Low pressure was situated over the Ohio Valley, with high pressure ridging southwest from New England. This set up a strong southeast flow over the mountains of southwest Virginia during the morning of November 18th.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Low pressure was situated over the Ohio Valley, with high pressure ridging southwest from New England. This set up a strong southeast flow over the mountains of southwest Virginia during the morning of November 18th. Winds gusted to 40 to 50 mph in the area during the morning, with an isolated higher gust downing a tree in western Tazewell 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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 18, 6:45 AM EST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 645 AM EST WED NOV 18 2009 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN WEDGED DOWN THE EASTERN SEABOARD THROUGH THURSDAY WHILE A STORM SYSTEM MEANDERS ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY. THIS LOW WILL LIFT NORTHEAST INTO THE ONTARIO BY FRIDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN FROM THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... SATELLITE SHOWS THAT LOW CLOUDS HAVE SPREAD BACK ACROSS ALL OF THE CWA...BUT MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE THE MOISTURE REMAINS SHALLOW. APPEARS THAT MOST PRECIP THIS MORNING WILL BE LIGHT RAIN OR DRIZZLE ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE IN FAR SW VA AND NW NC WITH EASTERLY UPSLOPE FLOW. HOWEVER...LOOKING AT THE BLENDED TOTAL PWAT SATELLITE PRODUCT...DEEPER MOISTURE/PWATS OVER AN INCH ARE SURGING NWWD ACROSS SC AND GA...AND THIS DEEPER MOISTURE WILL BE ADVECTING INTO THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON. THINK THAT RAIN WILL DEVELOP/SPREAD INTO MOST OF THE CWA BY LATE AFTERNOON...SO HAVE LIKELY POPS FOR ALL BUT THE FAR EAST BY THE END OF THE DAY...AND CATEGORICAL POPS ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE IN FAR SW VA AND NW NC. TEMPS WILL NOT RISE MUCH TODAY...AND WITH CURRENT READINGS IN THE MID 40S TO LOWER 50S AND LIKELY TO DROP A FEW MORE DEGREES BEFORE SUNRISE...FCST HIGHS ARE GENERALLY UPPER 40S TO LOWER 50S WITH SOME MID 40S ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE. FINALLY...STRONG SE LOW LEVEL JET SHOULD CONTINUE TO BRING ADVISORY LEVEL WIND GUSTS TO PORTIONS OF TAZEWELL AND MERCER COUNTIES ON THE DOWNSLOPE SIDES OF NW-SE ORIENTED RIDGES. TAZEWELL MIDDLE SCHOOL SITE HAD A GUST TO 38 MPH AT 230 AM...AND A NAM CROSS SECTION DEPICTS THE STRONG SUBSIDENCE AND 40 TO 45 KNOT JET NEAR THE SFC THROUGH THE DAY. WE MAY END UP HAVING TO EXTEND THE WIND ADVISORY INTO THE EVENING BASED ON 00Z MODEL DATA. WILL LET THE DAYSHIFT ASSESS WITH NEW SOUNDINGS AND 12Z MODEL DATA. SEE NO REASON WHY IT WON/T RAIN TONIGHT WITH ISENTROPIC LIFT MAXIMIZED...AND CONTINUED UPSLOPE EASTERLY SFC FLOW INTO THE BLUE RIDGE. SO HAVE RAISED POPS TO CATEGORICAL...WITH SOME DROP- OFF TO LIKELY IN THE SWRN CWA TOWARD MORNING AS MODELS SHOW A DRY SLOT MOVING IN AS THE UPPER LOW LIFTS NORTHWARD. LOWS TONIGHT SHOULD FEATURE NEARLY STEADY TEMPS AS THE WEDGE HOLDS IN WIDESPREAD PRECIP. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... SLOW MOVING CUTOFF LOW WILL DRIFT NORTHEAST THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY THURSDAY AND INTO ONTARIO ON FRIDAY. 1030 MB SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE ANCHORED ALONG THE NEW ENGLAND COAST. WITH THE HIGH CENTER TO OUR EAST AND THE LOW TO OUR WEST...A LONG EASTERLY FETCH OF WIND OVER THE OCEAN WILL BRING MOISTURE LADEN MARINE AIR INTO THE FORECAST AREA FOR THURSDAY. AS THE LOW MOVES INTO ONTARIO...THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FROM WEST TO EAST...SHIFTING THE LOW LEVEL WINDS FROM AN EASTERLY COMPONENT THURSDAY...TO A WESTERLY COMPONENT FRIDAY. UNTIL THE WIND SHIFT OCCURS...LOOK FOR PERIODS OF LIGHT RAIN IN THE VICINITY OF THE BLUE RIDGE. WITH SURFACE EASTERLY FLOW...PLAYED THURSDAY TEMPERATURES COOL WITH READINGS CLOSE TO ADJMETBC. ADDED SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE GREENBRIER VALLEY THURSDAY WITH ELEVATED INSTABILITY. BELIEVE THE STRENGTH OF THE COOL WEDGE SHOULD PRECLUDE ANY THUNDERSTORMS FOR MUCH OF THE REGION. DRIER WEATHER EXPECTED FOR FRIDAY WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING INTO THE LOWER 50S IN THE NORTHWEST TO THE MID 60S IN THE SOUTHEAST. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... MAIN CONCERN OF THIS FORECAST WILL BE THE DEVELOPMENT AND PATH OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM COMING UP FROM THE GULF OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY WEEK. GFS/ECMWF SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE SLOWER WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE GULF OF MEXICO FOR THE WEEKEND. THERE ARE MINOR DIFFERENCES WITH THE LOCATION OF THE LOW FOR SUNDAY 12Z. GFS HAS IT IN THE NORTHERN GULF CROSSING THE PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA AND DEVELOPING A SECONDARY LOW OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. WHILE THE ECMWF HAS IT MOVING MORE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY INTO OUR FORECAST AREA BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND PRODUCING A SECONDARY LOW JUST SOUTH OF THE DELMARVA REGION. AS OF NOW...MODELS PLACE A SURFACE RIDGE OVER THE AREA SATURDAY WITH ZONAL UPPER FLOW. WEDGING IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR WITH EITHER SOLUTION AS HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES NORTH NORTHEAST AND THE LOW PRESSURE PUSHES UP FROM THE SOUTHWEST. HAVE SLOWED DOWN THE POPS TO START SLIGHT CHANCE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND MAY NEED TO BE EVEN SLOWER DUE TO THE TIMING OF THE DEVELOPMENT. THINK IT WILL BE TOUGH TO GET ANY PRECIP TO OCCUR WITH A LIGHT NORTH WIND AND SUBSIDENCE IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA SATURDAY. VERY WEAK ISENTROPIC LIFT BEGINS SATURDAY EVENING INTO SUNDAY MORNING...THUS HAVE SLIGHT CHANCE THROUGH MOST OF SATURDAY NIGHT AND INCREASING TO CHANCE FROM SOUTH TO NORTH THROUGH SUNDAY. HAVE POPS TAPERING OFF MONDAY DEPENDING ON LOCATION OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...HAVE LEANED MORE TOWARD THE GFS SOLUTION AND HAVE A DRY FORECAST AT THIS TIME TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGING SLIDES OVER THE AREA MONDAY AFTERNOON. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE AREA BY MID WEEK. MAX TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR NORMAL WHILE...LOW TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR TO ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /12Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... LOW LEVEL FLOW HAVE VEERED MORE TO THE SOUTHEAST...AND LOW LEVEL MOISTURE HAS SPREAD BACK INTO THE REGION. MVFR CIGS THIS MORNING ARE EXPECTED TO DROP TO IFR BETWEEN 14 AND 16Z ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE...INCLUDING ROA...LYH AND DAN. FURTHER WEST...BLF AND LWB WILL TAKE UNTIL AFTERNOON...POSSIBLY LATE AFTERNOON... BEFORE CIGS DROP TO IFR. SPOTTY LIGHT RAIN WILL AFFECT THE AREA MUCH OF THE DAY...AND THEN RAIN WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL PRODUCE IFR...LIKELY LIFR...CONDITIONS ACROSS THE CWA. LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR IS LIKELY ACROSS THE AREA BY AFTERNOON AS THE JET ALOFT STRENGTHENS AND SFC WINDS OUTSIDE OF KBLF REMAIN RATHER LIGHT. THUS HAVE INCLUDED AT ALL TAF SITES...INCLUDING BLF BY EVENING WHEN SFC WINDS WILL LIGHTEN UP THERE AS RAIN MOVES IN. THE LOW FLIGHT CONDITIONS WILL LAST INTO THURSDAY...AND ANY IMPROVEMENT DURING THE DAY THURSDAY WILL BE SLOW...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE WHERE A SFC WEDGE OF COOLER AIR WILL RESIDE. COULD SEE SLIGHTLY BETTER FLIGHT CONDITIONS BY THU AFTERNOON ON THE WESTERN SLOPES LOCATIONS INCLUDING BLF. IFR CONDITIONS MAY CONTINUE INTO THU NIGHT...ESPECIALLY EAST OF THE MTNS. MAY SEE CONDITIONS IMPROVE TO VFR FRIDAY IF THE LEFTOVER LOW CLOUDS EXIT BEFORE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN SAT BRINGING A BRIEF PERIOD OF VFR. YET ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM COULD BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF POOR FLYING CONDITIONS SUNDAY. && .EQUIPMENT... HINTON WV IS ON THE AIR BUT ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE WILL BE REQUIRED. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR VAZ007. NC...NONE. WV...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR WVZ042. && SYNOPSIS...JJ/WP NEAR TERM...JJ SHORT TERM...KK LONG TERM...REB AVIATION...JH/JJ EQUIPMENT...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 356 AM EST WED NOV 18 2009 NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059- WVZ043>045-190900- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES- YADKIN-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-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER- 356 AM EST WED NOV 18 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. VAZ007-WVZ042-190900- TAZEWELL-MERCER- 356 AM EST WED NOV 18 2009 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WIND ADVISORY. .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.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
One tree was blown down in Claypool Hill.
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, November 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: 201970.