An upper level disturbance passed through the region during the heating of the afternoon. The result was the formation of thunderstorms, some of which reached severe criteria producing damaging winds.
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.
An upper level disturbance passed through the region during the heating of the afternoon. The result was the formation of thunderstorms, some of which reached severe criteria producing 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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 29, 6:49 PM EST, 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 749 PM EDT WED APR 29 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT ACROSS SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND EXTENDING SOUTHEAST INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT...WILL PUSH A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTHWEST INTO NORTH CAROLINA TONIGHT. THE FRONT WILL THEN HEAD BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT THROUGH THE AREA THURSDAY AFTERNOON. ANOTHER COLD FRONT ARRIVES LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...MEANDERING AROUND THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... HAVE UPDATED GRIDS FOR HIGHEST POPS IN THE FAR WEST AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WHICH IS PUSHING SWWD ACROSS SW VA AND NW NC. GREATEST INSTABILITY AND BEST LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE REMAINS ACROSS THE NW NC FOOTHILLS AND MTNS...SO WILL ADD IN A MENTION OF SMALL HAIL FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... CONVECTION FIRED UP THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AS AIRMASS REMAINS UNSTABLE HERE. THIS COMBINED WITH AN APPROACHING VORT LOBE WILL KEEP THE THREAT OF THUNDER AROUND THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING...WITH SOME DEVELOPMENT EXPECTED INTO THE PIEDMONT...BUT NOT AS NUMEROUS. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL BE STRONG WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL...AND NOT OF THE QUESTION TO HAVE ISOLATED SEVERE THROUGH SUNDOWN. THIS EVENING...THE STABLE AIR OVER THE MID ATLANTIC...WILL DIVE SOUTHWEST INTO THE REGION AS NE-E FLOW INCREASES. THE FAR SOUTHWEST WILL REMAIN OUTSIDE THE STABLE AIR AND WILL SEE A BETTER THREAT OF SHOWERS/ISOLATED THUNDER UNTIL MIDNIGHT. OVERNIGHT...ONCE THE SHORTWAVE PASSES...FORCING IS SCARCE...AND MODEL SOUNDINGS SUGGEST THAT SPOTTY LIGHT RAIN/DRIZZLE ESPECIALLY IN THE WEDGED IN AREAS FROM THE NEW RIVER VALLEY AND HIGHLANDS EAST TO THE PIEDMONT. SHOULD ALSO SEE SOME DENSE FOG ALONG THE RIDGES...I.E. BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY/FANCY GAP OVERNIGHT. LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE CLOSE TO MAV MOS. THURSDAY...TRICKY FORECAST IN TERMS OF TEMPS...BUT MODELS INDICATING STRONGER SOUTHWEST FLOW BY AFTERNOON TO SCOUR OUT THE WEDGE. STILL KEEPING THE NRN/NERN CWA WITH COOLER TEMPS...BUT BUMPED UP HIGHS ELSEWHERE...KEEPING IT JUST A TAD COOLER THAN MAV FOR NOW. PATCHY LIGHT RAIN/DRIZZLE IN THE MORNING WILL GIVE WAY TO MAINLY DRY WX THURSDAY AFTERNOON OVER THE EAST...WHILE AN APPROACHING SHORTWAVE OVER THE OHIO VALLEY...AND SOME INCREASE IN LOW LVL CONVERGENCE BRINGS THE RETURN OF ISOLATED...TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MOUNTAINS. KEPT ISOLATED IN THE EAST AS WELL...BUT NOT LOOKING AT MUCH. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT SHORT WAVE IN NAM/GFS...ALL MODELS REALLY...TO TRACK ACROSS THE APPALACHIANS OVERNIGHT THURS INTO FRI MORNING...AND WHILE CONVECTIVELY INDUCED...ITS NOT A FIGMENT OF THE MODELS IMAGINATION SINCE A CLASSIC MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE VORTEX HAS FORMED WITH THE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM IN OKLAHOMA TODAY. HAVE TO CONSIDER THE LIKELIHOOS OF SHWRS AND TSTORMS LASTING INTO OVERNIGHT PERIOD AS THIS WAVE TRACKS ACROSS. SUBSIDENCE BEHIND IT COULD ACTUALLY SUPPRESS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY UNTIL LATER IN THE DAY WHEN BETTER HEATING MAY KICK OF MORE OROGRAPHIC CONVECTION AND NOT AS WIDESPREAD AS PREVIOUS DAYS. SFC FRONT AT THIS TIME STILL IN THE MIDWEST STATES...BUT SW FLOW AND STILL DECENT LOW LVL MSTR SHOULD BE ENOUGH. HAVE LOWERED THE POPS SOMEWHAT FOR FRIDAY DAYTIME THOUGH... ESPECIALLY IN THE PIEDMONT...GIVEN SUSPECTED SUBSIDENCE. TROUBLE IS...ANOTHER WAVE ON ITS HEELS BY LATE IN THE DAY MAY STILL PLAY A ROLE IN TRIGGERING AFTERNOON CONVECTION...BUT ORIGINS AND TIMING OF THIS WAVE MORE QUESTIONABLE. FRONT STILL ON TRACK TO ARRIVE EARLY SATURDAY BUT PERHAPS TRENDING A LITTLE SLOWER. HAVE KEPT POPS LOW FOR OVERNIGHT...BUT LIKELY IN THE WEST FOR SATURDAY AS FRONT PUSHES THROUGH PROBABLY EARLY IN THE DAY. FRONT WONT GET TOO FAR AS IT BEGINS TO TILT OVER FASTER TO THE NORTH..BECOMING EAST-WEST ORIENTED BY LATE IN THE DAY AND STILL IN OR JUST SOUTH OF CWA BY SAT EVENING SUCH THAT STILL CANT RULE OUT SOME CONVECTION EVEN JUST NORTH OF IT...AT LEAST INTO THE EVENING. AS FAR AS TEMPERATURES ARE CONCERNED...FRIDAY WENT WITH WARMER MET GUIDANCE GIVEN BREAK BETWEEN S/WV TO THE EAST AND FRONT STILL TO THE WEST...UNDER GOOD SW FLOW. PERHAPS A LITTLE MORE SUN THAN ON OTHER DAYS. THEN COOLER THAN THE MAV GUIDANCE FOR SAT GIVE FRONTAL BOUNDARY DRAPED ACROSS AREA WITH LOTS OF CLOUDS AND SHWRS/TSTMS. CLOSE TO MILD OVERNIGHTS WITH PLENTY OF CLOUDS AND DEW PTS REMAINING IN 50S. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... DONT SEE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE CONTINUED UNSETTLED PATTERN THROUGH MID NEXT WEEK. FLAT RIDGE WILL CONTINUE OVER THE AREA KEEPING FAIRLY MILD TEMPERATURES IN PLACE...BUT SERIES OF SHORT WAVES WILL EJECT OUT OF THE SRN U.S. IN SPLIT FLOW PATTERN...HELPING TO KEEP MOISTURE IN THE AREA AND A SFC BOUNDARY FROM STRAYING TOO FAR FROM THE CENTRAL APPALACHIAN REGION AS WELL. ECMWF WHICH HAS SLIGHTLY HIGHER AMPLITUDE ENERGY COMING OUT OF SRN BRANCH IS CONSENSUS SOLN AT THIS TIME...AND DOES SUGGEST THAT BOUNDARY WILL NOW TRY TO LIFT NORTH OF AREA BY TUES AND INTO WED...BUT BEFORE THAT MAY REMAIN SOUTH OF REGION WITH WEAK DAMMING SCENARIO. APPEARS THAT PRETTY STRONG WAVE COULD APPROACH ALONG BOUNDARY ON SUNDAY...SO TRENDED UPWARD A BIT WITH POPS TO CHOW HIGH CHC IN WEST. DEEPER AMPLITUDE WAVE BY MONDAY MAY SLOW DOWN BEST CHANCES TO LATE IN THE DAY...BUT THIS IS WHERE IT GETS MUCH TRICKIER TO TIME THESE WAVES. AM REALLY JUST PLAYING CHC POPS ALL THE WAY THROUGH...WITH GENERALLY BETTER CHANCES IN THE MTNS WITH SW TO WEST FLOW. TEMPS COULD BE COOLER THAN WE CURRENT HAVE THEM SUN/MON BECAUSE OF THIS...BUT AM SUGGESTING WARMING TUES/WED AS BOUNDARY LIFTS NORTH...AND ALSO MORE SCT NATURE OF CONVECTION BY NEXT WED...PERHAPS EVEN A REAL BREAK. SO DID LOWER POPS A BIT BY NEXT THEN. ALL IN ALL...NO MAJOR CHANGES TO MEDIUM RANGE PERIOD FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST...WITH EXTENSION OF PRECIP CHANCES INTO AT LEAST WED UNTIL WE SEE A MAJOR PATTERN CHANGE COMING. THERE COULD ACTUALLY BE A DRY DAY IN THE MID PART OF NEXT WEEK...BUT CANT PIN POINT IT JUST YET. && .AVIATION /00Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... BACKDOOR FRONT IS NOW SOUTHWEST OF ALL BUT THE BLF AIRPORT. LOWER CLOUDS ARE LAGGING BEHIND THIS FRONT...BUT WITH A FAIRLY DEEP EASTERLY FLOW...CIGS WILL BE DETERIORATING OVERNIGHT AT ALL TAF SITES. ALL SITES MAY DROP BELOW IFR...BUT BLF HAS LESS CHANCE THAN THE OTHER SITES...SO I HAVE LEFT THEM AT LOW END MVFR FOR NOW. CONDITIONS WILL BE SLOW TO IMPROVE THURSDAY AS THE FRONT LIFT BACK NORTHWARD AS A WARM FRONT. THE WEDGE WILL LIKELY HOLD IN LOW CLOUDS MUCH OF THE DAY AT LYH...AND WELL PAST NOON FOR ALL BUT BLF. ONCE CEILINGS LIFT AT ALL SITES BY LATE IN THE DAY...SOUTH WINDS WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO KEEP ALL SITES WELL MIXED WITH VFR CIGS. BLF AND LWB WILL HAVE CHC FOR SOME SHOWERS/POSS TSTMS TOWARD THE END OF THE 24 HOUR PERIOD. THE WEATHER PATTERN WILL BECOME UNSETTLED FRI-SUN AS ANOTHER FRONT ARRIVES AND SETS UP ACROSS THE REGION. PERIODS OF IFR OR MVFR ARE LIKELY IN SHOWERS/POSSIBLE TSTMS. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JJ/WP NEAR TERM...WP SHORT TERM...SK LONG TERM...SK AVIATION...JJ/WP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 337 AM EDT WED APR 29 2009 NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059- WVZ042>045-300745- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES- YADKIN-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON- CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE- PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL- APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE- GREENBRIER- 337 AM EDT WED APR 29 2009 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...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
609 PM EDT WED APR 29 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0540 PM HAIL GALAX 36.67N 80.92W
04/29/2009 E1.00 INCH CITY OF GALAX VA PUBLIC
HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZED FELL FROM 540 TO 600 PM AND
COVERED THE GROUND ALONG ROUTE 89 ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF
THE CITY.
&&
JJACKSONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
613 PM EDT WED APR 29 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0530 PM FLASH FLOOD 1 NE ELK CREEK 36.73N 81.17W
04/29/2009 GRAYSON VA PUBLIC
PUBLIC REPORTS TURKEY FORK OUT OF ITS BANKS ALONG SPRING
VALLEY ROAD.
&&
JJACKSONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
623 PM EDT WED APR 29 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0615 PM HAIL 3 WNW WILLIS 36.87N 80.53W
04/29/2009 E0.50 INCH FLOYD VA PUBLIC
SMALL HAIL COVERED THE GROUND 3 TO 4 INCHES DEEP JUST OFF
INDIAN VALLEY ROAD BETWEEN WILLIS AND INDIAN VALLEY.
&&
JJACKSONSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 641 PM EDT WED APR 29 2009 NCZ001-002-VAZ015-292330- ALLEGHANY NC-ASHE NC-GRAYSON VA- 641 PM EDT WED APR 29 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT ALLEGHANY...ASHE AND GRAYSON COUNTIES... AT 638 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTH OF MOUTH OF WILSON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND PEA-SIZED HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL FROM THIS STORM...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR SCOTTVILLE AROUND 705 PM...PINEY CREEK AROUND 710 PM...STRATFORD AROUND 725 PM AND TWIN OAKS AROUND 730 PM. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR LATER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. LAT...LON 3669 8123 3650 8110 3643 8140 3652 8148 EXPERIMENTAL KM
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
704 PM EDT WED APR 29 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0526 PM HAIL 2 S WILLIS 36.82N 80.48W
04/29/2009 E0.88 INCH FLOYD VA PUBLIC
HAIL COVERING THE GROUND.
&&
MATTAROCHIASPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 733 PM EDT WED APR 29 2009 NCZ003-VAZ016-032-300015- CARROLL VA-PATRICK VA-SURRY NC- 733 PM EDT WED APR 29 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CARROLL...PATRICK AND SURRY COUNTIES... AT 732 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM CANA TO 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF BOTTOM...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 30 MPH AND PEA-SIZED HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL FROM THESE STORMS...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS. EXPECT FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING FROM THESE STORMS. DO NOT STAY IN THE OPEN OR SEEK SHELTER UNDER TREES WHEN LIGHTNING THREATENS...MOVE INDOORS WHEN A THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR TOAST AROUND 805 PM...WESTFIELD AROUND 810 PM AND ARARAT AROUND 815 PM. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR LATER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. LAT...LON 3662 8045 3646 8057 3652 8081 3665 8068 EXPERIMENTAL KM
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:54 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds blew a tree down. Damage values are estimated.
Thunderstorm winds blew a tree down. Damage values are estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, April 2009
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: 167619, 167620.