A strong pressure gradient developed between a departing area of low pressure and an approaching high pressure system. West winds increased through the day with some gusts near 60 mph at mainly higher elevations.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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 RNK wrote it up.
A strong pressure gradient developed between a departing area of low pressure and an approaching high pressure system. West winds increased through the day with some gusts near 60 mph at mainly higher elevations. The winds brought trees down.
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 Feb 25, 6:05 AM EST, 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
605 AM EST SAT FEB 25 2012
.SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST TODAY...RESULTING
IN CONTINUED GUSTY WINDS ACROSS THE REGION. THIS HIGH WILL PASS
ACROSS THE APPALACHIANS BY SUNDAY MORNING...CAUSING OUR WINDS TO
BECOME SOUTHERLY AND ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO WARM THROUGH THE
BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. ANOTHER STRONG COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH
OUR REGION BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
AS OF 220 AM EST SATURDAY...
ANOTHER WINDY MARCH LIKE DAY IN STORE TODAY BETWEEN DEEPENING LOW
PRESSURE OFF THE NE COAST AND HIGH PRESSURE GRADUALLY BUILDING IN
FROM THE WEST. THIS WILL KEEP A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE
AREA THRU THE AFTERNOON WITH DEPTH OF MIXING INCREASING AS MORE
CLEARING TAKES PLACE AND VERY DRY AIR ADVECTS IN. SOME CONCERN THAT
SOME SPOTS ALONG THE SRN BLUE RIDGE MAY SEE WARNING CRITERIA ESPCLY
THIS MORNING GIVEN MTN WAVE ACTION BUT THINK WEAKER PRESSURE RISES
ALONG WITH A STEEPER INVERSION...AND A SLOWLY WEAKENING 85H JET
SHOULD KEEP THESE SPEEDS SPOTTY AFTER DAYBREAK SO WONT UPGRADE ATTM.
HOWEVER WILL INCLUDE A FEW MORE CTYS IN THE GOING NPW OVER THE WEST
PER CURRENT OBS AND OVER THE EAST CLOSER TO THE FOOTHILLS WHERE
GUIDANCE SHOWS BETTER MIXING OFF THE BLUE RIDGE. WINDS WILL BE
STRONG IN THE PIEDMONT AS WELL BUT WITH FCST RAOBS SHOWING THE
HIGHEST SPEEDS ABOVE THE INVERSION PLAN TO KEEP ADVISORY HEADLINES
JUST WEST OF THERE FOR NOW. WESTERN SNOW SHOWERS REMAIN OFF AND ON
AND LESS ORGANIZED ATTM BUT EXPECTING MORE UPSLOPISH NATURE BANDED
FEATURES UNDER THE INVERSION EARLY THIS MORNING AS THE COLDEST AIR
ALOFT ARRIVES. STILL WITH WARM GROUND NOT EXPECTING TO REACH
ADVISORY LEVELS ESPCLY AS MUCH DRIER AIR LOOKS TO UNDERCUT MOISTURE
SOMEWHAT THIS AFTN CAUSING COVERAGE TO DECREASE. THEREFORE KEEPING
HIGH POPS THRU EARLY AFTN WITH SOME DECREASE LATER AS MOST GUIDANCE
CUTS OFF PRECIP WITH MORE OF A WEST WIND IN PLACE. ELSW BECOMING
MAINLY SUNNY AFTER EARLY CLOUDS/FLURRIES BLUE RIDGE EAST.
QUITE A DRAMATIC TEMP CHANGE FROM FRIDAY GIVEN CONTD COLD ADVECTION
AND READINGS LIKELY STAYING CLOSE TO FREEZING FAR WEST/HIGHER
ELEVATIONS AND ONLY IN THE 40S EAST TO PERHAPS 50 SE UNDER A GUSTY
BREEZE. STAYED CLOSER TO THE COLDER MET MOS TODAY GIVEN COLD
ADVECTION AND SOME OFFSET VIA DOWNSLOPE WARMING OUT EAST.
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN OVERNIGHT AND SHOULD BE ABOUT
OVERHEAD BY MORNING ALLOWING GOOD SUBSIDENCE AND LIGHT WINDS
AFTER MIDNIGHT. EXPECT UPSLOPE TO ALSO CUT OFF AFTER SUNSET WITH ALL
SEEING CLEAR SKIES BY MORNING. THIS IN COMBO WITH VERY DRY AIR AND
LIGHT WINDS SHOULD SET UP GREAT RADITIONAL COOLING ALLOWING LOWS TO
FALL INTO THE TEENS TO LOW 20S WEST AND LOW/MID 20S EAST PENDING HOW
FAST WINDS CALM OUT.
&&
.SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 300 AM EST SATURDAY...
TRANQUIL PERIOD AHEAD. WITH AN EXTENSION OF HIGH PRESSURE HANGING
BACK ACROSS THE SOUTHSIDE AND PIEDMONT SUNDAY NIGHT...MONDAY MORNING
HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A FEW DEGREES BELOW GUIDANCE. ESPECIALLY
CONSIDERING THAT DEWPOINTS REMAIN IN THE MIDDLE TEENS SUNDAY
AFTERNOON. THE SURFACE HIGH IS SHOVED OFF THE COAST ON MONDAY AS A
WEAK UPPER TROUGH SLIDES ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY. WARMER AIR SEEPS
EAST ALLOWING MANY SPOTS TO HIT THE MIDDLE 50S. AGAIN WITH DEWPOINTS
BARELY MAKING THE MIDDLE 20S...MIN T MAY AGAIN FALL A FEW DEGREES
BELOW GUIDANCE TUESDAY MORNING...WITH ONLY A FEW CLOUDS ENCROACHING
UPON NW NC. A STRONGER HIGH BUILDS ACROSS THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC BEHIND
THE UPPER WEAK TROUGH THROUGH TUESDAY...TAKING UP A WEDGE POSITION
AHEAD OF STRONG LOW PRESSURE IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. EASTERLY
COMPONENT AND INCREASING CLOUDINESS MAY KEEP TEMPS A LITTLE COOLER
ACROSS THE PIEDMONT AND SOUTHSIDE. DEEP ISENTROPIC LIFT WITH A
STRONG WARM FRONT ARRIVES TUESDAY NIGHT...SUCH THAT BOTH THE ECMWF
AND THE GFS HAVE IT EASILY WET ACROSS THE CWA BY 12Z/7A WEDNESDAY.
WOULD EXPECT A BALMY TUESDAY EVENING WITH CLOUDS ARRIVING AFTER A
WARM DAY...SUCH THAT MIN T INTO WED MORNING WILL PROBABLY BE SEVERAL
DEGREES WARMER THAN THE CLIMATOLOGICALLY CONTAMINATED MEX
NUMBERS...AS H85 TEMPS SHOOT ABOVE +10C.
&&
.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
AS OF 200 PM EST FRIDAY...
MILD TEMPERATURES CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE
OFFSHORE. ADVECTION OF MOISTURE INTO THE REGION INCREASES TUESDAY
NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT UPPER TROF. BY WEDNESDAY A
WARM FRONT WILL BE JUST NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE COLD FRONT
WITH THIS SYSTEM...AND ANY ASSOCIATED PRECIPITATION WILL BE EAST OF
THE REGION BY THURSDAY MORNING.
&&
.AVIATION /12Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AS OF 1230 AM EST SATURDAY...
WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN OVERNIGHT...THE MAIN CONCERN WILL
BE STRONG WIND GUSTS ACROSS THE REGION...BUT ESPECIALLY IN THE
MOUNTAINS. EXPECT 25KT TO 35KT GUSTS OVERNIGHT THANKS TO A 8 TO 9
MILLIBAR PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE AREA. WIND SPEEDS WILL
WEAKEN SLIGHTLY BEFORE SUNRISE...BUT WILL INCREASE AGAIN BY LATE
MORNING AS THE TEMPERATURE INVERSION DISSIPATES AND STRONGER WINDS
ALOFT CAN REACH DOWN TO THE SURFACE. BY SATURDAY EVENING...HIGH
PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO SETTLE ACROSS OUR AREA...ALLOWING THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT TO RELAX AND STRONG WINDS TO COME TO AN END.
THE OTHER CONCERN OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING WILL BE
TEMPORARY REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY AS SNOW SHOWERS ROLE OFF OF THE
RIDGELINES TO THE WEST OF OUR AREA. WHILE MUCH OF THIS ACTIVITY
WILL BE LIGHT...A FEW BANDS WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO REDUCE
VISIBILITIES TO 1SM FOR BRIEF PERIODS OF TIME. THESE SNOW SHOWERS
WILL REACH AS FAR EAST AS ROA THROUGH SUNRISE... BUT WILL AFFECT
BLF AND LWB THE GREATEST. EXPECT THESE SHOWERS TO GRADUALLY
DIMINISH FROM EAST TO WEST BEGINNING SATURDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW
SHOWERS WILL COME TO AN END ON SATURDAY EVENING AS HIGH PRESSURE
SETTLES ACROSS THE AREA.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL PASS ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY...AND WILL
INFLUENCE OUR WEATHER PATTERN THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...RESULTING
IN A RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS AREAWIDE.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND VERY DRY AIR WILL MAKE FOR LOW HUMIDITY
LEVELS ALONG/EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE AND ESPCLY IN NW NC TODAY.
HOWEVER RAINFALL FROM YDA WAS ENOUGH TO CAUSE 10 HOUR FUEL MOISTURE
LEVELS TO INCREASE TO BETWEEN 12 AND 15 PERCENT THIS MORNING WHICH
COULD MAKE FOR A LITTLE LESS FIRE DANGER ESPCLY GIVEN RATHER COLD
TEMPS THRU THE AFTERNOON. FINE FUELS SUCH AS GRASSES MAY BE ABLE
TO DRY ENOUGH ESPCLY OVER THE NW NC MTNS WHERE LESS RAIN WAS
OBSERVED BUT EVEN THERE APPEARS HIGHS IN THE 30S WILL PRECLUDE
SEEING RH GO MUCH BELOW CRITICAL THRESHOLD LEVELS. HOWEVER AFTER
COORDINATION WITH NC FORESTRY OFFICIALS WILL GO WITH A RED FLAG
WARNING IN ALL OF NW NC GIVEN RAPID DRYING POTENTIAL ESPCLY
FOOTHILLS BY THIS AFTERNOON.
&&
.RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
VA...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR VAZ007-009>020-
022>024-032>035-043.
NC...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR NCZ001>004-
018>020.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR NCZ001>006-
018>020.
WV...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR WVZ042.
&&
SYNOPSIS...JH/NF
NEAR TERM...JH
SHORT TERM...KM
LONG TERM...AMS
AVIATION...KK/NF
FIRE WEATHER...HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 610 AM EST SAT FEB 25 2012 VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043-WVZ042-261115- TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL- FLOYD-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK- FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-MERCER- 610 AM EST SAT FEB 25 2012 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WIND ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ001>004-018>020-261115- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-WATAUGA-WILKES-YADKIN- 610 AM EST SAT FEB 25 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. RED FLAG WARNING. WIND ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. WVZ043>045-261115- SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER- 610 AM EST SAT FEB 25 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. BANDS OF SNOW SHOWERS MAY RESULT IN AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW MAINLY ALONG THE WESTERN SLOPES TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. VAZ044>047-058-059-261115- PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 610 AM EST SAT FEB 25 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. WESTERLY WINDS MAY GUST TO 40 OR 45 MPH TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ005-006-261115- ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL- 610 AM EST SAT FEB 25 2012 ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. RED FLAG WARNING. WESTERLY WINDS MAY ALSO GUST TO 40 MPH TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High winds brought several trees down across the county. Damage values are estimated.
High winds blew three trees down in the county. Two of these trees were in the Blacksburg area with one down at the intersection of Prices Fork and Hethwood Boulevard, and the second down along Ellett Road. The third tree was blown down on Indian Valley Road near Copper Hill. Damage values are estimated.
High winds blew down five trees. Four of the trees were blown down within two to five miles of Floyd. These include reports of a tree down along Epperly Mill Road, a tree down along Woods Gap Road, a tree down along Wills Ridge Road, and a tree down at the intersection of Thomas Farm Road and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Another tree was blown down near Pilot along Sowers Road. Damage values are estimated.
High winds downed numerous trees across the county, primarily within three to five miles from Mouth of Wilson. Several of these were at the intersection of Gold Hill Road and Wilson Highway. Other trees were downed along York Ridge Road. Damage values are estimated.
High winds downed several trees on Joy Ranch Road in the Woodlawn area. Damage values are estimated.
High winds blew multiple trees were blown down along Owens Road near Claytor Lake State Park. Multiple trees were also blown down along Depot Road in the community of Bellspring. Damage values are estimated.
High winds brought four trees down in the county. The one tree fell along Rudisille Road near Speedwell. Another tree blocked route 618, five miles east of Max Meadows. The third tree was blown down along Reed Creek Drive west of Allisonia. The final tree was blown down along Ivanhoe Road near Ivanhoe. Damage values are estimated.
High winds brought down power lines along Highway 43 near Buchanan. Damage values are estimated.
High winds blew two trees down in the county. A tree was blown down and blocked Shingle Road, six miles east northeast of Bent Mountain. The other tree was blown down and blocked Boxwood Road , four miles west of Nathalie. Damage values are estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, February 2012
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: 367166, 367193, 367196, 367194, 367195, 367192, 367171, 367197, 367198.