A strong cold front passed through the region during the morning hours. Strong low pressure associated with the front moved through New England during the afternoon hours while high pressure moved toward the Midwest.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 LWX wrote it up.
A strong cold front passed through the region during the morning hours. Strong low pressure associated with the front moved through New England during the afternoon hours while high pressure moved toward the Midwest. The strong pressure gradient between these two systems caused high 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 Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 25, 3:57 AM EST, 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
357 AM EST FRI FEB 25 2011
.SYNOPSIS...
LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK ACROSS THE NORTHERN APPALACHIANS AND THROUGH
PENNSYLVANIA TODAY. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE MID
ATLANTIC THIS AFTERNOON. HIGH PRESSURE MOVES INTO THE REGION FOR
THE WEEKEND. A COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY BRING RAIN TO THE AREA
MONDAY...WITH HIGH PRESSURE RETURNING FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/...
07Z SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS POTENT LOPRES SYSTEM CURRENTLY OVER KY WITH A
LEADING WARM FRONT MOVING OVER SRN KY AND SRN VA. THE LOW WILL RACE
NEWD TOWARD THE MD/PA/WV BORDER BY MID-MRNG AND REACH LONG ISLAND BY
THE MID AFTN. STRONG SLY FLOW AHEAD OF LOW WILL QUICKLY ADVANCE THE
WARM FRONT NORTHWARD THRU THE CWA DURING THE ERY AND MID MRNG.
THRU MID MRNG-
RADAR AND SAT ANALYSIS SHOWS THE BEST ISENTROPIC LIFT ALONG THE LLVL
BAROCLINIC ZONE HAS PUSHED NORTH OF THE MASON-DIXON LINE...LEAVING
MOST OF THE CWA IN A PRECIP LULL OVNGT. HOWEVER...ANOTHER BATCH OF
MODERATE RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE 60-70 KT LLVL JET ON THE WEST SIDE
OF THE APPALACHIANS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CWA DURING THE ERY AND MID
MRNG. THIS SHIELD OF PRECIP...WHICH WAS ONCE AN ORGANIZED SQUALL
LINE OVER THE MS VLY...HAS WEAKENED AS IT MOVED EAST WITH NO
LIGHTNING ACTIVITY AS OF 07Z. THE LINE SHOULD CONTINUE TO WEAKEN AS
IT APPROACHES THE AREA AND OUTRUNS THE BEST INSTABILITY. ONCE THE
WARM FRONT MOVES THRU...WILL NEED TO MONITOR THE POTENTIAL FOR
STRONGER SHOWERS TO TRANSPORT GUSTY WINDS DOWN TO THE SFC THIS MRNG
ACROSS CENTRAL VA AND LOWER SRN MD...ESPECIALLY IF THE WARM FROPA
PRECEDES PRECIP SHIELD. CURRENT MESOSCALE GUIDANCE DOES NOT INDICATE
THIS HAPPENING WITH THE STABLE LAYER NEAR THE SFC STILL PRESENT AS
THE PRECIP MOVES THRU. ONCE THE WARM FRONT MOVES THRU...TEMPS SHOULD
QUICKLY RISE INTO THE 40S ACROSS NRN MD AND THE 50S FARTHER SOUTH
THRU THE MID-MRNG. SLY WINDS WILL QUICKLY INCREASE...GUSTING BETWEEN
30-40 MPH IN SOME SPOTS.
LATE MRNG THRU THE AFTN-
THE MAIN THREATS FROM THIS SYSTEM DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE STRONG
GRADIENT WINDS AND A SMALL WINDOW FOR STRONG SHOWERS/TSTMS TO
PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND POSSIBLY AN ISOLATED TORNADO EAST OF THE
BLUE RIDGE FROM THE MIDDAY THRU THE MID-AFTN AS A COLD FRONT
APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. SFC TEMPS WILL RISE INTO THE UPPER 50S/LOW
60S AND DEWPOINTS IN THE 50S WHILE AN UPPER LOW APPROACHING FROM THE
WEST WILL COOL THE ATMOSPHERE ALOFT. HIGHER-RESOLUTION MODEL
GUIDANCE SHOW A SHORT WINDOW OF MARGINAL INSTABILITY /COULD BE
HIGHER IF BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS DEVELOP/ AND HIGH SHEAR AHEAD OF THE
COLD FRONT EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE BETWEEN 16Z-20Z. ANY CONVECTION
THAT DEVELOPS WILL BE CAPABLE OF TRANSPORTING 60 MPH WIND GUSTS DOWN
TO THE SFC.
COLD FROPA EXPECTED ACROSS THE MTS DURING THE LATE MRNG AND THE WRN
SHORE BY MID-AFTN. STEEPENING LLVL LAPSE RATES AND A STRONG
PRESSURE SURGE BEHIND THE FRONT WILL PRODUCE MORE WIDESPREAD STRONG
WINDS GUSTS UPWARDS OF 60 MPH. WILL KEEP CURRENT HIGH WIND WRNG
HEADLINES AS IS...WHICH STARTS AT 16Z WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE AND 19Z
FARTHER EAST. OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT...ADVISORY LVL WIND GUSTS TO 50
MPH WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE DURING THE MIDDAY
HRS.
STRONG CAA BEHIND THE FRONT WILL ALLOW UPSLOPE PRECIP ALONG THE WRN
SLOPES OF THE ALLEGHENY FRONT TO CHANGE TO SN DURING THE AFTN.
SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE LIGHT AS GROUND TEMPS WILL TAKE
LONGER TO COOL ENOUGH FOR SNOW TO STICK.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 PM SATURDAY/...
COLD FRONT WILL HAVE MOVED THROUGH THE AREA BY 00Z SAT. STRONGEST
WINDS WILL HAVE LIKELY SUBSIDED...BUT THERE MAY BE A LINGERING
PERIOD OF WIND ADVISORY GUSTS THAT LAST UNTIL 03Z OR SO IN THE SURGE
BEHIND THE FRONT. CLOUDS AND EVEN A FEW SNOW SHOWERS WILL OCCUR OVER
THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE HIGHLANDS BUT THE REST OF THE CWA BE
GENERALLY CLEAR OUT FOR THE THE EVENING BEFORE SOME HIGH CLOUDS
START ROLLING BACK IN OVERNIGHT. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLDER WITH
LOWS IN THE UPPER 20S IN DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE...MID 20S
IN THE SUBURBS AND LOWER 20S ACROSS THE HIGHLANDS.
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE AREA TO BEGIN SATURDAY WILL QUICKLY MOVE OFF
THE COAST LATER IN THE AFTERNOON AND AT NIGHT. COULD BE SOME PEEKS
OF SUNSHINE IN THE MORNING BUT THE BULK OF SATURDAY IS EXPECTED TO
BE MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY BELOW CLIMATOLOGY.
&&
.LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
WARM FRONT IS PROGGED TO RISE NORTH INTO THE CWA LATER SATURDAY
NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. CANT RULE OUT A FEW SHOWERS DUE TO ISENTROPIC
LIFT NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY MAINLY ACROSS NORTH AND WEST PORTIONS OF
THE CWA. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE BACK ABOVE CLIMO FOR
SUNDAY...COOLEST NORTH AND WARMEST SOUTH DUE TO PRESENCE OF THE WARM
FRONT.
BETTER CHANCES OF SHOWERS COME SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. LOW
PRESSURE MOVING THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES AND NEW ENGLAND WILL DRAG A
COLD FRONT THROUGH THE CWA MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO EVENING. DESPITE
CLOUDS...MONDAY SHOULD ABOVE CLIMO AS WELL AND LIKELY THE WARMEST
DAY OF THE NEXT WEEK OR SO...THEN COLDER AIR MOVES IN FOR THE REST
OF THE WEEK BUT WITH HIGH PRESSURE IN CONTROL IT SHOULD BE DRY.
&&
.AVIATION /09Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
INITIAL AREA OF RAIN HAS ENDED ACROSS MOST TERMINALS AS OF 08Z.
THERE WILL BE A FEW HOUR PERIOD OF DRY CONDITIONS BEFORE SHOWERS
MOVE BACK IN LATER THIS MORNING. IN THIS DRY PERIOD...EXPECT
CHO/MRB TO REMAIN IN LIFR. AT THE HUBS...CIGS/VSBYS HAVE BEEN
DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT AND HAVE BEEN HOLDING ONTO MVFR LONGER THAN
EXPECTED. STILL BELIEVE THAT 1-3SM BR AND CIGS BLO 1000 FT WILL
RE-DEVELOP AND THEREFORE FAVOR IFR /LOCAL LIFR/ RETURNING AT THE
HUBS FOR THE MORNING PUSH. AT THE SAME TIME...LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR
OF 40 TO 45 KNOTS WILL BE PRESENT AT THE 2000 FEET LAYER. ALL
FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS WILL IMPROVE AS THESE WINDS GET TRANSPORTED
DOWN TO THE SURFACE AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH FROM THE WEST.
WITH THE TRUE FRONT...CANT RULE OUT A THUNDERSTORM WHICH COULD
TRANSPORT GUSTY WINDS TO THE SURFACE AND THEN BEHIND THE FRONT A
PERIOD OF WINDS OF TO 50 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED BEFORE SUBSIDING THIS
EVENING.
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR OVERNIGHT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY FOR LESS
WIND AND VFR CONDITIONS. WARM FRONT APPROACHES SATURDAY NIGHT INTO
SUNDAY...THEN A COLD FRONT WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS MONDAY.
WINDS SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST AND MAY BE GUSTY FOR TUESDAY. HIGH
PRESSURE RETURNS FOR THE MID WEEK.
&&
.MARINE...
A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE NORTHWARD THRU THE WATERS DURING THE ERY TO
MID MRNG. WINDS WILL QUICKLY INCREASE FROM SOUTH TO NORTH BETWEEN
30-40 KT BEHIND THE FRONT DURING THE MRNG. GALE WRNG HAS BEEN ISSUED
TO COVER THIS THREAT. A COLD FRONT WILL THEN PASS THRU THE WATERS
THIS AFTN. A LINE OF CONVECTION MAY DEVELOP IN THE ERY-MID AFTN
AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THIS ACTIVITY WOULD BE CAPABLE OF TRANSPORTING
STRONG WINDS. HEADLINES RAMP UP TO A STORM WRNG BY THE LATE AFTN AS
W-NW WINDS WILL PRODUCE WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 KT AS A STRONG PRESSURE
SURGE OCCURS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT.
GALES WILL LIKELY LINGER INTO THE EVENING HOURS...AND THEREFORE HAVE
RAMPED DOWN FROM STORM WARNING TO GALES FOR THIS EVENING. AFTER
THAT...A PERIOD OF SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE
OVERNIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN SATURDAY FOR LESS WIND. NEXT
CHANCE OF SHOWERS IS SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES
ACROSS THE REGION. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE ON
TUESDAY.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...
FLOOD POTENTIAL LOOKS RATHER LOW FOR MOST OF THE REGION...BUT THE
RAIN IS BADLY-NEEDED GIVEN RECENT DRY CONDITIONS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS
IN MOST AREAS SHOULD BE LESS THAN AN INCH...BUT SLIGHTLY HEAVIER
AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHLANDS AND ALONG THE MASON-DIXON
LINE...AND LOCALLY IN ANY CONVECTION THAT DEVELOPS. A SLIGHTLY
GREATER FLOOD THREAT EXISTS NEAR THE ALLEGHENY FRONT WHERE THERE IS
STILL SNOWPACK...SOME OF WHICH WILL MELT AND COMBINE WITH THE
RAINFALL.
&&
.LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
DC...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM EST THIS
EVENING FOR DCZ001.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 2 PM EST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR DCZ001.
MD...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EST THIS
EVENING FOR MDZ003-501-502.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM EST THIS
EVENING FOR MDZ004>007-009>011-013-014-016>018.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 2 PM EST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR MDZ004>007-009>011-013-014-016>018.
VA...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EST THIS
EVENING FOR VAZ025>031-503-504.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM EST THIS
EVENING FOR VAZ036>040-042-050>057-501-502.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 2 PM EST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR VAZ036>040-042-050>057-501-502.
WV...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EST THIS
EVENING FOR WVZ050>053-055-501>506.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM EST EARLY THIS MORNING FOR
ANZ532>534-536-537-540>543.
STORM WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM EST THIS
EVENING FOR ANZ530>543.
GALE WARNING UNTIL 2 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR ANZ530>543.
GALE WARNING FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT
FOR ANZ530>543.
&&
SYNOPSIS...BPP
NEAR TERM...JRK
SHORT TERM...BPP
LONG TERM...BPP
AVIATION...BPP
MARINE...JRK/BPP
HYDROLOGY...HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 919 PM EST THU FEB 24 2011 ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ006-007-011-013-014-016>018-VAZ052>057- 251000- CHESAPEAKE BAY NORTH OF POOLES ISLAND MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM POOLES ISLAND TO SANDY POINT MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO NORTH BEACH MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NORTH BEACH TO DRUM POINT MD- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM DRUM POINT MD TO SMITH POINT VA- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM KEY BRIDGE TO INDIAN HEAD MD- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM INDIAN HEAD TO COBB ISLAND MD- TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND MD TO SMITH POINT VA- PATAPSCO RIVER INCLUDING BALTIMORE HARBOR- CHESTER RIVER TO QUEENSTOWN MD-EASTERN BAY- CHOPTANK RIVER TO CAMBRIDGE MD AND THE LITTLE CHOPTANK RIVER- PATUXENT RIVER TO BROOMES ISLAND MD- TANGIER SOUND AND THE INLAND WATERS SURROUNDING BLOODSWORTH ISLAND-DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-NORTHERN BALTIMORE-HARFORD- SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES-ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-ST. MARYS- CALVERT-PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX- ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-SPOTSYLVANIA- KING GEORGE- 919 PM EST THU FEB 24 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MARYLAND PORTION OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY...TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER...AND ADJACENT COUNTIES IN CENTRAL MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR THE TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER FROM COBB ISLAND TO SMITH POINT AND FOR THE MARYLAND CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO SMITH POINT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. SOME STORMS MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT LATE FRIDAY MORNING FOR THE OUTLOOK AREA. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY FRIDAY EVENING FOR THE OUTLOOK AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST HAZARD MESSAGE /NPWLWX/ FOR DETAILS. A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FRIDAY MORNING FOR THE MARYLAND CHESAPEAKE BAY AND TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER. A STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE MARYLAND CHESAPEAKE BAY AND TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER. A GALE WARNING LIKELY WILL BE NEEDED FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE WAKE OF THE STORM WARNING. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... LIMITED SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON. MDZ003>005-009-010-501-502-VAZ025>031-036>040-042-050-051-501>504- WVZ050>053-055-501>506-251000- WASHINGTON-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-MONTGOMERY-HOWARD- EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY-CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY-AUGUSTA- ROCKINGHAM-SHENANDOAH-FREDERICK VA-PAGE-WARREN-CLARKE-NELSON- ALBEMARLE-GREENE-MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-LOUDOUN-ORANGE-CULPEPER- NORTHERN FAUQUIER-SOUTHERN FAUQUIER-WESTERN HIGHLAND- EASTERN HIGHLAND-HAMPSHIRE-MORGAN-BERKELEY-JEFFERSON-HARDY- WESTERN GRANT-EASTERN GRANT-WESTERN MINERAL-EASTERN MINERAL- WESTERN PENDLETON-EASTERN PENDLETON- 919 PM EST THU FEB 24 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA... NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA...AND CENTRAL AND WESTERN MARYLAND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GARRETT COUNTY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON MAINLY EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS. SOME STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE FROM 11 AM TO 7 PM. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT LATE FRIDAY MORNING EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FRIDAY AFTERNOON EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST HAZARD MESSAGE /NPWLWX/ FOR DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... LIMITED SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON. KRAMAR
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gusts up to 72 mph were measured near Wintergreen.
A wind gust of 61 mph was reported near Harrisonburg.
Wind gusts around 60 mph were estimated across Augusta County.
Wind gusts around 60 mph were estimated across western Highland County.
Wind gusts around 60 mph were estimated across eastern Highland County.
A wind gust of 61 mph was reported near Lovettsville.
Wind gusts of up to 52 knots were estimated across northern Fauquier County.
Wind gusts around 60 mph were estimated across Albemarle County.
A wind gust of 64 mph was reported at Reston.
A wind gust of 58 mph was reported at Manassas Park.
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, February 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: 286237, 286232, 286233, 286234, 286235, 286229, 286230, 286236, 286226, 286227.