A weak boundary remained over Virginia on the 12th. This combined with moderate amounts of instability to trigger scattered showers and thunderstorms.
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 weak boundary remained over Virginia on the 12th. This combined with moderate amounts of instability to trigger scattered showers and thunderstorms. An isolated thunderstorm did become severe across central 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 Jul 12, 1:57 PM EST, 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 257 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...AND WILL BECOME STATIONARY ACROSS SOUTHERN VIRGINIA BY MONDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. THE BOUNDARY WILL RETURN NORTH AS A WARM FRONT WEDNESDAY BEFORE ANOTHER COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING/... A DEFINITELY UNSTABLE REGION HAPPENED TO BE BETWEEN I-81 AND I-66 IN N CNTRL VA PIEDMONT. CLEARLY DEFINED PRESSURE TROFS AND OTHER HEATING INDUCED BOUNDARIES WERE SEEN ON RADAR AS STORMS BEGAN TO FIRE OFF THE BOUNDARIES LAID ACROSS CULPEPER CO AND ADJACENT AREAS TO THE WEST. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION THEN BEGAN TO TRAIN ALONG THESE CONVERGENCE ZONES BEFORE NOON...AND ARE STILL DEVELOPING AT THIS HR /THOUGH THE NRNMOST ZONE OF INITIATION IS NOW A BIT FURTHER SOUTH/. SCATTERED SHOWERS/TSTMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP INTO THE LATE AFTN ACROSS MAINLY THESE SAME AREAS FROM NEAR CHARLOTTESVILLE ENEWD ACROSS ORANGE...SPOTSY...STAFFORD AND THE SRNMOST REACHES OF THE LOWER SRN MD COUNTIES. THE FOCUS WILL LIKELY SHIFT A BIT FURTHER E AND S AS THE AFTN/EVNG CONTINUES AND THE WNWLY DRIER WINDS START TO SQUELCH THE NRN ACTIVITY. HIGHS AREAWIDE ARE STEADILY TOPPING OUT IN THE M80S /OUTSIDE OF CONVECTIVE AREAS TO THE SOUTH/ AND DEWPTS ARE STILL IN THE U60S/L70S NEAR THE CONVECTION. UP IN THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS HOWEVER...DEWPOINTS IN THE U40S AND L50S ARE FILTERING INTO THE REGION. THIS LARGE SFC MOISTURE STRATIFICATION WILL HOWEVER STAY FAIRLY INTACT...W/ NO BIG DRY AIR PUSH DOWN INTO THE REST OF THE CWA...MAINLY JUST THE NRNMOST ZONES. && .SHORT TERM /10 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 8 PM MONDAY/... STORMS WILL DISSIPATE AND MOVE OFF TO THE SE LATER THIS EVNG...AND SKIES WILL REMAIN EITHER MOSTLY CLR OR PARTLY CLOUDY. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL DROP ABOUT 5-7 DEGREES LOWER THAN LAST NIGHT...ESPC ACROSS THE NRN ZONES BECAUSE OF THE DRIER AIR IN PLACE. MONDAY MAY BE A FAIRLY SIMILAR DAY...W/ A LOW CHANCE OF CONVECTION...THO STILL LOOKING FOR ROUGHLY THE SAME TARGET AREAS FROM TODAY. THE STATIONARY FRONT DOWN ACROSS CNTRL/SRN VA WILL MOVE LITTLE OVER THE NEXT 24 HRS...THEN FINALLY BEGIN A MORE CYCLONIC MOVEMENT W/ THE ERN PORTION NEAR THE BAY MOVING NWD AND THE WRN PORTION ACROSS THE SRN APLCNS DRAGGING EWD. MODEL GUIDANCE AGAIN NOT PICKING UP ON ANY AFTN ACTIVITY /AS WITH TODAY/S ACTIVITY/ FOR MONDAY...AND INSTEAD KEYING IN ON LATER IN THE EVNG AND POSSIBLY INTO THE EARLY MRNG HRS TUE. HOWEVER... DAYTIME HEATING WILL BE COMPARABLE TO TODAY AND THERE WILL BE LITTLE IN TERMS OF A REGIME CHANGE MOISTURE AND PROFILE-WISE...SO HAVE ADDED ISOLATED TSTMS ACROSS THE SAME REGIONS /N CNTRL VA/ FOR THE AFTN HRS. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... THE YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER WILL CONT IT SEEMS. HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING WORKED UP OVR POPS OR MUCH HEAT OUT TO DAY 7. DCA HAS NOT HIT 90 SINCE JUNE 25. HEIGHTS REMAIN UNIMPRESSIVE...A BROAD TROF COVERS THE EAST FOR MUCH OF THE PERIOD. HEIGHTS REMAIN HIGHEST ACRS TX AND THE SWRN STATES...NO RELIEF FROM THE HEAT THERE. IT HAS NOT RAINED SINCE THE 3RD AT DCA. NO CONCERNS YET. ONLY SERN VA IS CONSIDERED ABNORMALLY DRY AT THIS TIME. LOCALLY...ABUNDANT PRECIP THIS YEAR IS KEEPING DROUGHT CONCERNS UNDER CONTROL FOR NOW. GFS HAS MOVED BEST MOISTURE FURTHER OUT IN TIME IN ASSOCIATION WITH FROPA LATE IN THE WEEK. MOS POPS GOING LIKELY FOR FRI. AM HAVING A HARD TIME BUYING INTO THIS GIVEN WEAK SFC FEATURES AND BROAD SWLY FLOW ALOFT AT THE TIME. HPC AGREES WITH LWR POPS...SO AM GOING TO GO LOWER THAN THE 60S INDICATED BY MOS. && .AVIATION /19Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... MUCH OF THE MID ATLC CLR OF ANY WX CONCERNS...THO PORTIONS N CNTRL VA /S OF THE DC METRO/ STILL UNDER THE STEADILY DEVELOPING TSTM ACTIVITY. KCHO ONE OF THOSE AFFECTED BY THIS ACTIVITY...WHICH WILL LINGER INTO THE LATE EVNG. VFR CONDS THRU MON...THO THE SAME TYPE OF CONVECTIVE SCENARIO MAY OCCUR FOR THE SAME REGIONS TMRW AFTN. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THRU THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...W/ A POSSIBLE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE TOWARD THE END OF THE WORK WEEK. && .MARINE... WINDS ACROSS THE WATERS WILL STAY IN THE 5-10KT RANGE THRU OVERNIGHT TONIGHT...W/ A FEW INTERMITTENT NEAR 15KT GUSTS STILL EXPECTED TO REACH THE WATERS /SINCE THE LAND AREAS ARE ATTM/. THE MAIN CONCERN LIES ACROSS THE SRN PORTIONS OF THE MD CHESAPEAKE AND MUCH OF THE TIDAL POTOMAC OUTSIDE OF THE DC AREA. SCTD TSTMS STREAMING ACROSS N CNTRL VA...CLIPPING PORTIONS OF THESE AREAS...THO MUCH OF THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY LOOKS TO BE MOVING S OF THE AREA. STILL...TSTM OUTFLOWS FROM FAR-OFF STORMS ARE POSSIBLE /WHICH CAN AT TIMES BE AS STRONG AS ACTIVITY DIRECTLY FROM STORMS/. NO WX CONCERNS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...GMS NEAR TERM...GMS SHORT TERM...GMS LONG TERM...RDH AVIATION...GMS/RDH MARINE...GMS/RDH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 258 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ANZ530>537-DCZ001-MDZ006-007-011-013-014-016>018-VAZ052>057- 131700- 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- 258 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 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 NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. MDZ003>005-009-010-501-502-VAZ021-025>031-036>042-050-051- WVZ050>055-501>504-131700- 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- 258 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 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 NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1151 AM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 VAZ041-050-051-055-056-121630- ORANGE VA-STAFFORD VA-CULPEPER VA-FAUQUIER VA-SPOTSYLVANIA VA- 1151 AM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT EXTREME NORTHEASTERN ORANGE...WESTERN STAFFORD...SOUTHERN CULPEPER...EXTREME SOUTHERN FAUQUIER AND NORTHERN SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTIES... AT 1151 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES EAST OF LIGNUM...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. LOCATIONS THAT WILL LIKELY BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE FLAT RUN...LAKE OF THE WOODS...RICHARDSVILLE...DUNAVANT...STORCK... HARTWOOD...HOLLY CORNER AND CHANCELLORSVILLE. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING. WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. HEAVY DOWNPOURS MAY REDUCE VISIBILITY BELOW A MILE AND CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. GMS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1226 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 VAZ055-056-121715- STAFFORD VA-SPOTSYLVANIA VA- 1226 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT SOUTHERN STAFFORD AND NORTHERN SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG... AT 1225 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTH OF CHANCELLORSVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. LOCATIONS THAT WILL LIKELY BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE MASSAPONAX...FREDERICKSBURG...HOLLY CORNER AND SPRING VALLEY. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING. WIND GUSTS OF 20 TO 30 MPH AND SMALL HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. HEAVY DOWNPOURS MAY REDUCE VISIBILITY BELOW A MILE AND CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. GMS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 216 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 VAZ050-051-056-121900- ORANGE VA-CULPEPER VA-SPOTSYLVANIA VA- 216 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT ORANGE...CULPEPER AND SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTIES... AT 214 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPING OVER BURR HILL...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. LOCATIONS THAT WILL LIKELY BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE MASSAPONAX...LOCUST GROVE...COOKSTOWN...LOGAN...CHANCELLORSVILLE... ALSOP...POST OAK...AND SNELL. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IN ADDITION...HEAVY DOWNPOURS MAY REDUCE VISIBILITY BELOW A MILE AND CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. SBK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 228 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 VAZ036-121915- NELSON VA- 228 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT NELSON COUNTY... AT 226 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPING 2 MILES NORTHWEST OF TYRO...OR JUST EAST OF MONTICELLO...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. LOCATIONS THAT WILL LIKELY BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE WINTERGREEN...SHIPMAN...BRYANT...MASSIES MILL...LOVINGSTON...ELMA... ROSELAND...AND SCHUYLER. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IN ADDITION...HEAVY DOWNPOURS MAY REDUCE VISIBILITY BELOW A MILE AND CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. SBK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 251 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 VAZ037-038-050-121930- ORANGE VA-GREENE VA-ALBEMARLE VA- 251 PM EDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT ORANGE...GREENE AND ALBEMARLE COUNTIES... AT 250 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES SOUTH OF BARBOURSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. LOCATIONS THAT WILL LIKELY BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE COBHAM...SOMERSET...GORDONSVILLE...MADISON RUN AND THORNHILL. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IN ADDITION....HEAVY DOWNPOURS MAY REDUCE VISIBILITY BELOW A MILE AND CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. SBK
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 147 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:07 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were uprooted and numerous large branches were snapped near Shipman.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, July 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: 187282.