A weak trough over the east coast, combined with a boundary in our vicinity, provided the focus for scattered shower and thunderstorm development. Instability was moderate, but winds aloft were weak, and thus most storms remained under severe limits, however a few strengthened enough to produce strong 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 trough over the east coast, combined with a boundary in our vicinity, provided the focus for scattered shower and thunderstorm development. Instability was moderate, but winds aloft were weak, and thus most storms remained under severe limits, however a few strengthened enough to produce strong winds. These storms did produce brief heavy rainfall, with a few areas experiencing mainly minor flash flooding. A stronger cold front pushed through on the 8th bringing a pattern change to the region.
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 6, 10:24 AM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1124 AM EDT WED JUL 6 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL LINGER ACROSS THE REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT RESULTING IN MORE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND STORMS INTO LATE THIS EVENING. ANOTHER COLD FRONT DROPS IN FROM THE NORTH THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY BEFORE DRIFTING SOUTH OF THE AREA SATURDAY. HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS TO THE REGION TOWARD THE LATTER HALF OF THE UPCOMING WEEKEND BRINGING HOTTER AND DRIER WEATHER BY SUNDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... KFCX RADAR AND SATELLITE PICTURES SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE SOUTHERN BLUE RIDGE AND NEW RIVER VALLEY ALONG AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM THE EARLIER SHOWERS OVER SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. SPS ANALYSIS AT 14Z/10AM SHOWED A WEAK CAP AND CAPES AROUND 1000 J/KG IN THE FOOTHILLS. EXPECT COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO INCREASE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN COUNTY WARNING AREA THROUGH 3PM. WILL MENTION THE CHANCE OF HEAVY RAIN WITH THE STORMS TODAY SINCE STORM MOTION IS ONLY AROUND 10 KNOTS AND PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WERE NEAR 1.5 INCHES ON THE AREA SOUNDINGS THIS MORNING. WATER VAPOR LOOP SHOWED A SHORT WAVE OVER OHIO WITH THE TAIL OF THE WAVE INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. AS THIS FEATURE CROSSES THE AREA...STORMS MAY BECOME MORE ORGANIZED INTO LINES AND CLUSTERS ENOUGH TO PUSH ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE COUNTY WARNING AREA. RUC...HRRR AND LOCAL WRF ALL HAVE THE BULK OF THE PRECIPITATION JUST SOUTHEAST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY BOUT 02Z/10PM. HAVE ADJUSTED PROBABILITY OF PRECIPITATION FOR THIS TIMING. MODELS WERE SHOWING SOME DRYING ALOFT MAY WORK IN BEHIND THIS FEATURE OVER THE NORTH LATE WHILE SHRA MAY BE SLOW TO EXIT THE SE UNLESS THINGS ORGANIZE MORE DURING THE EVENING AND MOVE FARTHER SE PER THE LATEST NAM. SINCE THIS LOOKS A BIT FAST GIVEN SO MUCH MOISTURE AROUND...WILL LEAVE IN CHANCE POPS SE AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOW TEMPS LIKELY JUST A LITTLE COOLER PRIMARILY DUE TO EARLIER CONVECTION...AND SLIGHTLY LOWER DEWPOINTS OUTSIDE THE PIEDMONT BUT STILL MAINLY IN THE 60S OVERNIGHT. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... A WEAK COLD FRONT IN THE OHIO VALLEY WILL HAVE A SURFACE WAVE TRACKING ALONG IT ON THURSDAY. THIS WAVES WILL TRACK WEST OF THE REGION. THE AREA WILL BE IN THE WARM AND HUMID SECTOR AND WITH A SOUTHERLY FLOW AND AFTERNOON HEATING...CONVECTION WILL START ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON...SPREAD TO THE FOOTHILLS IN THE MID AFTERNOON...THEN INTO THE PIEDMONT DURING THE EVENING HOURS. OUT FLOW FROM THE BLUE RIDGE STORMS WILL BRING SCATTERED CONVECTION TO THE REST OF THE MOUNTAINS. SEVERE THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. A SECONDARY THREAT WILL BE FLASH FLOODING AS PWATS RUN ABOVE NORMAL AND STORM MOTION WILL BE SLOW. THE FRONT WILL MOVE OVER THE MOUNTAINS ON FRIDAY. ANOTHER SURFACE WAVE WILL TRACK ALONG THIS FRONT BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER TO THE REGION. THE HIGHEST POSSIBILITY WILL BE ALONG THE VA/NC BORDER TO INCLUDE SOUTHSIDE VA. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND FLASH FLOOD POSSIBLE. THE THETA-E BOUNDARY REMAINS TO THE NORTH FRIDAY. WITH AFTERNOON HEATING...THE REST OF THE AREA COULD SEE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH ONLY A FEW BECOMING SEVERE. TEMPERATURES NEAR NORMAL ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AS AFTERNOON STORMS FIRE EARLY. OUT EAST...UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S LIKELY. FRIDAY WILL BE A TAD COOLER WITH THE FRONT ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE REGION. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... DURING THIS PORTION OF THE FORECAST WE ANTICIPATE THE PREVAILING UPPER LEVEL FLOW ACROSS THE REGION WILL TRANSITION FROM A GENERAL TROUGHINESS OVER THE EASTERN U.S. TO A PATTERN OF A BUILDING UPPER HIGH OVER THE REGION. ANTICIPATE GENEROUS SCATTERED COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY AS A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY STAYS OVER OR CLOSE TO THE REGION AND ACTS AS A FOCUS FOR DAILY SHOWERS AND STORMS. BY SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...THE FRONT WILL BE SHUNTED TO THE SOUTH AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVERHEAD. ANTICIPATE A WARMING TREND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH DECREASING COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS. STAYED CLOSE THE HPC NUMBERS FOR TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION CHANCES. && .AVIATION /15Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... WEAK WAVE WORKING ACROSS THE AREA CONTINUES TO KEEP CONVECTION REDEVELOPING ESPCLY ACROSS THE NORTH AND NW SECTIONS. EXPECT SOME OF THIS TO LINGER THRU MID MORNING OR SO BEFORE HEATING CAUSES THE SHRA TO BRIEFLY FADE BEFORE RENEWED CONVECTION GETS GOING AROUND MIDDAY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. THEREFORE WILL NEED TO INCLUDE A PREVAILING SHRA FROM KBLF/KLWB EAST TO KLYH THIS MORNING AND PERHAPS KBCB PENDING HOW FAR EAST THIS NEW AREA OF SHRA MAKES IT. OTRW GIVEN UNCERTAINTY WILL TEMPO IN A COUPLE HOURS OF MVFR IN SHRA/TSRA INCLUDING A BIT OF MVFR IN FOG TO INIT AT A COUPLE OF THE WESTERN SITES EARLY THIS MORNING. ANY FOG WILL DISSIPATE QUICKLY BY MID MORNING AND GRADUALLY GIVE WAY TO A SCTD/BKN CU FIELD FOR MOST LOCATIONS BY MIDDAY AS THE INITIAL WAVE PASSES. HOWEVER CLOUDS AND PERHAPS ISOLATED CONVECTION MAY LINGER AROUND IN SPOTS AND ACT TO DELAY LATER COVERAGE A BIT. OTRW PLAN TO KEEP IN GOING CB MENTION MOST SPOTS AND INCLUDE A VCTS ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE AND POINTS EAST WHERE BETTER POTENTIAL LOOKS TO EXIST FOR MORE SCTD TO ORGANIZED STORMS THIS AFTERNOON. SHOULD SEE TSRA EXIT THIS EVENING ALLOWING A BIT OF DRYING ALOFT WHICH MAY GIVE WAY TO SOME CLEARING OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL SPELL MORE IN THE WAY OF FOG ESPCLY IN THE WAKE OF EARLIER HEAVIER CONVECTION SO TAKING JUST ABOUT ALL SPOTS DOWN TO MVFR VSBYS LATE AND IFR OR WORSE AT SPOTS LIKE KLWB/KBCB/KLYH PENDING RAINFALL TODAY. ANTICIPATE DAILY THREAT OF SCATTERED SHRA/TSRA THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AS A STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS OVER OR NEAR THE AREA. INCREASED RIDGING ALOFT MAY FINALLY SHUT DOWN THE DAILY CONVECTIVE REGIME ON SUNDAY. LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING PATCHY FOG AND MVFR CIGS WILL BE POSSIBLE AS RESIDUAL MOISTURE FROM THE PREVIOUS DAYS CONVECTION CONDENSES UNDER THE NOCTURNAL INVERSION. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JH NEAR TERM...JH SHORT TERM...RCS LONG TERM...DS AVIATION...AMS/JH/WP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1137 AM EDT WED JUL 6 2011 NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009-010-012>017-022>024-032>035-043>047- 058-059-071100- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES- YADKIN-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL- FLOYD-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST- HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 1137 AM EDT WED JUL 6 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. WIDELY SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING. IN ADDITION...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY SOME OF THE STORMS RESULTING IN LOCALIZED FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. VAZ011-018>020-WVZ042>045-071100- GILES-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER- 1137 AM EDT WED JUL 6 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING. IN ADDITION...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY SOME OF THE STORMS RESULTING IN LOCALIZED FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1222 PM EDT WED JUL 6 2011 VAZ022-033-061645- FRANKLIN VA-ROANOKE VA- 1222 PM EDT WED JUL 6 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT FRANKLIN AND ROANOKE COUNTIES... AT 1220 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTH OF BOONES MILL...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND SMALL 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. 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 STAY OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF ROANOKE COUNTY AND FRANKLIN COUNTY. LAT...LON 3718 7980 3709 7988 3716 8002 3721 7996 DS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1223 PM EDT WED JUL 6 2011
VAZ043-061700-
HENRY VA-
1223 PM EDT WED JUL 6 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT HENRY COUNTY...
AT 1220 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES WEST OF
BASSETT...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND SMALL 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.
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 SANVILLE AROUND 1230 PM AND STANLEYTOWN
AROUND 100 PM.
LAT...LON 3671 8009 3672 8010 3674 8008 3674 8010
3678 8010 3679 8008 3675 7994 3667 8000
DSThe Roanoke radar (KFCX), 33 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:51 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees blown down by thunderstorm winds.
A tree was blown down on Woodfork Road just north of Charlotte Court House. Another came down on Bradner Drive.
Thunderstorm winds blew down a tree.
Thunderstorm winds blew a large tree down on Bradner Drive.
Heavy rain of 2 to 4 inches caused substantial standing water on Alum Spring Road.
Heavy rain of 2 to 4 inches caused water to cover Robinson Tract Road.
Heavy rains of 2 to 4 inches caused a rockslide on Mountain View Drive.
Nickel size hail fell on Stone Brook Drive.
Thunderstorm winds snapped tree limbs up to 12 inches in diameter.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down trees along Robertson Lane, one of which fell on a power pole. Another tree fell along the Franklin Turnpike near Mt. Hermon Baptist Church.
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, July 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: 334133, 334136, 334138, 338662, 334184, 334186, 334177, 334141, 334142, 334187.