A weak cold front approached the area from the northwest. Scattered thunderstorms developed along the front, with some 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.
A weak cold front approached the area from the northwest. Scattered thunderstorms developed along the front, with some 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 Jul 16, 8:38 AM EST, 3 hours 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 938 AM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE OFFSHORE TODAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THIS FRONT WILL DISSIPATE ACROSS THE AREA SATURDAY. BERMUDA HIGH REMAINS OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST THROUGH NEXT WEEK...WITH A COUPLE MORE FRONTS APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... NOTICING AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE/CLOUD COVER OVER THE NC MTNS THIS MORNING WHICH FAVORS THE 00Z NAM SOLUTION EARLY. DEEP MOISTURE REMAINS AHEAD OF A FRONT ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. TODAY'S WEATHER WILL BE ON TWO FRONTS. SYNOPTICALLY...THE GFS/ECWMF WAS FOLLOWED BUT THINK MESOSCALE FEATURES ARE BETTER HANDLED BY THE NAM/LOCAL WRF. THE THREAT OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE ON ISOLATED TO SCATTERED NATURE TODAY. SHOULD SEE FIRST ELEMENTS OF CONVECTION FIRING ALONG THE SOUTHERN BLUE RIDGE BY MIDDAY THEN SHIFTING EAST INTO A LEE TROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON OUT ACROSS SOUTHSIDE VA INTO NW NC PIEDMONT. KEEPING POPS TO NO MORE THAN 50 PERCENT. LEAST COVERAGE IS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE SRN SHENANDOAH VALLEY EAST TOWARD LYH...AS THE WESTERLY FLOW ACROSS THE HIGHLANDS PUTS SOMEWHAT OF A LIMIT...BUT STILL LOOKING AT ISOLATED CONVECTION. MORNINGS SOUNDINGS SHOW A MID LEVEL CAP WITH VERY DRY AIR AT MID AND UPPER LEVELS. WILL NEED TO HEAT INTO THE MID 80S TO BREAK THE CAP. CAPE WILL BE IN THE 1500-3000 J/KG RANGE BUT SHEAR IS LIGHT SO ANY STORMS THAT GET SOME DEPTH INTO THE DRY AIR MAY HAVE SOME GUSTY WINDS. THE OTHER WEATHER TO DEAL WITH TODAY WILL BE THE HOT TEMPERATURES. DEW POINTS SHOULD BE HIGHER THAN THURSDAY...AND THIS WILL BRING HEAT INDICES AROUND 100 DEGREES THIS AFTN OVER THE FAR ERN CWA. LIMITING FACTORS FOR REACHING HEAT ADVISORY ARE THE POTENTIAL WESTERLY DOWNSLOPE EFFECT ON LOWERING DEW POINTS...AND CLOUD COVER...CONVECTION. WILL HIGHLIGHT THE HEAT IN AN HWO FOR NOW. TONIGHT...MODELS SHIFT FOCUS FOR CONVECTION WITH FRONT TO THE SW...WITH EVENING STORMS MOVING OUT OF THE SE CWA BY MIDNIGHT. THE FRONT WILL STALL OVER THE NRN CWA OR NORTH TONIGHT...AND DO NOT FORESEE IT MAKING IT THIS FAR SOUTH WITH UPPER FLOW STAYING WEST AND PARALLEL TO THE FRONT. WILL MAINTAIN CHANCE POPS OVER THE WEST OVERNIGHT WITH SLIGHT CHANCE EAST. LOWS AGAIN WILL BE WARM WITH INCREASED CLOUD COVER. SHOULD SEE MID TO UPPER 60S WEST TO LOWER 70S EAST. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL DRIFT SLIGHTLY NORTH THROUGH THE WEEKEND...BUT REMAIN CLOSE ENOUGH TO ACT AS A FOCUS FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND STORMS. THE OVERALL UPPER LEVEL PATTERN WILL BE ON DOMINATED BY A UPPER LOW INCHING EASTWARD THROUGH SOUTHEAST CANADA WITH NEAR ZONAL FLOW OVER THE AREA. WITHIN THIS FLOW WILL BE SOME WEAK IMPULSES THAT WILL PROVIDE THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME ENHANCED PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND STORMS...ESPECIALLY IF ANY OF THESE FEATURES DEVELOP INTO AN UPSTREAM MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX IN THE MID WEST THAT PROGRESSES INTO THE REGION. THE FORECAST WILL CONTINUE REFLECT LIKELY POPS IN THE WEST ON SATURDAY AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE REGION WITH CHANCES DECREASING INTO THE CHANCE AND SLIGHT CHANCE CATEGORY AS THE WEEKEND PROGRESSES INTO MONDAY. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... UPPER PATTERN BECOMES FLATTER SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WITH THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE WESTERLIES STAYING NORTH OF THE MID ATLANTIC REGION TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. MODELS BUILDS IN THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE FROM THE EAST AND RAISE HEIGHTS FOR TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. HPC GUIDANCE KEEPS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. SO NO SURFACE FORCING OR SHORT WAVE ENERGY FOR ANY ORGANIZED THREAT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. CHANCE OF RAIN WILL REMAIN LOW AND TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR TO JUST ABOVE NORMAL. && .AVIATION /14Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... FOG WILL DISSIPATE SHORTLY AT LYH/DAN/LWB...LEAVING BEHIND VFR CONDITIONS. A FEW SHOWERS WERE NOTED THIS MORNING SOUTH OF KMWK MOVING NE. THIS AREA WILL POTENTIALLY DEVELOP INTO TSRA LATER THIS MORNING AND AFFECT THE DANVILLE AIRPORT. ATTM...MODELS SOLUTIONS KEEP BULK OF PRECIP AWAY FROM KDAN UNTIL AFTERNOON. WITH WARM AIR ALOFT...THERE MAY BE SOME DELAY IN CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT. WILL HAVE CB IN THE DANVILLE TERMINAL BY 20Z...WITH ADDITIONS OF CB TO LYH THIS AFTERNOON. STILL CONVECTION WILL BE SCATTERED TO ISOLATED. THE COLD FRONTAL PRECIP WILL START IMPACTING THE SE WV TAF GROUPS MORE AFTER 12Z SAT...BUT COULD SEE SOME PREFRONTAL ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AGAIN...SCATTERED COVERAGE ONLY WARRANTS A CB MENTION. SHOULD BE VFR CONDITIONS TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. ANY CLEARING WILL ALLOW SOME MVFR FOG TO DEVELOP TONIGHT...BEFORE MORE CLOUDS ARRIVE. THE FRONT LINGERS NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA SATURDAY PROVIDING A BETTER FOCUS FOR SHOWER/TSRA ACTIVITY...WITH MVFR CONDITIONS LIKELY...AND LOCAL IFR VCNTY OF TSTMS. THE PATTERN THROUGH NEXT WEEK FAVORS DAILY CHANCES OF SHOWERS/STORMS AS WEAK FRONTS SHIFT ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE MID ATLANTIC WITH BERMUDA HIGH OVER THE SOUTHEAST. WITH ANY TSRA EXPECT SUB VFR CONDITIONS. POTENTIAL FOR FOG AT NIGHT EXISTS AS WELL AT LYH/DAN/LWB. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JH/WP NEAR TERM...AMS/WP SHORT TERM...DS LONG TERM...AMS AVIATION...JJ/WP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 359 AM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 NCZ001>004-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043-WVZ042>045- 170800- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-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-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER- 359 AM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 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. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ005-006-VAZ044>047-058-059-170800- ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM- HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 359 AM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. HIGH TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE IN THE MID 90S. WITH AN INCREASE IN HUMIDITY...HEAT INDICES ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 100 DEGREES FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1259 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010
NCZ001>003-018-019-VAZ015>017-161800-
ALLEGHANY NC-ASHE NC-CARROLL VA-FLOYD VA-GRAYSON VA-SURRY NC-
WATAUGA NC-WILKES NC-
1259 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT ALLEGHANY...ASHE...CARROLL
...FLOYD...GRAYSON...SURRY...WATAUGA AND WILKES COUNTIES...
AT 1252 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE FROM
NEAR BLOWING ROCK AND DEEP GAP NORTHEAST TO STONE MOUNTAIN STATE
PARK TO HILLSVILLE IN VIRGINIA. THE STORMS WERE DRIFTING NORTHEAST
AROUND 10 MPH..
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. VERY HEAVY RAIN
WILL FALL...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL
ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS. SOME MINOR FLOODING COULD OCCUR
ESPECIALLY ACROSS EASTERN WATAUGA AND WESTERN WILKES COUNTIES WHERE
TOTALS OF BETWEEN 2 AND 3 INCHES ARE LIKELY. 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.
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR LATER
UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
LAT...LON 3673 8092 3684 8055 3683 8038 3665 8056
3665 8060 3663 8063 3659 8063 3638 8083
3607 8144 3611 8155 3611 8179
JHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
113 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010
VAZ032-161745-
PATRICK VA-
113 PM EDT FRI JUL 16 2010
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT PATRICK COUNTY...
AT 109 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR MEADOWS OF
DAN...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR BUFFALO RIDGE AROUND 145 PM.
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR LATER
UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
LAT...LON 3670 8046 3674 8046 3675 8044 3674 8042
3675 8039 3676 8039 3679 8019 3662 8024
AMSThe Roanoke radar (KFCX), 112 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:30 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck the Southern Inn Restaurant causing a fire which resulted in the roof of the two-story building to collapse. The fire also damaged the adjacent buildings.
Large tree limbs were blown down by thunderstorm winds.
One tree was blown down on Harmony School Road.
Numerous trees were knocked down by thunderstorm winds in the Bassett area.
A Tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds on Oakcrest Circle.
One tree was blown down at the intersection of Booker T Washington Highway and Angle Plantation Road.
Thunderstorm winds blew down three trees.
A tree was knocked down by thunderstorm winds on Smith Lake Road.
A tree was knocked down by thunderstorm winds on Old Franklin Turnpike near Penhook.
A couple of trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds near the intersection of Routes 636 and 612.
A large tree was blown down on Keeling off Route 360.
One tree was knocked down by thunderstorm winds on the 7200 block of Old Richmond Rd.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down a tree on Dudley Rd.
A tree was blown down on Weatherford Loop Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, July 2010
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: 244877, 243119, 243121, 243122, 243123, 243126, 243128, 243129, 243130, 243131, 243132, 243134, 243135, 243136.