Strong outflow winds from an isolated severe thunderstorm cell over the county resulted in a few pockets of wind damage.
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.
Strong outflow winds from an isolated severe thunderstorm cell over the county resulted in a few pockets of wind damage.
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 Aug 11, 5:00 PM EST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 600 PM EDT THU AUG 11 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COOL FRONT WILL REMAIN STALLED ACROSS THE CAROLINAS TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC REGION FRIDAY AND DRIFT OUT INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN ON SATURDAY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 555 PM THURSDAY... SHRA/TSRA CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF THE VA/NC BORDER ALONG THE GRADIENT OF LOWER DEWPT AIR AND WITH WAVE STILL APPROACHING EXPECT COVERAGE TO PERSIST THRU MUCH OF THE EVENING. THUS UPDATED TO EXPAND CHANCE POPS ACROSS SOUTHERN VA GIVEN SLIGHT NORTHWARD SHIFT TO CONVECTION ATTM AND CONVERGENCE FIELDS WHERE OLD OUTFLOW HAS ENDED UP. THINK WEAK CAP ALOFT SHOULD KEEP MOST BELOW SVR LEVELS WITH BRIEF STRONG WINDS WITH SOME OF THE STRONGER CELLS THAT PUNCH THROUGH AND THEN QUICKLY DESCEND WITH THE HEAVY RAIN. CONVECTION WILL DISSIPATE OR QUICKLY MOVE OUT OF CWA LATER THIS EVENING. AFTERNOON CU WILL DISSIPATE THIS EVENING...WHILE MID AND HIGH CLOUDS WILL SPREAD NORTH IN SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF CWA. CLOUD COVER AND PUSH OF DRIER AIR MAKES LOW TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT QUITE A CHALLENGE. USED A BLEND OF GUID WITH READINGS FROM AROUND 50 DEGREES IN THE MOUNTAINS TO THE MID 60S IN THE SOUTHEAST. AS HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES EAST ON FRIDAY...WINDS SHOULD VEER TO SOUTHEASTERLY ACROSS OUR REGION. THESE SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL BRING ATLANTIC MOISTURE BACK INTO THE EAST SIDE OF THE APPALACHIANS ON FRIDAY. EXPECT SHOWERS...AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...TO DEVELOP ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MAINLY TO THE EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE...DUE BOTH TO SURFACE CONVERGENCE AROUND THE DEPARTING HIGH...AS WELL AS THE UPSLOPE COMPONENT OF THE SOUTHEASTERLY WIND FLOW. PLAYED THE HIGHEST POPS ALONG THE SOUTHERN BLUE RIDGE FRIDAY. WENT WITH HIGHS CLOSE TO THE ADJMET WITH VALUES FROM THE UPPER 70S IN THE MOUNTAINS TO THE UPPER 80S IN SOUTHSIDE. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 325 PM THURSDAY... SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL RESIDE OVER THE MID ATLANTIC FRIDAY NIGHT AND DRIFT TO THE EAST AND OUT TO SEA SATURDAY. MOIST SOUTHEAST FLOW AND ISENTROPIC LIFT FRIDAY NIGHT SHOULD BRING LIGHT RAIN/DRIZZLE TO AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. WILL MAINTAIN A 20 POP FOR AN ISOLATED SHOWER OVERNIGHT...OTHERWISE EXPECT DRIZZLE/FOG/LOW CLOUDS. SURFACE HIGH LOOSES ITS INFLUENCE ON THE REGION SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS FLOW BECOMES SOUTHWEST. THIS VERY MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING PWATS UP TO AROUND 2 INCHES WHICH IS 2 STANDARD DEVIATIONS ABOVE NORMAL OVER THE WEEKEND. THE MODEL WEATHER PATTERN HAS CHANGED BUT THE OUTCOME REMAINS THE SAME FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. MODELS ARE A LITTLE SLOWER WITH PREFRONTAL SHOWERS ENTERING SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THIS SLOWER ARRIVAL IS LIKELY DUE TO A DEVELOPING OCCLUDED LOW OVER THE NORTHERN OHIO VALLEY. THE BEST FOCUS OF HEAVY RAIN WILL BE NEAR THIS OCCLUDED LOW AND NORTH OF THE MASON- DIXON LINE. HOWEVER...WITH A TROPICAL-LIKE AIRMASS AND A SLOW MOVING FRONT...PROLONG PERIODS OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING WILL BRING A THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING. THE FRONT ITSELF WILL TRACK FROM WEST TO EAST SATURDAY NIGHT AND EXIT THE PIEDMONT LATE SUNDAY MORNING. STORMS ALONG THE FRONT WILL REPEATEDLY MOVE FROM THE SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. THESE STORMS WILL BE ASSISTED BY AN ENTRANCE REGION OF A 40 KT LOW LEVEL JET. STRONGER STORMS TRAINING OVER THE SAME AREA POSES A HIGH THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING. SINCE THIS PERIOD IS DAY 3-4...WILL CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK (HWO). WE SHOULD SEE A DRY SLOT SUNDAY AFTERNOON THEN THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS TO THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY. THIS STRONG FRONT WILL BE A GAME CHANGER FOR THE REGIONS WEATHER. ONE...IT WILL HELP WITH THE DRY CONDITIONS BY BRINGING MUCH NEEDED RAIN TO THE AREA. THE SECOND CHANGE IS A DROP IN TEMPERATURES. WE COULD BE SEEING A 4-5 DAY STRETCH OF TEMPERATURES BEING BELOW NORMAL. SATURDAY WILL BE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE PERIOD WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR NORMAL. TEMPERATURES SUNDAY...DROP BELOW NORMAL WITH MID 70S IN THE WEST AND LOWER 80S IN THE EAST. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 325 PM TUESDAY... GFS AND ECMWF IN AGREEMENT THAT BY SUNDAY NIGHT THE COLD FRONT AND ASSOCIATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE MOVED EAST OF THE CWA. HOWEVER AN ANOMALOUSLY STRONG TROUGH OF 3 TO 4 STANDARD DEVIATIONS BELOW NORMAL WILL MOVE OVERHEAD SUNDAY NIGHT INTO THE DAY MONDAY. THIS TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED NORTHWEST WINDS WILL LIKELY MEAN THAT SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH DRYING IN THE DOWNSLOPE AREAS. ON MONDAY THE TROUGH AXIS MOVES OVERHEAD AND SHIFTS TO OUR EAST BY MONDAY EVENING. THE TROUGH OVERHEAD WILL BRING IN COOL TEMPERATURES ALOFT...AND THIS COMBINED WITH DIURNAL HEATING WILL LIKELY LEAD TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON SHOWERS. INSTABILITY SHOULD BE SHALLOW AND THINK THUNDER CHANCES WILL BE LOW WITH THIS CONVECTION. AREAS EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE A DRYING DOWNSLOPE WIND...HOWEVER CAN NOT RULE OUT A SHOWER EVEN THERE WHEN THE TROUGH AXIS MOVES ACROSS DURING THE AFTERNOON. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT THE TROUGH SHIFTS TO THE ATLANTIC COAST ON TUESDAY...ALLOWING US TO SEE SUBSIDENCE AND DRYING. THE TROUGH ONLY MAKES SLOW PROGRESS EAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY...HOWEVER IT WILL BE FAR ENOUGH EAST TO KEEP US IN THE DRY AIR. MODEL SOLUTIONS DIVERGE A BIT TOWARDS THE END OF NEXT WEEK. 6Z GFS AND 0Z ECMWF SHOW YET ANOTHER DECENT TROUGH AND ATTENDANT COLD FRONT PUSHING THROUGH IN THE LATE THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY TIME FRAME...WHICH WOULD BRING MORE SHOWERS AND COOLER TEMPERATURES. 0Z GFS AND ECMWF ENSEMBLE MEAN ARE LESS AMPLIFIED WITH THE LATE WEEK TROUGH...WHICH WOULD RESULT IN WARMER TEMPERATURES AND A LOWER PROBABILITY OF SHOWERS THROUGH FRIDAY. CURRENT THINKING IS TO LEAN TOWARDS THE LESS AMPLIFIED 12Z GFS/ECMWF ENSEMBLE MEAN SOLUTION. TEMPERATURES DURING THIS PERIOD SHOULD START AROUND 5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL ON MONDAY...70S WEST AND LOW TO MID 80S EAST...WITH THE TROUGH AND COOL 850MB TEMPERATURES OVERHEAD. TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WILL SEE SLIGHT WARMING EACH DAY AS HEIGHTS SLOWLY BUILD. BY THURSDAY HIGHS WILL BE AROUND NORMAL...GENERALLY AROUND 80 IN THE WEST..AND IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S EAST. DEWPOINTS WILL ALSO ONLY BE IN THE UPPER 50S TO AROUND 60 THROUGH THE PERIOD...AND THIS COMBINED WITH THE COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL MAKE IT FEEL MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE THAN PREVIOUS WEEKS. && .AVIATION /22Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... SCT-BKN MVFR CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. WSR-88D IMAGES SHOWED ISOLD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN CAPES OF 2000 J/KG OR BETTER ACROSS WESTERN NC. THE SFC COOL FRONT HAS PUSHED INTO NORTH CAROLINA...AND A WAVE WILL DEVELOP AND MOVE EAST ALONG THE BOUNDARY. THIS WILL GENERATE MID AND HIGH CLOUDS THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT...WITH SCT SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE VA/NC BORDER AND SOUTHWARD. THE DANVILLE AIRPORT MAY BE AFFECTED BY SHOWERS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON OR EVENING...BUT CHCS WERE LOW ENOUGH THAT THEY WERE NOT ADDED TO THE TAF. THE BEST CHANCE FOR CONVECTION WILL BE ACROSS NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. THE SFC HIGH THEN BUILDS NORTH OF THE AREA OVERNIGHT INTO FRIDAY...ALLOWING AN EASTERLY FLOW TO DEVELOP WHICH MAY SPELL PERIODS OF MVFR CIGS ESPCLY ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE. OF THE BLACKSBURG FORECAST AREA AIRPORTS...THIS WOULD BE MOST LIKELY TO IMPACT KDAN...POSSIBLY KROA AND KLYH. HOWEVER CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW ON SHOWERS AND HOW FAST LOWER CIGS DEVELOP THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AS LATEST GUIDANCE IS SLOWER TO DEVELOP THE SE FLOW AND TRANSPORT MOISTURE NORTHWARD. THE SFC HIGH PASSES OFFSHORE BY THE WEEKEND...AND A RETURN SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH FLOW WILL BRING DEEPER MOISTURE INTO THE AREA WITH A HIGH CONFIDENCE OF A PERIOD OF SHRA/TSRA...INCLUDING AREAS OF MVFR BY SAT NIGHT AND PERHAPS EXTENDING INTO SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD BUILD IN FROM THE WEST BRINGING A RETURN OF WIDESPREAD VFR ON MONDAY. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JH/JJ NEAR TERM...JH/KK SHORT TERM...RCS LONG TERM...MC AVIATION...JJ/KK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 900 AM EDT THU AUG 11 2011 NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059- WVZ042>045-121300- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-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-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL- APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE- GREENBRIER- 900 AM EDT THU AUG 11 2011 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. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH OUR REGION ON SATURDAY...TRIGGERING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. PROLONGED EPISODES OF HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...WHICH MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING DURING THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. RCS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 403 PM EDT THU AUG 11 2011 NCZ004-VAZ032-112030- PATRICK VA-STOKES NC- 403 PM EDT THU AUG 11 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT PATRICK AND STOKES COUNTIES... AT 359 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTH OF FRANCISCO...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND PEA-SIZED HAIL 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 COLLINSTOWN AROUND 410 PM. LAT...LON 3658 8020 3649 8027 3656 8045 3661 8042 DS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
416 PM EDT THU AUG 11 2011
NCZ003-VAZ032-112045-
PATRICK VA-SURRY NC-
416 PM EDT THU AUG 11 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT PATRICK AND SURRY COUNTIES...
AT 412 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF ARARAT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND PEA-SIZED HAIL 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 WOODVILLE AROUND 440 PM.
LAT...LON 3656 8062 3656 8061 3659 8062 3662 8060
3656 8039 3655 8039 3655 8044 3649 8044
3647 8046
DSSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 459 PM EDT THU AUG 11 2011 VAZ032-043-112130- HENRY VA-PATRICK VA- 459 PM EDT THU AUG 11 2011 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT HENRY AND PATRICK COUNTIES... AT 458 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM STUART TO SPENCER...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 30 MPH AND PEA-SIZED HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL FROM THESE STORMS...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS. THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR SPENCER AROUND 505 PM...CRITZ AROUND 510 PM...HORSE PASTURE AROUND 515 PM AND MARTINSVILLE AIRPORT AROUND 525 PM. LAT...LON 3667 8007 3663 7972 3657 8003 3662 8037 DS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
535 PM EDT THU AUG 11 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0140 PM TSTM WND DMG 6 W BOONVILLE 36.22N 80.81W
08/11/2011 YADKIN NC TRAINED SPOTTER
3 TREES DOWN
&&
EHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
553 PM EDT THU AUG 11 2011
VAZ044-112230-
PITTSYLVANIA VA-
553 PM EDT THU AUG 11 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY...
AT 550 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER AXTON...MOVING
EAST AT 25 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 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.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR SWANSONVILLE AROUND 605 PM.
LAT...LON 3667 7969 3672 7967 3673 7966 3677 7942
3664 7942
DSSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 604 PM EDT THU AUG 11 2011 NCZ004-005-112230- ROCKINGHAM NC-STOKES NC- 604 PM EDT THU AUG 11 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT ROCKINGHAM AND STOKES COUNTIES... AT 558 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER BELEWS CREEK...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. IF ON OR NEAR BELLEWS LAKE...GET OUT OF THE WATER AND MOVE INDOORS OR INSIDE A VEHICLE. SUDDEN WIND GUSTS MAY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO CAPSIZE YOUR VESSEL. THIS STORM WILL STAY OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHWEST ROCKINGHAM COUNTY AND FAR SOUTHEAST STOKES COUNTY. LAT...LON 3626 8015 3631 8012 3628 7985 3625 7987 DS
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:15 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds knocked a tree down onto a power line and caused damaged to a fence and home.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, August 2011
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: 340661.