP FOR A FEW HRS NEAR SUNRISE TO VLIFR/LIFR COND/S...PERSISTENCE FROM THIS MRNG...AS WELL AS A NEAR REPEAT OF TODAY/S WX FOR SUNDAY. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN STALLED OVER THE ARE THROUGH MONDAY. A SECOND FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION DURING THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE CIGS/VSBYS THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. SOME DRYING IS POSSIBLE BY LATE WEEK. && .MARINE... LIGHT WINDS THRU SUNDAY. SCT/D TSTM ACTIVITY AGAIN PSLBE OVER PORTIONS OF THE CHESAPEAKE AND TIDAL PTMC LATE TONIGHT AND OVERNIGHT. NO SCA CONDS EXPTD THRU THE SUN. SOME CHANNELING UP THE BAY IS POSSIBLE TOMORROW NIGHT...BUT THE LOCAL MODELS AND BUFKIT KEEP THE WINDS JUST BELOW SCA CRITERIA. SOUTHERLY CHANNELING UP THE BAY WILL OCCUR AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SCHOOR/LISTEMAA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1113 AM EDT SAT JUL 5 2008 ANZ530>537-DCZ001-MDZ006-007-011-013-014-016>018-VAZ052>057- 061515- 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- 1113 AM EDT SAT JUL 5 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 THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY. HEAVY DOWNPOURS...COULD LEAD TO SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING. SOUTHERN MARYLAND AND THE FREDERICKSBURG AREA OF VIRGINIA HAVE THE RISK FOR MORE DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A COLD FRONT WILL STALL OVER THE MID ATLANTIC THROUGH MONDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THIS BOUNDARY. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...AND WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. HEAVY DOWNPOURS...COULD LEAD TO SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING. MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATE WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY. MDZ003>005-009-010-501-502-VAZ021-025>031-036>042-050-051- WVZ050>055-501>504-061515- 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- 1113 AM EDT SAT JUL 5 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 THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY. HEAVY DOWNPOURS...COULD LEAD TO SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING. CENTRAL VIRGINIA ALSO HAS THE RISK FOR DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A COLD FRONT WILL STALL OVER THE MID ATLANTIC THROUGH MONDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THIS BOUNDARY. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...AND WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. HEAVY DOWNPOURS...COULD LEAD TO SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING. MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATE WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 225 PM EDT SAT JUL 5 2008 VAZ027-WVZ055-051900- SHENANDOAH VA-HARDY WV- 225 PM EDT SAT JUL 5 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT SHENANDOAH AND HARDY COUNTIES... AT 225 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 34 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TOMS BROOK...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM. BJL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 329 PM EDT SAT JUL 5 2008 VAZ025-036-037-052000- NELSON VA-ALBEMARLE VA-AUGUSTA VA- 329 PM EDT SAT JUL 5 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT NELSON...ALBEMARLE AND AUGUSTA COUNTIES... AT 329 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SHERANDO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 9 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF AFTON AND CROZET WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM. BJL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 400 PM EDT SAT JUL 5 2008 WVZ501-502-052030- WESTERN GRANT WV-EASTERN GRANT WV- 400 PM EDT SAT JUL 5 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT WESTERN GRANT AND EASTERN GRANT COUNTIES... AT 400 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BISMARCK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF BISMARCK...SCHERR...MOUNT STORM...MOUNT PISGAH AND MARTIN WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM. BJL
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 155 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:35 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Grant County Emergency Management reported a large tree down in Route 50 in Mount Storm.
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, July 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: 117885.