An upper-level trough and associated cold front moved across Maryland, northern Virginia and eastern West Virginia during the afternoon and evening of the 22nd. High humidity and instability values provided the ingredients for severe storms to develop early in the afternoon and linger into the late evening hours.
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 LWX wrote it up.
An upper-level trough and associated cold front moved across Maryland, northern Virginia and eastern West Virginia during the afternoon and evening of the 22nd. High humidity and instability values provided the ingredients for severe storms to develop early in the afternoon and linger into the late evening hours.
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 Jun 22, 8:25 AM EST, 4 hours 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 925 AM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE WILL BUILD OVERHEAD FOR THE WEEKEND. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MAY SET UP ACROSS THE MID-ATLANTIC DURING THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... COLD FRONT CURRENTLY STRETCHES FROM CENTRAL NY BACK THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY. A LEE TROUGH IS ALSO POSITIONED OVER THE EASTERN CWFA THIS MORNING. VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS SOME MID LEVEL CLOUDS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CWFA THIS MORNING. STILL A FEW SHOWERS ACROSS NE MD THIS MORNING...BUT SHOULD EVENTUALLY DISSIPATE. LATEST RUN OF THE HRRR SHOWS CONVECTION STARTING TO BREAK OUT BETWEEN NOON AND 1 PM IN THE WEST...AND MIGRATING EASTWARD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THIS CONVECTION WILL DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT...AND MOST LIKELY FOCUS ALONG THE LEE TROUGH LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. MODIFIED 12Z SOUNDINGS HAS A VERY NICE INVERTED V STRUCTURE. WILL BE A HIGH CAPE/LOW SHEAR EVENT...WITH PULSE TYPE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. ALSO...MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES THIS MORNING ARE STEEPER THAN THE 06Z FORECASTED LAPSE RATES FROM THE NAM. UPDATED THE HOURLY TEMP/DEWPOINT/SKY GRIDS FOR CURRENT OBS. IN ADDITION...TRIED TO TIME AFTERNOON CONVECTION SIMILAR TO THE HRRR SOLUTION. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... COLD FRONT WILL HAVE MOVED OFF THE COAST BY 12Z SATURDAY...TAKING ANY LINGERING SHOWERS WITH IT. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN BEHIND THE FRONT SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND SATURDAY NIGHT FOR DRY CONDITIONS/CLEARING SKIES. DEWPOINTS ARE FORECAST TO DROP INTO THE 50S BY THIS TIME...SO IT WILL FEEL LESS HUMID. HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OFF THE COAST ON SUNDAY. RETURN FLOW WILL START TO INCREASE DEWPOINTS/MOISTURE. MAY SEE A LEE TROUGH DEVELOP AND THIS ALONG WITH TERRAIN MAY ALLOW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO POP IN THE AFTERNOON. COLD FRONT WILL THEN APPROACH SUNDAY NIGHT. WITH LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING CHANCE OF THUNDER IS MINIMAL...BUT CAN/T RULE OUT A FEW PRE-FRONTAL SHOWERS IN MOIST AIR SUNDAY NIGHT. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... NEXT COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE CWA ON MONDAY...WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. ECMWF IS FASTER AND SUGGESTS AND EARLY MONDAY PASSAGE...BUT PREFER A SLOWER SOLUTION WHICH WOULD COINCIDE WITH DAYTIME HEATING. DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...BOTH GFS AND ECMWF SHOW AN UPPER TROUGH SETTING UP ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF THE CONUS. THIS WOULD PUSH SOME COOLER AIR INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC...BUT COULD ALSO LEAD TO SOME CLOUDS AND POSSIBLY CHANCES OF SHOWERS IF SHORTWAVES ROTATE AROUND THE TROUGH. CONFIDENCE THIS FAR OUT IS LOW AND THUS KEPT THE GENERAL DRY FORECAST IN GRIDS. && .AVIATION /14Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... MID AND LOW LEVEL CLOUDS ACROSS THE CWFA THIS MORNING...HOWEVER ANY CIGS ARE WELL ABOVE 3 KFT. SCT/NMRS THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. THIS ACTIVITY WILL MOVE TOWARD THE COAST LATE TONIGHT AND ONLY A RESIDUAL 5-6KFT DECK WILL BE LEFTOVER DURING THE OVERNIGHT HRS BUT THE AREA WILL BEGIN TO DRY OUT. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN BEHIND THE COLD FRONT SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. NEXT COLD FRONT IS SLATED FOR LATE SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY WITH A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. && .MARINE... PREVAILING WINDS WILL BE LIGHT TODAY AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OFF THE COAST AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THE FRONT WILL MOVE THRU THE AREA LATE TONIGHT...BUT HELP TO DEVELOP NUMEROUS SHOWERS/TSTMS STARTING THIS AFTN AND ENDING BY LATE EVE. GUSTY WINDS FROM OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES AND DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THESE STORMS IS EXPECTED...SO IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF ANY TSTMS THAT MOVE EWD ACROSS NRN VA/ERN MD TODAY. NORTH/NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED ON SATURDAY BEHIND A COLD FRONT...HOWEVER FAIRLY WEAK GRADIENT SHOULD KEEP WINDS AOB 15 KT FOR NO SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY. HIGH PRESSURE OVERHEAD MOVES OFF THE COAST BY SUNDAY. NEXT COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE WATERS WITH A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY. && .CLIMATE... MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES AT DCA/BWI/IAD ON THURSDAY WERE AS FOLLOWS... DCA...99F. BWI...100F. IAD...96F. WITH 99 RECORDED...DCA BROKE THE OLD RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 98 SET IN 1988. WITH 100 RECORDED...BWI TIED THE OLD RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES OF 100 SET IN 1923. AT IAD...96 DID NOT BREAK THE RECORD WHICH WAS 98 SET IN 1988. A RECORD HIGH MINIMUM OF 78 WAS ALSO SET AT DCA. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 76 FROM 2010. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && UPDATE...LISTEMAA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 1033 AM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012 ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ006-007-011-013-014-016>018-VAZ052>057- 231000- 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- 1033 AM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012 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...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY THIS AFTERNOON. MDZ003>005-009-010-501-502-VAZ025>031-036>040-042-050-051-501>504- WVZ050>053-055-501>506-231000- 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- 1033 AM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012 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...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY THIS AFTERNOON.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
146 PM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012
VAZ036-037-221830-
NELSON VA-ALBEMARLE VA-
146 PM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT NELSON AND ALBEMARLE COUNTIES...
AT 146 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER SHIPMAN...
MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE SCHUYLER.
STORM INTENSITY IS INCREASING...AND SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP
RAPIDLY. REMAIN ALERT...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION IF WARNINGS
ARE ISSUED.
THIS STORM IS PRODUCING FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. MOVE
INDOORS IMMEDIATELY FOR YOUR SAFETY. IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU
ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
HEAVY RAIN WITH THIS STORM WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO BELOW ONE MILE
AND MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS.
WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
&&
LAT...LON 3763 7896 3769 7899 3770 7903 3780 7903
3798 7860 3776 7854 3774 7863 3772 7864
3768 7864 3767 7866 3769 7869 3763 7872
3764 7880 3760 7881
TIME...MOT...LOC 1746Z 260DEG 6KT 3774 7883
KONARIKSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 151 PM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012 VAZ039-050-051-221830- ORANGE VA-CULPEPER VA-MADISON VA- 151 PM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT ORANGE...CULPEPER AND MADISON COUNTIES... AT 151 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER LOCUST DALE... MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE RAPIDAN...MITCHELLS...WINSTON...NASONS... EVERONA...RACCOON FORD...RHOADESVILLE AND UNIONVILLE. STORM INTENSITY IS INCREASING...AND SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP RAPIDLY. REMAIN ALERT...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. THIS STORM IS PRODUCING FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY FOR YOUR SAFETY. IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. HEAVY RAIN WITH THIS STORM WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO BELOW ONE MILE AND MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. && LAT...LON 3849 7784 3815 7792 3828 7820 3840 7819 TIME...MOT...LOC 1751Z 274DEG 9KT 3834 7809 KONARIK
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 96 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:52 UTC.
29 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm wind gusts knocked down 5-10 trees and collapsed a barn. A downed tree damaged rain gutters of a dwelling.
Members of the public reported trees blocking Norwood Road and Route 56.
A tree was blown down near the intersection of Ironwood Lane and Persimmon Lane.
Trees and branches were blown down near the intersection of US 17 and Massaponax Church Road.
A tree was knocked down across Benchmark Road near Mills Dr.
A tree was blown down across Benchmark Rd near Tidewater Trail.
Some quarter size hail stones were mixed with a large quantity of smaller hail along Joes Road.
A pine tree was blown down along Joes Road from strong thunderstorm winds.
Numerous branches were knocked down including a few large branches near the intersection of Middle Road and Route 55.
Numerous small branches were blown down around the neighborhood.
Branches and some trees 6-12 inches in diameter were blown down.
Tree branches were blown down and the spotter reported extremely windy conditions.
Large branches were blown down by strong thunderstorm winds.
Numerous small branches were blown down. The spotter said that winds seemed extremely strong.
Several trees were split with multiple 6-8 inch branches blown down.
There was tree damage near Route 9 about half a mile east of the Berlin Turnpike.
Several branches were knocked down.
Numerous branches were blown down.
Six to twelve 3 year old cherry trees were blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 6-8 inch diameter tree was knocked down over the Washington and Old Dominion Bike Trail. Numerous branches were also blown down along the trail.
A tree was knocked down near the intersection of Snickersville Turnpike and Mountville Road.
There was damage to pine tree limbs from strong thunderstorm winds.
A tree was knocked down by strong thunderstorm winds.
Small to medium tree branches were blown down and broken.
A medium size branch was snapped off a tree along Old Ox Road.
Several large trees were knocked down near Edge Valley Rd.
Numerous trees were blown down along Plank Road.
Trees were knocked down near Plank Rd. and Monacan Trail.
Branches were down along Fairground Road.
Trees were down near Orange.
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, June 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: 395980, 395984, 395996, 395994, 395998, 396000, 396002, 396005, 396052, 396054, 396063, 396064, 396121, 396122, 396128, 396129, 396131, 396132, 396133, 396135, 396142, 396144, 396145, 396146, 396147, 396149, 396152, 396154, 395707, 395708.