A cold front dropped south through the area and interacted with an unstable air mass to produce a broken line of thunderstorms. Some of these storms reached severe levels 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 cold front dropped south through the area and interacted with an unstable air mass to produce a broken line of thunderstorms. Some of these storms reached severe levels 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 29, 1:55 PM EST, 1 hour 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 255 PM EDT THU JUL 29 2010 .SYNOPSIS... COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH INTO THE CAROLINAS AND TENNESSEE VALLEY TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY. HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE OHIO VALLEY SHIFTS EAST TO THE MID ATLANTIC INTO FRIDAY NIGHT WITH THE MOISTURE RETURN AHEAD OF THE WARM FRONT SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON LIES ALONG THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE MID ATLANTIC. SOME UPPER DIVERGENCE AND ENHANCED WESTERLY SHEAR ALONG WITH MLCAPES OF 1500+ AHEAD OF THE FRONT IS RESULTING IN A BROKEN LINE OF CONVECTION ACROSS WV INTO NRN VA. SVR TSTM WATCH 548 FOR THE NE PIEDMONT RUNS TIL 7 PM TODAY. WILL MAINTAIN TWO AREAS OF HIGHER POPS LATE THIS AFTERNOON...ONE OVER THE NE PIEDMONT...AND ACROSS SE WV WITH THE NW FLOW ALLOWING FOR ENHANCEMENT THERE...BUT WILL SEE THE SHADOW OF CONVECTION INTO THE NEW RIVER VALLEY AND ROANOKE...BUT WILL STILL MAINTAIN LOW CHANCE TO SLIGHT CHANCE POPS. THE EVENING WILL BEGIN WITH SHOWERS AND STORMS FADING IN THE NORTH...WITH SCTD CONVECTION REMAINING ACROSS THE ERN PIEDMONT SOUTH ACROSS THE NC COUNTIES AND INTO THE FAR SW CWA NEAR TN/VA BORDER AS HIGHER THETA-E RESIDES HERE. DURING THE LATE EVENING WHILE THE FRONT SAGS THROUGH ISOLATED CONVECTION COULD HOLD ON OVER THE FAR SERN CWA AND SW...AND THINK THE LOWER DEWPOINTS/DRIER PUSH OF AIR WILL BE SLOWER THAN FORECAST. FINALLY THE SFC HIGH OVER THE OHIO VALLEY WILL PUSH THE FRONT FURTHER SOUTH ALLOWING FOR CLEARING SKIES AND THE POTENTIAL FOR FOG IN THE MORNING. ADDED SOME FOG ACROSS THE RIVER VALLEYS AS LAMP/MAV MOS AND MODEL SOUNDINGS SUGGEST SOME LINGERING LOW LVL MOISTURE. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY WILL BUILD SOUTH ACROSS OUR REGION FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. COOLER/DRIER AIR WILL ADVECT INTO CWA FRIDAY IN WAKE OF THE CDFNT. KEPT HIGH TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY FROM THE LOWER 80S IN THE NORTHWEST TO THE LOWER 90S IN THE SOUTHEAST. LOWS WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER 50S IN THE COOLER LOCATIONS TO THE MID 60S IN THE SOUTHEAST. FORECAST CHALLENGE ON THE WEEKEND IS HOW FAST DOES LOW LEVEL MOISTURE RETURNS. HIGH PRESSURE STARTS TO SLIDE OFFSHORE ON SATURDAY. WEAK SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL RETURN 60S TO LOWER 70S DEW POINTS WITH UPSLOPE FLOW...COMBINING WITH NUMEROUS WEAK DISTURBANCES IN THE WNW TO ESE UPPER FLOW. DECIDED INCREASE POPS FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY NIGHT FOR THE SRN BLUE RIDGE...TO MATCH UP BETTER WITH GSP. A MID/UPPER TROUGH TRACKING ACROSS THE AREA WILL TRIGGER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL STALL SOUTH OF US FOR MON-WED WITH SFC HIGH PRESSURE PUSHING INTO THE MID ATLANTIC REGION. BECAUSE OF THE VICINITY OF FRONT AND NW FLOW ALOFT WILL KEEP LIGHT CHANCE POPS AROUND THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES. SOUTHEAST COMPONENT OF THE LOW LEVEL WINDS MAY HOLD TEMPERATURES DOWN A BIT. A DEVELOPING SPLIT IN THE MID TO UPPER LEVEL PATTERN NEAR A FRONTAL ZONE IN THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY AND MID- ATLANTIC STATES COULD LEAD TO ORGANIZED CONVECTIVE COMPLEXES MID TO LATE NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... MAIN AVIATION IMPACTS THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE CONVECTION. AS OF 17Z...THE COLD FRONT LIES ALONG A LINE FROM KCVG-KPKB-KPIT. A BROKEN LINE OF SHRA/TSRA EXISTS AHEAD OF THIS FRONT FROM NE KY EAST INTO MD. AM LOOKING AT BEST THREAT FOR SHRA/TSRA TO EXIST AT KLWB EAST TO KLYH. HOWEVER...SOME DOWNSLOPING FLOW MAY LIMIT THIS OVER ROANOKE. FOR NOW...SINCE IT IS EARLY WILL KEEP CB IN THE TAFS AT ALL TAF SITES WITH VCSH AT LWB AND LYH AT 18Z...DAN/BLF AT 20Z...LEAVING VCSH OUT OF ROANOKE. THE FRONT AND SHOWERS/STORMS WILL SWING BY LYH/LWB AROUND 23Z...EXITING DANVILLE BY 01-02Z. THE MODELS KEEP SOME LINGERING LOW LVL MOISTURE AROUND OVERNIGHT SO ADDED SOME LOWER VSBYS TO BLF/LWB...BUT THINK DRIER AIR AND SOME LIGHT MIXING MAY KEEP LYH/DAN/ROA FROM GETTING ANY. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY AS A DRIER AIR MASS MOVES INTO THE REGION. INCREASING MOISTURE AND MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...WITH DRIER WEATHER AGAIN FOR MON- TUE. SO OUTSIDE OF STORMS AND ANY LATE NIGHT FOG...SHOULD BE VFR CONDITIONS. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...WP NEAR TERM...WP SHORT TERM...KK LONG TERM...KK AVIATION...AMS/WP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1216 PM EDT THU JUL 29 2010 NCZ001>004-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>034-WVZ042>045-301630- 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-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER- 1216 PM EDT THU JUL 29 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. THE MAIN THREAT FROM ANY OF THESE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. VAZ035-045>047-059-301630- AMHERST-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-CHARLOTTE- 1216 PM EDT THU JUL 29 2010 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 548 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. IN ADDITION...HEAT INDICES THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE AROUND 100 DEGREES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON. NCZ005-006-VAZ043-044-058-301630- ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-HALIFAX- 1216 PM EDT THU JUL 29 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. THE MAIN THREAT FROM ANY OF THESE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. ALSO...HEAT INDICES WILL HOVER AROUND 100 DEGREES FOR A COUPLE HOURS THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. 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 1047 AM EDT THU JUL 29 2010 NCZ005-006-VAZ035-043>047-058-059-291800- ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX- BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...EDEN...AMHERST...MARTINSVILLE... DANVILLE...LYNCHBURG...APPOMATTOX...SOUTH BOSTON...KEYSVILLE 1047 AM EDT THU JUL 29 2010 ...HEAT INDICES AROUND 100 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON... TEMPERATURES RISING INTO THE MID 90S THIS AFTERNOON COMBINED WITH HIGHER HUMIDITY WILL SUPPORT A HEAT INDEX AROUND 100 DEGREES FOR AN HOUR OR TWO THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS SUCH AS LYNCHBURG...DANVILLE...MARTINSVILLE...REIDSVILLE AND SOUTH BOSTON. THOSE PLANNING TO WORK OUTDOORS THIS AFTERNOON SHOULD DRESS IN LIGHT COLORED CLOTHING...TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. DO NOT LEAVE ANYONE INCLUDING CHILDREN OR PETS IN YOUR VEHICLE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
419 PM EDT THU JUL 29 2010
VAZ011-WVZ042>044-292115-
GILES VA-MERCER WV-MONROE WV-SUMMERS WV-
419 PM EDT THU JUL 29 2010
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT GILES...MERCER...MONROE AND
SUMMERS COUNTIES...
AT 416 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES NORTHWEST
OF HINTON...MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 30 MPH 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. EXPECT FREQUENT
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING FROM THIS STORM. DO NOT STAY IN THE OPEN OR
SEEK SHELTER UNDER TREES WHEN LIGHTNING THREATENS...MOVE INDOORS WHEN
A THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR JUMPING BRANCH...HINTON...AND GLENRAY AROUND
425 PM...BLUESTONE DAM AROUND 430 PM...BLUESTONE STATE PARK...FLAT
TOP...TALCOTT...AND WOLFCREEK AROUND 435 PM...ELLISON AND AND BUCK
AROUND 440 PM.
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR LATER
UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
LAT...LON 3757 8038 3732 8087 3758 8118 3760 8114
3760 8109 3761 8107 3765 8107 3769 8098
3772 8097 3771 8090 3775 8092 3778 8090
3783 8094 3785 8085
RBThe Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 155 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:26 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
On tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds on Hummingbird Road.
One tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds on Toshes Road.
Thunderstorm winds blew down a tree on Shelton Store Road.
A tree was knocked down by thunderstorm winds on Arvon Road.
Several trees and power lines were blown down by thunderstorm winds.
Five large trees were knocked down by thunderstorm winds on Peaks Street.
One tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds on West Witt Road.
One tree was blown down along Route 668 near New London 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: 243203, 243207, 243204, 243205, 243210, 243206, 243208, 243209.