A strong cold front with good upper dynamics, but with a subpar low level jet, yielded a few lines of thunderstorms. The thunderstorms were widespread, but the severe reports were quite sporadic.
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 RLX wrote it up.
A strong cold front with good upper dynamics, but with a subpar low level jet, yielded a few lines of thunderstorms. The thunderstorms were widespread, but the severe reports were quite sporadic.
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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 16, 1:02 PM EST, 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 202 PM EDT SAT MAY 16 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A STRONG COLD FRONT PASSES LATE THIS AFTERNOON. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR SUNDAY AND REMAINS THROUGH TUESDAY. FROST OR FREEZE POSSIBLE DAWN MONDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... LIGHT BAND OF SHOWERS THAT MOVED THROUGH WESTERN WV HAS NOW LIFTED NE AND WEAKEN AS IT LEAVES THE AREA. THE BAND OF CONVECTION THAT MOVED INTO OHIO EARLY THIS MORNING HAS ALSO DISSIPATED...SO CURRENTLY THE RADAR SCOPE IS MAINLY FREE AND CLEAR. AS A RESULT...THE MID LEVEL CLOUDINESS IS DISAPPEARING AND QUITE A BIT OF SUNSHINE HAS BROKEN OUT IN MOST AREAS. SO HAVE LOWERED THE SKY COVER AND DROPPED THE POPS BACK IN MOST AREAS THROUGH 17Z. LOOKING UPSTREAM THE COLD FRONT IS MOVING ACROSS INDIANA INTO WESTERN KY AT 15Z AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS EASTWARD. WITH THE ADDITIONAL SUNSHINE AND WARMING THAT IS TAKING PLACE...SHOULD SEE INSTABILITY INCREASE A LITTLE MORE THAN EXPECTED. THE NAM SOUNDINGS ONLY SHOWED AROUND 1000 TO 1500 J/KG IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT BUT THAT WAS WITH SFC TEMPS AROUND 76F. WITH THE ADDITIONAL SUN TEMPS HAVE ALREADY REACHED THOSE MID 70S VALUES. SO HAVE BUMPED UP TEMPS TO THE LOW 80S AREA WIDE. WHEN ADJUSTING FOR THESE TEMPS THE SFC BASED CAPE CLIMBS TO 2000 J/KG. THIS SHOULD ALLOW FOR SOME DECENT CONVECTION ONCE THE FRONT GETS CLOSER...ESPECIALLY SINCE THE ATMOSPHERE DID NOT GET WORKED OVER MUCH THIS MORNING. WITH THE FRONTAL MOVEMENT...HAVE SLOWED THE ONSET BY AROUND AN HOUR OR SO WITH BEST ACTIVITY REACHING THE OHIO RIVER AROUND 21Z AND THE MOUNTAINS AROUND 00Z TO 1Z. QPF STILL WOULD LOOK LIKE A HALF TO THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH. THE FRONT SHOULD CLEAR THE AREA BY 6Z...WITH THE CHANCES FOR RAIN TAPERING OFF VERY QUICKLY AS MUCH DRIER AIR IN THE LOWER LEVELS PUNCHES IN. SO OTHER THAN SOME HIGHER LEVEL MOISTURE THAT LINGERS TOWARD 12Z...SHOULD GET MUCH OF THE SKY COVER OUT OF THE AREA. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED. A DRY AIR MASS...STRONG MAY SUNSHINE AND THE VEGETATION GROWING. THIS ALL EQUALS A DRIER TOP SOIL AND DIMINISHING SURFACE WATER FLOWS. THINKING THE LINGERING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE QUICKLY EXITS BEFORE 12Z SUNDAY. LINGERING CIRRUS EXITS MOUNTAINOUS COUNTIES SUNDAY AFTERNOON. HAVE DEW POINTS INTO THE UPPER 20S AND LOWER 30S BY LATE IN THE DAY SUNDAY. WITH WINDS DIMINISHING OVERNIGHT...FROST OR FREEZE STILL LOOKS GOOD FOR MANY COUNTIES AT DAWN MONDAY. WE WILL EVALUATE WHICH COUNTIES NEED A FREEZE WATCH FOR OUR LATE AFTERNOON ZONE RELEASE. FROST ALREADY MENTIONED IN MAJORITY OF COUNTIES. 850 MB WARMING OCCURS OVERNIGHT MONDAY NIGHT BUT MAY STILL SEE SOME FROST IN NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. WENT A FEW DEGREES COOLER THAN MEX MOS FOR CKB-EKN REGION...FIGURING ON STEEP INVERSION. WARMING BEGINS IN EARNEST ON TUESDAY. HAVE A 20 POP...OR SLIGHT CHANCE OF A SHOWER REACHING OUR NORTHERN COUNTIES BY DAWN WEDNESDAY WITH BOUNDARY WITH LIMITED MOISTURE. WITH THAT BOUNDARY LIFTING BACK NORTH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...REMOVED OUR SLIGHT CHANCE AND CHANCE POPS FOR THURSDAY...TO PROLONG THE DRY STRETCH. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... TAPERED TOWARDS A BLEND OF ECMWF ENSEMBLE MEAN AND GEFS ENSEMBLE MEAN FOR FRIDAY. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... COLD FRONT TO THE WEST IS ENTERING PORTIONS OF WESTERN OHIO AND IS NEAR THE OHIO RIVER BETWEEN IN/KY. THE FRONT IS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS EASTWARD AND SHOULD REACH THE OHIO RIVER RIGHT AROUND 00Z. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...THE INSTABILITY HAS INCREASED WITH THE SUNSHINE WITH CAPE BETWEEN 1500 AND 2000 J/KG. THIS WILL LEAD TO WIDESPREAD CONVECTION IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT. GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL...CEILINGS 2000 TO 3000 FT AND IFR VSBY ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE STORMS. THE CONVECTION SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH ABOUT 2Z IN THE MOUNTAINS WHEN THE INSTABILITY SHOULD BEGIN TO WANE. OUTSIDE OF THE CONVECTION...EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS. ONCE THE FRONT PASSES...IT SHOULD EXIT THE MOUNTAINS BY 6Z...THE LOW LEVELS DRY OUT QUICKLY. THE CEILINGS WILL JUMP BACK UP ABOVE 5000 FT AND BY 12Z...ONLY THE HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE LEFT...BUT WITH THE UPPER JET STILL MOVING THROUGH THE CIRRUS SHOULD HOLD ON INTO THE DAY ON SUNDAY...BEFORE THE SKY CLEARS. AVIATION OUTLOOK /BEYOND 18Z SUNDAY/... IFR FOG IS POSSIBLE EARLY MONDAY AND TUESDAY MORNINGS ALONG AREA RIVERS AS MUCH COLDER AIR ARRIVES. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...NONE. OH...NONE. KY...NONE. VA...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...KTB/CL NEAR TERM...ESS SHORT TERM...KTB/CL LONG TERM...RPY AVIATION...ESS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 440 AM EDT SAT MAY 16 2009 KYZ101>103-105-OHZ083-086-087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>007-013>015-024>026- 033>036-170845- GREENUP-CARTER-BOYD-LAWRENCE KY-JACKSON OH-GALLIA-LAWRENCE OH- DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-WAYNE-CABELL-MASON-LINCOLN-PUTNAM-KANAWHA-MINGO- LOGAN-BOONE-MCDOWELL-WYOMING-RALEIGH-FAYETTE- 440 AM EDT SAT MAY 16 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...SOUTHEAST OHIO...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A FROST IS POSSIBLE FOR DAWN ON MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. OHZ066-067-075-076-084-085-WVZ008>011-016>020-027>032-037>040-046- 047-170845- PERRY-MORGAN-ATHENS-WASHINGTON-VINTON-MEIGS-JACKSON WV-WOOD- PLEASANTS-TYLER-ROANE-WIRT-CALHOUN-RITCHIE-DODDRIDGE-CLAY-BRAXTON- GILMER-LEWIS-HARRISON-TAYLOR-NICHOLAS-WEBSTER-UPSHUR-BARBOUR- POCAHONTAS-RANDOLPH- 440 AM EDT SAT MAY 16 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST OHIO AND WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM TODAY...WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A FROST OR A FREEZE IS POSSIBLE AT DAWN ON MONDAY. FOR DAWN TUESDAY... A FROST MAY BE SEEN AGAIN IN NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. KTB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1225 PM EDT SAT MAY 16 2009 KYZ101-161700- GREENUP- 1225 PM EDT SAT MAY 16 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTH CENTRAL GREENUP COUNTY... AT 1224 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED NEAR SOUTH SHORE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE 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. PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY. 30
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 202 PM EDT SAT MAY 16 2009 OHZ085-086-WVZ007>009-016-017-161830- GALLIA-JACKSON-MASON-MEIGS-ROANE-WIRT-WOOD- 202 PM EDT SAT MAY 16 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN GALLIA...NORTHERN JACKSON...NORTHERN MASON...NORTHWESTERN ROANE...SOUTHEASTERN MEIGS... SOUTHWESTERN WIRT AND SOUTHWESTERN WOOD COUNTIES... AT 202 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED NEAR LETART...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE 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 RACINE AROUND 210 PM...COTTAGEVILLE AROUND 215 PM...EVANS AROUND 220 PM...RAVENSWOOD AROUND 225 PM AND SANDYVILLE AROUND 230 PM. PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY. 30
The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 137 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:41 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees fell onto power lines along Route 18.
Several trees were blown down.
Trees and large branches were blown down.
Several trees or large branches were blown down.
Trees and large branches fell.
Trees fell onto power lines.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, May 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: 163055, 163054, 163059, 163056, 163060, 163053.