A cold front moved south across the Mid Atlantic on May 31st. Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of the cold front.
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 cold front moved south across the Mid Atlantic on May 31st. Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of the cold front. Several of these storms became severe, producing damaging winds that downed trees and power lines in portions of the eastern pan handle of West Virginia.
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 May 31, 2:33 AM EST, 6 hours 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 333 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 .SYNOPSIS... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT TODAY. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE. THE FRONT WILL MOVE EAST OF THE BAY THIS EVENING. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE THROUGH ON SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS ON MONDAY...THEN A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NORTH WITH POSSIBLE UNSETTLED CONDITIONS ON TUESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TODAY... INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATED A MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM /MCS/ RUMBLING THROUGH OHIO EARLY THIS MORNING...AS A COLD FRONT WAS PUSHING THROUGH LAKE MICHIGAN. THE MCS WAS BEING PARTIALLY FUELED BY STRONG LOW/MID LEVEL JETS. CLOSER TO HOME ACROSS LWX- LAND...SOUTHERLY FLOW IN THE LOW LEVELS WAS CONTINUING TO INCREASE MOISTURE ACROSS THE CWA. AT 2 AM...DEWPOINTS ACROSS MOST AREAS WERE ALREADY WELL INTO THE 60S. THIS MOISTURE WILL BE ONE OF SEVERAL INGREDIENTS THAT WILL PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE CWA TODAY. AT 2 AM...THE MCS WAS STARTING TO SHOW SIGNS OF WEAKENING...AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING. HOWEVER...THE REMNANTS OF THE WEAKENED MCS...OR ITS BOUNDARIES...WILL HELP TO TRIGGER ADDITIONAL CONVECTION LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON DOWNSTREAM...INCLUDING THE LWX CWA. OTHER TRIGGERS WILL INCLUDE A LEE TROUGH WHICH A COLD FRONT WILL EVENTUALLY CATCH UP TO EAST OF THE MTNS...OTHER MESOSCALE BOUNDARIES /RIVER AND BAY BREEZES/ ALONG WITH A LOW LEVEL JET. THESE TRIGGERS COMBINED WITH RICH MOISTURE...HIGH INSTABILITY AND INCREASED SHEAR ARE EXPECTED TO RESULT IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. NAM AND GFS ARE BOTH SIMILAR IN THEIR TIMING...AND HAVE SOME BACKING FROM THE SREFS AND LOCALLY RUN LWX MODELS. WILL FIRST CONTEND WITH REMNANT SHRA/TSRA /SHOULD BE BELOW SEVERE LIMITS/ ACROSS THE NORTHWEST CWA BY 12Z THIS MORNING. THEN...ADDITIONAL CONVECTION WILL LIKELY DEVELOP BETWEEN 14Z AND 16Z...MOVING THROUGH THE AREA AND THEN ACROSS THE BAY BETWEEN 20Z AND 22Z. THE INITIATION IS A LITTLE EARLIER THAN TYPICAL SUMMERTIME CONVECTIVE EVENTS. LOOKING AT SOME CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS...THE GFS FORECASTS MORE CAPE THAN THE NAM. EAST OF THE MTNS...THE GFS INDICATES A BULLS EYE OF 2.5-3.5K J/KG AT 18Z. THATS A LOT OF CAPE BUT EVEN IF THE NAM/S 1-2K J/KG IS CLOSER TO REALITY...THAT/LL BE JUST PLENTY TO FUEL THUNDERSTORMS IN A 65 TO 70 DEG F DEWPOINT ENVIRONMENT. BELIEVE THE 21Z SREF PROBS ARE A GOOD COMPROMISE. COMBINE THIS WITH THEIR EFFECTIVE SHEAR PROBS...AND THE HIGHEST RISK OF SEVERE LOOKS TO BE EAST OF THE MTNS ESPECIALLY ALONG AND TO THE EAST OF THE BALTIMORE WASHINGTON I-95 CORRIDOR. THIS IS WHERE CAPE AND SHEAR CAN BE OPTIMIZED TO RESULT IN THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CONVECTIVE ORGANIZATION...WHICH WOULD INCLUDE LINEAR/BOWING SEGMENTS AND SUPERCELLS. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL COULD RESULT. HOWEVER...EVEN WITH MODELS INDICATING GENERALLY UNIDIRECTIONAL WIND FIELDS...AM CONCERNED WITH RIVER/BAY BREEZES INTERSECTING OTHER BOUNDARIES...WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ISOLATED TORNADO. ALL OF THESE THREATS WILL BE MENTIONED IN THE HWO. WILL ALSO HAVE DAMAGING WIND/LARGE HAIL WORDING IN GRIDS/TEXT PRODUCTS. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 AM SUNDAY/... MOST IF NOT ALL OF THE SEVERE CONVECTION WILL BE DONE BY 22Z. WILL LINGER POPS THROUGH ABOUT 02Z...UNTIL THE COLD FRONT CLEARS THE CWA. HIGHEST EVENING POPS WILL BE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST CWA CLOSEST TO THE FRONT AND ACROSS THE NORTHWEST CWA WHERE A LAGGING TROUGH COULD SUPPORT CONVECTION. REMOVED POPS OVERNIGHT AS THERE/S NO COMPELLING SUPPORT FOR ADDITIONAL CONVECTION TO CONTINUE BEYOND MIDNIGHT. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... A WEAK DISTURBANCE DROPPING SOUTH ON THE BACKSIDE OF DEPARTING TROF WILL CONTRIBUTE TO DIURNALLY DRIVEN TSTMS MAINLY OVER THE SRN HALF FCST AREA SUN. MOISTURE IS MORE LIMITED THAN TODAY BUT RELATIVELY COOL MID LVL TEMPS OF AROUND -16C AND BAND OF 40KT MID-LVL WINDS ACROSS THEA AREA COULD SUPPORT A FEW SVR STORMS WITH HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREATS GIVEN DRY ADIABATIC LAPSE RATES. QUIET ON MON AS WEAK HIGH PRES DOMINATES. NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN TUE AS A WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH OF THE AREA. && .AVIATION /07Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT AREA TERMINALS TODAY. HAVE INCLUDED TIME ESTIMATES OF HIGHEST IMPACT POTENTIAL IN 06Z TAFS. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD END DURING THE AFTERNOON...AND A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION TURNING WINDS TO THE WEST. SCT TSTMS POSSIBLE SUN AFTERNOON MAINLY SRN TERMINALS (KCHO AND KDCA). NO SIG WX EXPECTED MON-THU. && .MARINE... SOUTHERLY CHANNELING WAS PRODUCING LOW END SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WIND GUSTS EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS THE BAY. AS WINDS FROM AN INCREASING LOW LEVEL JET MIX DOWN TODAY...EXPECT ALL AREAS TO ACHIEVE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WIND SPEEDS THAT COULD GUST 25 OR 30 KT AT TIMES. IN ADDITION...THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE WATERS IN THE AFTERNOON. SPECIAL MARINE WARNINGS MAY BE NECESSARY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST OF THE BAY BY 6 PM AS A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE WATERS. SCT TSTMS POSSIBLE SUN AFTERNOON WITH GUSTY WINDS AND FREQ LIGHTNING THE MAIN THREATS. NO FLAGS EXPECTED ON THE WATERS THROUGH TUE OUTSIDE OF TSTMS. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM EDT SUNDAY FOR ANZ530>537. && SYNOPSIS...PELOQUIN NEAR TERM...PELOQUIN SHORT TERM...PELOQUIN LONG TERM...LFR AVIATION...PELOQUIN/LFR MARINE...PELOQUIN/LFR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 954 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 ANZ530>537-DCZ001-MDZ006-007-011-013-014-016>018-VAZ052>057- 011000- 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- 954 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 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...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE REMNANTS OF A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WILL AFFECT THE MID ATLANTIC REGION THIS MORNING. IN THE AFTERNOON...ADDITIONAL STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT OVER THE OHIO VALLEY. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY. THE REMNANTS OF THE THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WILL MOVE ACROSS METROPOLITAN AREAS OF BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON DC BEFORE NOON...AND THEN QUICKLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN CHESAPEAKE BAY. ADDITIONAL SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT LATER THIS AFTERNOON...AND AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH 5 PM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS OF 60 MPH OR GREATER AND LARGE HAIL. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE INTERSTATE 95 CORRIDOR. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER AND MARYLAND CHESAPEAKE BAY TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MAINLY FROM WASHINGTON DC SOUTH. LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGER STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY...PERHAPS AS EARLY AS MID TO LATE MORNING. MDZ003>005-009-010-501-502-VAZ021-025>031-036>042-050-051- WVZ050>055-501>504-011000- 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- 954 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 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...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE REMNANTS OF A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WILL AFFECT THE MID ATLANTIC REGION THIS MORNING. IN THE AFTERNOON...ADDITIONAL STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD A OF A COLD FRONT MOVING IN FROM THE OHIO VALLEY. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY. THE REMNANTS OF THE THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WILL MOSTLY AFFECT WESTERN MARYLAND...THE PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA AND THE METROPOLITAN AREAS OF BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON DC BEFORE NOON. HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL STORMS ARE ANTICIPATED THIS AFTERNOON AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT FOR THE ENTIRE AREA THROUGH 5 PM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS OF 60 MPH OR GREATER AND LARGE HAIL. AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGER STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY...PERHAPS AS EARLY AS MID TO LATE MORNING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 842 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 MDZ501-502-WVZ503-504-311330- CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY MD-EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY MD- WESTERN MINERAL WV-EASTERN MINERAL WV- 842 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO ALLEGANY AND MINERAL COUNTIES... AT 842 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF BARTON...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF LONACONING...WESTERNPORT...FROSTBURG...LA VALE... RIDGELEY...CUMBERLAND AND FORT ASHBY WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM. GMS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 844 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 MDZ501-502-WVZ503-504-311330- CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY MD-EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY MD- WESTERN MINERAL WV-EASTERN MINERAL WV- 844 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT ALLEGANY AND MINERAL COUNTIES... AT 842 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF BARTON...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF LONACONING...WESTERNPORT...FROSTBURG...LA VALE... RIDGELEY...CUMBERLAND AND FORT ASHBY WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM. GMS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 919 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 MDZ003-502-WVZ050-051-504-311400- WASHINGTON MD-HAMPSHIRE WV-MORGAN WV-CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY MD- EASTERN MINERAL WV- 919 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT WASHINGTON...HAMPSHIRE...MORGAN... ALLEGANY AND MINERAL COUNTIES... AT 919 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES WEST OF LEVELS...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF ROMNEY...HANCOCK...LINEBURG AND PAW PAW WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM. GMS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1002 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 MDZ003>005-WVZ052-053-311445- WASHINGTON MD-CARROLL MD-FREDERICK MD-JEFFERSON WV-BERKELEY WV- 1002 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT WASHINGTON...CARROLL...FREDERICK... JEFFERSON AND BERKELEY COUNTIES... AT 1002 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER HALFWAY...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THE COMMUNITIES OF BOONSBORO...WOLFSVILLE...THURMONT...WALKERSVILLE AND EMMITSBURG WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM. GMS
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:31 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Jefferson County Emergency Management reported a tree down near Jefferson Avenue in Charles Town.
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, May 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: 99122.