Ahead of a cold front, an unstable environment developed as temperatures rose into the upper 70s and lower 80s. A few storms formed on the eastern edge of the precipitation shield associated with the front.
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 RLX wrote it up.
Ahead of a cold front, an unstable environment developed as temperatures rose into the upper 70s and lower 80s. A few storms formed on the eastern edge of the precipitation shield associated with the front. One of these storms reached into Cabell County by early afternoon. More storms developed during the late afternoon and into the early evening.
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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 26, 9:01 AM EST, 3 hours 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1001 AM EDT MON SEP 26 2011 .SYNOPSIS... UPPER LEVEL LOW OUT WEST FINALLY SHIFTS EAST...BRINGING COLD FRONT ACROSS LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY MORNING. THE UPPER LEVEL LOW ITSELF WILL TAKE UNTIL WEDNESDAY OR EVEN THURSDAY TO MOVE OUT OF TH AREA. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... FORECAST IS GENERALLY ON TRACK. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE NNE JUST TO OUR WEST. THIS PRECIPITATION WILL SLOWLY PUSH EAST INTO OUR REGION THRU TODAY. HAVE MADE SOME TWEAKS TO THE POPS AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES... BASED ON CURRENT TRENDS AND THE 12 UTC NAM. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... A COLD FRONT...ASSOCIATED WITH THE BROAD AND SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER THE MIDWEST...IS EXPECTED TO CROSS THE AREA LATER THIS EVENING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF THE FRONT...COULD REACH SOUTHEAST OH AS EARLY AS THIS AFTERNOON. MODELS ARE IN DESCENT AGREEMENT WITH THE TIMING AND INTENSITY OF THIS COLD FRONT. PRECIPITABLE WATER REACHES 2 INCHES JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT. WITH THE SLOW MOVING NATURE OF THE FRONT...EXPECT REPETITIVE SHOWERS AND STORMS TO MOVE OVER THE SAME AREAS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THIS SCENARIO COULD RESULT IN RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND TWO TO THREE INCHES...AND SOME FLOODING PROBLEMS. MODERATE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL KEEP WARM TEMPERATURES TODAY...GENERALLY IN THE UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S. WENT WITH THE CONSENSUS MOS GUIDANCE WITH FEW TWEAKS DEPENDING ON CLOUD COVER. MODELS INDICATE THAT AN ENVIRONMENT WITH STRONG BOUNDARY LAYER CONVERGENCE...DESCENT DEEP LAYERED SHEAR BETWEEN 35 TO 50 KNOTS...AND SFC BASED CAPE MAXIMUM OF 1200 J/KG CAN PRODUCE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE TO PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. INSTABILITY FORECASTED TO PROMPTLY DISAPPEAR WITH LOSS OF HEATING LATER MONDAY NIGHT. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... OCCLUDED/COOL FRONT...WITHOUT A NOTICEABLE AIRMASS CHANGE...SHOULD CLEAR THE NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS TUESDAY...AND TAKE THE HIGH END CHANCE/LIKELY POPS WITH IT BY AFTERNOON. MODELS DEPICT A NICELY DEFINED SPIRAL OF MOISTURE IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS ORIGINATING FROM THE CENTRAL AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MAINTAINING A NEARLY STATIONARY WOBBLE NEAR THE SOUTHERN END OF LAKE MICHIGAN. THE BULK OF THE CWA WILL END UP IN A DRY SLOT AGAIN FOR TUESDAY RESULTING IN A MAINLY DRY FORECAST OUTSIDE OF THE EARLY POPS EXITING THE NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS. THE NEXT BAND OF DEEPER MOISTURE WILL PUSH INTO THE TRI STATE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT...BUT AS IT DOES...WILL BEGIN TO LOSE SOME OF THE DEPTH ALOFT...NOTABLY IN THE 700-500MB LAYER. DESPITE THE SHRINKING MOISTURE DEPTH...A WEAK VORT MAX EMBEDDED IN THE 500MB FLOW MAY INDUCE ENOUGH RISING MOTION TO KICK OFF ISOLATED SHOWERS. ALL IN ALL...FROM TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...ANY FORCING FEATURES WILL LIKELY BE ON THE WEAK SIDE...BUT GIVEN THE SYNOPTIC SET UP...AN ISOLATED SHOWER CANNOT BE COMPLETELY DISCOUNTED. IT WILL TAKE A DEEPENING TROUGH ALOFT IN THE UPPER MIDWEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO FINALLY SET THIS CLOSED LOW INTO MOTION AND FINALLY TO OUR NORTHEAST...JUST BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE SHORT TERM FORECAST. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... ECMWF-BASED FORECAST WAS USED FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD...AS IT HAS BEEN A BIT MORE CONSISTENT THE PAST FEW RUNS. GFS IS A BIT TOO QUICK IN KICKING OUT THE INITIAL GREAT LAKES UPPER LOW. AFTER THIS SYSTEM DEPARTS...EASTERN TROUGH GETS REINFORCED BY SHORTWAVE DROPPING DOWN FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST BY FRIDAY. THIS WILL LEAD TO A GOOD SHOT OF AUTUMN AIR FOR NEXT WEEKEND. HAVE CHANCE POPS FOR SHRA ASSOCIATED WITH DEPARTING UPPER LOW ON THURSDAY...AND REINFORCING SHORT WAVE ON FRIDAY. SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCES ACROSS THE NORTH AND THE MOUNTAINS WITH NW FLOW AND BETTER PROXIMITY TO SHORTWAVES. TROUGH DEEPENS BY FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY...BUT MOST OF THE MOISTURE DEPARTS AND HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN AT THE SURFACE. THUS HAVE A DRY FORECAST FROM FRIDAY NIGHT ON. SEASONAL TEMPERATURES THURSDAY TO BE REPLACED BY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR NEXT WEEKEND. DID RAISE SATURDAY/SUNDAY MAX VALUES FROM HPC SUGGESTIONS BY A FEW DEGREES BUT STILL MOSTLY STILL BELOW MEX/ENSEMBLE NUMBERS. && .AVIATION /14Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL UNDER HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS SPREADING EAST AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. THESE CLOUDS WILL SLOWLY LOWER AND THICKEN UNTIL EXPECTED COLD FRONT REACHES SOUTHEAST OH FROM 23-01Z. SOME SHOWER ACTIVITY COULD DEVELOP ALONG AND WEST OF THE OH RIVER FOR POSSIBLE MVFR CONDITIONS THROUGH 21Z. HOWEVER...WIDESPREAD PCPN ACCOMPANIED BY SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD REACH THE WESTERN SITES AROUND 18Z MONDAY. MVFR/IFR VISIBILITIES WILL BE POSSIBLE UNDER HEAVY RAIN. EVEN STRONGER STORMS...SOME CAPABLE TO PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG FROPA...TIMED AT HTS...CRW...AND PKB FROM 23-01Z MONDAY EVENING. THEN...SPREAD EAST TO AFFECT CKB...BKW...AND EKN FROM 00-03Z TUESDAY. IFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF FROPA. EXPECT A WIND SHIFT TO THE WEST AT HTS ABOUT 23Z MON...AS THE COLD FRONT PASSES. FLOW ALOFT WILL BE MODERATE SOUTH...BECOMING MODERATE TO STRONG SOUTHWEST AROUND DAWN MONDAY WITH LLWS ALSO POSSIBLE...AND THEN MODERATE SOUTH BY MID MORNING...STRENGTHENING FROM THE SOUTH AGAIN LATE MONDAY. IFR POST RAINFALL FOG POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: HIGH ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: TIMING OF SHOWERS AND ASSOCIATED MVFR / IFR CONDITIONS MAY VARY. EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION: H = HIGH: TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS. L = LOW: TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. UTC 1HRLY 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 00 01 EDT 1HRLY 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H M M M M M HTS CONSISTENCY H H H M H M M H M M M M BKW CONSISTENCY H H H H M M M H H H H H EKN CONSISTENCY M H H H H H H H H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H M M M M M M CKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H AFTER 12Z TUESDAY... IFR POSSIBLE IN POST RAINFALL FOG OR LOW STRATUS BEHIND THE FRONT EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...NONE. OH...NONE. KY...NONE. VA...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...26/ARJ NEAR TERM...JSH/ARJ SHORT TERM...26 LONG TERM...CL AVIATION...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 1232 PM EDT MON SEP 26 2011 KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011- 013>020-024>027-029-033>035-271645- GREENUP-CARTER-BOYD-LAWRENCE-PERRY-MORGAN-ATHENS-WASHINGTON-JACKSON- VINTON-MEIGS-GALLIA-DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-WAYNE-CABELL-MASON-WOOD- PLEASANTS-TYLER-LINCOLN-PUTNAM-KANAWHA-ROANE-WIRT-CALHOUN-RITCHIE- DODDRIDGE-MINGO-LOGAN-BOONE-CLAY-GILMER-MCDOWELL-WYOMING-RALEIGH- 1232 PM EDT MON SEP 26 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...SOUTHEAST OHIO...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND MUCH OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY SEVERE THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. WVZ028-030>032-036>040-046-047-271645- BRAXTON-LEWIS-HARRISON-TAYLOR-FAYETTE-NICHOLAS-WEBSTER-UPSHUR- BARBOUR-POCAHONTAS-RANDOLPH- 1232 PM EDT MON SEP 26 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. 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 CHARLESTON WV
1209 PM EDT MON SEP 26 2011
KYZ101>103-105-261700-
BOYD KY-CARTER KY-GREENUP KY-LAWRENCE KY-
1209 PM EDT MON SEP 26 2011
...A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL AFFECT
BOYD...EASTERN CARTER...EASTERN GREENUP AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES...
AT 1206 PM EDT...THESE SHOWERS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS SHOWER.
THESE SHOWERS WILL BE NEAR BLAINE...CHARLEY...AND ULYSSES AROUND 1215
PM...GRAYSON LAKE STATE PARK...AND HOUCKVILLE AROUND 1220 PM...
WILLARD...WEBBVILLE...GRAHN...AND GALLUP AROUND 1225 PM AND DENTON
AROUND 1230 PM.
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.
LAT...LON 3869 8289 3859 8284 3856 8272 3846 8260
3826 8257 3824 8261 3814 8264 3800 8252
3798 8246 3794 8250 3795 8256 3788 8261
3799 8291 3799 8296 3796 8299 3798 8303
3812 8290 3817 8292 3818 8306 3823 8311
28SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1252 PM EDT MON SEP 26 2011
KYZ103-105-OHZ087-WVZ005-006-261730-
BOYD KY-CABELL WV-LAWRENCE OH-LAWRENCE KY-WAYNE WV-
1252 PM EDT MON SEP 26 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT BOYD...CABELL...NORTHEASTERN
LAWRENCE...NORTHERN WAYNE AND SOUTHEASTERN LAWRENCE COUNTIES...
AT 1248 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTH OF
YATESVILLE LAKE STATE PARK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND PEA-SIZED HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR BURNAUGH AROUND 100 PM...WAYNE AROUND 105
PM...LAVALETTE AROUND 110 PM...PROCTORVILLE AROUND 120 PM...PEA RIDGE
AROUND 125 PM AND ATHALIA AROUND 130 PM.
THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING INTERSTATES...I-64 BETWEEN MILE
MARKERS 188 AND 191 IN KENTUCKY...AND BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 28
IN WEST VIRGINIA.
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.
LAT...LON 3836 8268 3869 8248 3868 8238 3867 8235
3859 8236 3858 8229 3860 8226 3859 8222
3847 8206 3806 8256 3812 8270 3821 8274
28The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 58 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:16 UTC.
5 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Along with the hail, the downpour had vehicles pulling off to the side, or into the medium, of Interstate 64.
One inch hail fell in Pea Ridge.
Trees were blown down from near County Route 18 to State Route 5.
A tree was blown down onto Route 8 near Nobe. Other large branches were knocked down in the vicinity.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, September 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: 337885, 337887, 337890, 337901, 337892, 337891, 337908.