A cold front approached in the late afternoon preceded by strong heating which provided enough lift in the humid air mass for numerous strong to severe thunderstorms. A near continuous line of severe storms formed east of near Lynchburg which then raced eastward across several Piedmont counties causing 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.
A cold front approached in the late afternoon preceded by strong heating which provided enough lift in the humid air mass for numerous strong to severe thunderstorms. A near continuous line of severe storms formed east of near Lynchburg which then raced eastward across several Piedmont counties causing 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 25, 1:11 PM EST, 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 211 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST TODAY AND PASS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA OVERNIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN BETTER CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING. HURRICANE IRENE IS THEN EXPECTED TO MOVE ALONG THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST SATURDAY BRINGING BREEZY CONDITIONS ALONG WITH A FEW ADDITIONAL SHOWERS ACROSS PARTS OF THE REGION. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 130 PM...CONVECTION HAS BEEN SLOW TO DEVELOP OUT AHEAD OF THE LINE OF SHOWERS/TSTMS DUE TO A WEAK CAP. STILL THINK THIS CAP WILL BREAK AS COOLER MID LEVEL TEMPS MOVE INTO THE FORECAST AREA WITHE THE UPPER TROUGH. HOWEVER...THE BULK OF THE SHOWERS/TSTMS REST OF THIS AFTERNOON MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE LINE THAT IS JUST NOW MOVG INTO SE WV AND THE ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS OF VA. THIS LINE WILL CONTINUE MOVG SLOWLY SEWD REST OF THIS AFT INTO THIS EVENING. AS OF 1015 AM EDT THURSDAY... CURRENT RADAR...SATELLITE AND SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS A SOLID LINE OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS CONTINUES AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WHICH IS SLOWLY PUSHING SOUTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE REGION AHEAD OF A STRONG SHORT WAVE TROUGH. MEANWHILE...ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES WILL BRING STRONG HEATING. THE MODIFIED 12Z RNK SOUNDING INDICATES HIGHS AROUND 90 TODAY WITH FULL SUN. I HAVE RAISED MAX TEMPS TO BE CLOSER TO 90 FOR ALL BUT THE HIGH ELEVATIONS AND SE WV...SINCE I EXPECT NEARLY FULL SUN. MEANWHILE...STRONG MOISTURE ADVECTION CONTINUES INTO THE AREA AHEAD OF THE SFC FRONT...WITH PWATS PROGGED TO INCREASE TO BETWEEN 1.5 AND 2.0 INCHES BY EVENING. SHOULD HAVE MODERATE TO STRONG INSTABILITY BY LATE AFTERNOON...WITH SB CAPES OF AROUND 3000 J/KG POSSIBLE. SHOULD BE ENOUGH SHEAR TO PRODUCE MULTICELL LINE SEGMENTS WITH EMBEDDED STRONG STORMS. MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...BUT WITH COOLING TEMPS ALOFT...LARGE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE. INA ADDITION...WITH PWATS SO HIGH...THE STRONGER STORMS WILL HAVE VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS...AND THE MEAN FLOW IS NEARLY PARALLEL TO THE SFC BOUNDARY...SO THERE MAY BE TRAINING TSTMS. FOR NOW...I HAVE AMENDED THE WX GRIDS TO HAVE SCT TSTMS WITH GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN. WE ALREADY MENTION SCT STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS IN THE HWO. I CONSIDERED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH ACROSS NRN SECTIONS OF THE CWA...BUT AM NOT CONFIDENT ON ANY AREAS OF TRAINING AND FFG IS FAIRLY HIGH WITH DRY ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS. I SLOWED DOWN THE HIGHER POPS...BUT DID NOT TIME THEM COMPLETELY TO THE SFC FNT SINCE I EXPECT SCT STORMS TO DEVELOP IN THE CONVERGENCE ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE WELL AHEAD OF THE FRONT BY MID AFTERNOON. AS OF 240 AM EDT THURSDAY... COLD FRONT ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT SE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS REACHING THE WESTERN SLOPES LATE TODAY BEFORE CROSSING THE BLUE RIDGE OVERNIGHT. DEGREE OF CONVECTIVE COVERAGE THE MAIN QUESTION TODAY GIVEN SUCH A STRONG 5H TROF FOR LATE AUGUST ALTHOUGH BEST UPPER SUPPORT WILL PASS JUST NORTH WHERE BETTER WIND FIELDS/UPPER DIFFLUENCE WILL EXIST. ALSO IFFY AS TO HOW MUCH CLDNS AND/OR SHOWERS WILL AFFECT THINGS OVER THE WEST THIS MORNING BEFORE THE CURRENT AXIS OF TSRA LIKELY FADES WITH MIXING BY MIDDAY. LATEST MODELS HAVE THE BEST THETA-E RIDGING AND LIFT ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS THRU THIS AFTERNOON WITH LOW LEVEL BACKING UNDERNEATH A DECENT 30 KT MID LEVEL WESTERLY JET. THIS COMBO WITH AT LEAST SOME HEATING SHOULD ALLOW DECENT COVERAGE TO TAKE SHAPE NW EARLY ON AND THEN OUT TO ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE THIS AFTERNOON AS THE VORT TAIL SLIDES BY TO THE NORTH. ALTHOUGH LAPSES ARE RATHER WEAK AND CAPE IN QUESTION...ENOUGH UPPER SUPPORT TO POSSIBLY PRODUCE AT LEAST ISOLATED SEVERE ESPCLY WHERE MORE HEATING TAKES SHAPE ACROSS THE NORTH. THEREFORE WILL CONTINUE LIKELY POPS FOR THE MOST PART NORTHERN THIRD AND DECENT CHANCES ELSW EXCEPT ONLY SLIGHT POPS SE WHERE WILL TAKE UNTIL LATE FOR THE PRE-FRONTAL RH TO REACH. GIVEN THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE SLIGHT RISK AREA TO THE NE PER SWODY1...WILL INCLUDE MORE OF A MENTION IN THE HWO IN SPOTS FOR THIS AFTERNOON. MOS TEMPS LOOK GOOD OUT EAST WHERE MORE INSOLATION LIKELY WHILE STAYING ON THE COOL SIDE THE FARTHER WEST YOU GO PER EARLIER ARRIVAL OF CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE SHRA. UPPER S/W EXITS THIS EVENING LEAVING ONLY THE BOUNDARY AROUND FOR LOW LEVEL FOCUS INTO THE OVERNIGHT. THINK BEST COVERAGE WILL BE ALONG THE EXITING VORT TAIL OVER THE NE MAINLY DURING THE EVENING BEFORE LOSS OF HEATING CAUSES TSRA TO FADE INTO AREAS OF FOG ALONG WITH ONLY ISOLATED SHRA ALONG THE FRONT LATE. OTRW BECOMING PC OVERNIGHT WITH HIGH CHANCE POPS DWINDLING TO MAINLY SLIGHT CHANCES AFTER MIDNIGHT. LACK OF MUCH DRYING WITH THE FRONT WILL LEAD TO A WARM AND SOUPY OVERNIGHT WITH LOWS MAINLY IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S AND PERHAPS STAYING ABOVE 70 IN SPOTS THAT GO WITHOUT SEEING EARLIER SHOWERS. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 250 AM EDT THURSDAY... IRENE WILL TRACK OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST ON FRIDAY...THEN NEAR THE SC/NC COAST FRIDAY NIGHT. TROPICAL FLOW INTO THE AREA WILL BE EAST ON FRIDAY AND NORTHEAST FRIDAY NIGHT. RAIN CHANCES WILL BE HIGHEST ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE BLUE RIDGE. THERE IS ALSO A LOW CHANCE OF SHOWERS EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE AS FIRST OUTER BANDS OF IRENE TRACK INLAND. IRENE WILL TRACK NEAR THE OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA SATURDAY...THEN UP THE VIRGINIA COAST SATURDAY NIGHT. WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE FROM THE NORTH SATURDAY THEN NORTHWEST SATURDAY NIGHT. UPSLOPE RAIN ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE STILL POSSIBLE WHILE SUBSIDENCE LIMITS RAINFALL AMOUNTS. TROPICAL RAIN BANDS MORE LIKELY SATURDAY BUT THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL REMAIN EAST OF THE AREA. EVEN IF IRENE WOULD WOBBLE TO THE WEST AND TRACK SLIGHTLY INLAND...THE BULK OF THE HEAVY RAIN WILL BE CONFIDED TO THE COAST LINE. TEMPERATURES WILL BE A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FRIDAY. EXPECTED COOLER BUT MUGGY CONDITIONS ON SATURDAY AS RAIN CHANCES INCREASE AS IRENE TRACKS ALONG THE VA/NC COAST. BREEZY CONDITIONS ALSO LIKELY SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 240 AM EDT THURSDAY... ON SUNDAY...WITH IRENE MOVG NORTHEASTWARD ALONG THE COAST AND PULLING AWAY FROM THE AREA...A NORTHERLY FLOW WILL BRING COOLER AIR INTO THE FORECAST AREA. OTHER THAN SOME UPSLOPE CLOUDS IN SE WV AND THE VA HIGHLANDS...LOOKS LIKE A MOSTLY SUNNY DAY WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR NORMAL- AROUND 80 WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE AND MID 80S FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN QUICKLY SUNDAY NIGHT. AT THIS POINT...LOOKS LIKE AT LEAST THE MTNS WOULD DECOUPLE...WITH CLEAR SKIES AND DRY AIR IN PLACE...SETTING US UP FOR QUITE COOL OVERNIGHT LOWS. HAVE STAYED CLOSE TO HPC GUIDANCE...WHICH HAS SOME LOW IN THE UPPER 40S IN MTN VALLEYS. ON MONDAY...A PROGRESSIVE PATTERN...WITH STRONG SHORT WAVE ENERGY MOVG THRU THE GREAT LAKES/OHIO VALLEY REGION SHOULD HAVE THE SFC HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING ACROSS THE CENTRAL APPLNS AND DOWN THE EAST COAST. AT THIS POINT IT LOOKS LIKE LOW LEVEL WINDS INTO THE AREA WILL BE MORE NORTHEAST TO EAST THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...AND MOISTURE RETURN WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL AT LEAST TUESDAY. MONDAY SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE MOSTLY SUNNY...WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR NORMAL FOR THE END OF AUGUST. MODEL DIFFERENCES COME INTO PLAY BY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...WITH THE 00Z ECMWF A WET OUTLIER FOR THE FORECAST AREA...SHOWING A STRONG SHORT WAVE DIGGING INTO THE TN VALLEY AND LIFTING A FRONTAL BOUNDARY INTO THE FORECAST AREA. HOWEVER...EVEN THE LATEST GFS IS SHOWING BETTER MOISTURE TRANSPORT INTO THE REGION ON SERLY FLOW THAN IT/S EARLIER RUNS...SO I HAVE INCREASED POPS BOTH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY TO HAVE AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHC ALL AREAS...AND HAVE CHC POPS ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE IN NW NC AND FAR SW VA. WITH THE PERSISTENT EAST TO SOUTHEAST FLOW INTO THE AREA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR MORE CLOUD COVER AND COOLER DAYTIME HIGH TEMPS DESPITE RISING HEIGHTS...SO I HAVE KEPT HIGH TEMPS BOTH DAYS BELOW GUIDANCE AND CLOSE TO NORMAL. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BECOME MILDER EACH NIGHT FROM MONDAY NIGHT THRU WEDNESDAY NIGHT- LIKELY WELL UP INTO THE 60S BY WED NIGHT. && .AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 130 PM EDT THURSDAY... A SOLID LINE OF SHOWERS/TSTMS AHEAD OF A SFC COLD FRONT IS MOVG INTO SE WV AND SW VA AT THIS TIME. SHOWERS AND TSTMS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THIS LINE SOON. END RESULT IS THAT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NUMEROUS ACROSS THE AREA...AND I HAVE INCLUDED TEMPO GROUPS IN ALL OF THE BLACKSBURG FORECAST AREA AIRPORTS EXCEPT FOR DANVILLE. STORMS REST OF THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG/POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS...VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS...AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LARGE HAIL. HAVE INCLUDED WIND GUSTS TO 30 KNOTS IN THE TEMPO GROUPS. CONVECTION SHOULD TAPER OFF AFTER 00Z/800 PM IN THE MTNS...AND THEN BY 03Z/1100 PM IN THE PIEDMONT AS THE UPPER TROUGH PASSES EAST OF THE AREA...AND WITH LOSS OF HEATING. OVERNIGHT...EXPECT MVFR FOG TO DEVELOP ALL SITES WITH LIGHT WINDS AND CLEARING SKIES. BRIEF PERIOD OF IFR IS LIKELY AT SOME SITES TOWARD DAYBREAK. FOG IS EXPECTED TO LIFT BY 14Z/1000 AM FRIDAY MORNING ALL SITES. THE FRONT WEAKENS AND STALLS ACROSS THE REGION ON FRIDAY AND WITH FAIRLY DEEP EAST WINDS...THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS ESPCLY ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE FRIDAY...WITH MVFR TO IFR CEILINGS DEVELOPING ALONG AND EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS. RAIN CHANCES APPEAR LOWER FOR SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT...BUT DEPEND UPON THE EVENTUAL TRACK OF TROPICAL CYCLONE IRENE. EXPECT A RETURN TO VFR IN THE WAKE OF IRENE LATER SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JH NEAR TERM...JH/JJ SHORT TERM...RCS LONG TERM...JJ/RCS AVIATION...JH/JJ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 738 AM EDT THU AUG 25 2011 NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059- WVZ042>045-261145- 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- 738 AM EDT THU AUG 25 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. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST THIS AFTERNOON. SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE INTO THIS EVENING. LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ALSO OCCUR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 154 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2011 VAZ019-020-024-WVZ045-251845- ALLEGHANY VA-BATH VA-GREENBRIER WV-ROCKBRIDGE VA- 154 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT ALLEGHANY...BATH...GREENBRIER AND ROCKBRIDGE COUNTIES... AT 154 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF RENICK...MOVING EAST AT 40 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 ALVON AROUND 200 PM...NEOLA AROUND 205 PM... NATURAL WELL AROUND 220 PM...CALLISON...CARLOOVER...BACOVA JUNCTION...AND LAKE MOOMAW AROUND 225 PM...INGALLS FIELD...HOT SPRINGS AND AND BACOVA JUNCTION AROUND 230 PM. LAT...LON 3812 7958 3788 7953 3781 8038 3799 8041 JJ
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 82 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:16 UTC.
19 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds brought down some trees and power lines along Highway 43.
Damage was reported to a trailer business on Maury River Road, including small trailers blown around, a shed badly damaged and large tree branches down. Winds also blew a cinder block dugout down and several trees in the vicinity of the baseball field. Trees also blown down at the Virginia Horse Center.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down a tree on both Highway 640 and 647.
Trees were reported down from thunderstorm winds along Route 60.
Trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds on River Road near Madison Heights.
Winds blew three trees down on River Road.
A total of 46 trees were uprooted or snapped at the trunk. Many of them were very large trees located on Mack Updike Circle near the intersection of State Roads 24 and 122. All appeared be blown down toward the east.
Thunderstorm winds blew down trees on Route 600.
A tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds near the intersection of Lawyers Road and Waterlick Road and along Hermitage Road.
Three trees were blow down south of Route 60 and several more near Woods Road.
Thunderstorm winds brought down a tree on Route 732.
Thunderstorm winds blew down a tree on Route 628.
Thunderstorm winds blew down one tree near Andersonville.
Thunderstorm winds blew down a few trees near Hurtsville.
Trees were blown down on Route 636.
One tree was brought down by thunderstorm winds near Gravel Hill Road.
Hail up to the size of golf balls caused some damage to an orchard on Meadowbrook Road.
A tree was blown down on George Washington Highway in Charlotte County Court House.
A tree came down in thunderstorm winds along Saxekey Road near intersection with Mossingford road.
Several trees and power lines were blown down on Philpott Drive and Original Henry Road.
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: 344123, 343880, 344121, 344122, 344220, 344308, 344312, 344156, 344309, 344393, 344333, 344126, 345298, 344334, 344347, 344322, 344337, 344311, 344371, 344378, 344432.