S. set the stage for scattered to numerous severe storms that developed in the early morning and persisted much of the the day and night.
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 broad ridge over the central U.S. set the stage for scattered to numerous severe storms that developed in the early morning and persisted much of the the day and night. The storms were triggered by the remains of a mesoscale convective system (MCS) that dropped southeast across the southern Appalachians in the morning hours while strong surface heating created a very unstable air mass as the day progressed.
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 1, 8:34 PM EST, 1 hour 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 934 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012 .SYNOPSIS... STRONG HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT...RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ONGOING HEAT WAVE...WILL SLOWLY WEAKEN AND SHIFT SLIGHTLY FURTHER SOUTH THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE WORK WEEK. A SERIES OF UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL TRACK FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS A RESULT. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 925 PM EDT SUNDAY... SPC HAS ISSUED SEVERED THUNDERSTORM WATCH 452 FOR SE WV EAST INTO THE FOOTHILLS OF VA UNTIL 2 AM. AN ORGANIZED COMPLEX OF STORMS STRETCH FROM ERN OHIO SOUTH TO ERN KY AND ARE MOVING EAST AT 35 TO 45 MPH. WITH THIS SITUATION...THE STORMS SHOULD BE ENTERING SE WV BETWEEN 10 AND 11 PM. THIS SETUP IS NOT AS STRONG AS THE FRIDAY EVENING COMPLEX BUT DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT. HAVE UPPED POPS TO LIKELY/CAT IN THE SE WV AREA BY 11 PM SHIFTING HIGHER POPS EAST TO THE BLUE RIDGE AROUND MIDNIGHT-2 AM. KEPT LOWER POPS IN THE SRN CWA AS THE AIRMASS DOWN THAT WAY SHOWS WEAK INSTABILITY DUE TO STORMS EARLIER IN THE DAY OVERTURNINING THE ATMOSPHERE. STILL COULD SEE A STORM OR TWO AFTER MIDNIGHT IN THE SOUTH THAT COULD BRING GUSTY WINDS. PLAYED LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT CLOSE TO THE ADJMET WITH LOW TEMPERATURES FROM THE MID 60S TO THE LOWER 70S. ROUNDS OF SHRA/TSRA WILL DEVELOP AGAIN WITH POSSIBLE MCS AND UPPER AIR DISTURBANCES DROPPING SOUTHEAST ACROSS OUR REGION. SWODY2 KEEPS REGION IN SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY. HIGH MONDAY WILL VARY FROM THE UPPER 80S IN THE MOUNTAINS TO THE UPPER 90S IN THE SOUTHEAST. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 305 PM EDT SUNDAY... NW FLOW ALOFT WILL PERSIST OVER THE REGION AS A WEAK SFC WARM FRONT SLOWLY LIFTS BACK TO THE NE UNDER EXPANDING HEIGHTS TO THE SOUTH. THIS COMBO WITH A LEFTOVER LEE TROF SHOULD MAKE FOR MORE DAILY ROUNDS OF SHRA/TSRA WITH POSSIBLE MCS FEATURES AGAIN DIVING SE INTO THE REGION. TIMING OF THIS SCENARIO THOUGH QUITE IFFY AS AFTERNOON/EVENING DEVELOPMENT MAY BE REDUCED SOME IF OVERNIGHT STORM CLUSTERS DROP SE. THUS WILL RUN WITH HIGHER CHANCE POPS DURING THE MORE DIURNALLY FAVORED TIMES...BUT LEAVE IN SOME POPS DURING THE NIGHT PERIODS TO COVER. OTRW MORE WARM AND MUGGY GIVEN MOISTURE AROUND BUT NOT QUITE AS HOT ESPCLY WEST WHERE MORE COOLING VIA SHRA/TSRA SHOULD OCCUR. HOWEVER STILL WILL SEE ENOUGH HEATING FOR AT LEAST LOW/MID 90S EAST AND PERHAPS A FEW UPPER 90S AGAIN BY THE 4TH. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 255 PM EDT SUNDAY... WEAK 5H TROFFINESS ACROSS THE EASTERN STATES WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN AND SHIFT EAST BY THE WEEKEND AS THE LARGE MID LEVEL HIGH ACROSS THE PLAINS ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND EAST. THIS MAY ACT TO DETER OVERALL COVERAGE OF CONVECTION WHILE MAKING FOR MORE OF A NW FLOW MCS TYPE SCENARIO LATER IN THE PERIOD AS IMPULSES DIVE SE AROUND THE RIDGE. HOWVER WITH MOISTURE IN PLACE EXPECT MORE EPISODES OF MAINLY AFTERNOON/EVENING SHRA/TSRA INTO FRIDAY BEFORE BECOMING MORE MCS COMPLEX ORIENTED BY THE WEEKEND. STRONGER COLD FRONT TO THE NORTH MAY MAKE A RUN BY SUNDAY PER LATEST GFS BUT GIVEN THE STRONGER RIDGING WILL GO CLOSER TO THE EURO AND HOLD THE BOUNDARY TO THE NORTH. THIS WILL KEEP TEMPS ABOVE NORMAL WITH MORE 90S EAST AND CLOSE TO 90 OR WARMER WEST THRU THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /02Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 745 PM EDT SUNDAY... FORECAST OVERALL WILL BE VFR BUT WILL BE DEALING AGAIN WITH ORGANIZED STORM POTENTIAL LATER THIS EVENING AND AGAIN MONDAY. ATTM...MODELS VARY TOO MUCH TO MAKE A CONFIDENT FORECAST. IN THE NEXT 6 HOURS THE LATEST RAP MODEL SEEMS TO BE ON THE FAST EDGE OF THE STORMS IN OHIO/NW WV...BUT DOING THE BEST IN PLACEMENT. WILL HAVE A PERIOD OF VCTS COMING INTO LWB/BLF AT 0130Z THEN BCB/ROA BY 03Z...LASTING FOR 2-3 HRS. KEPT THE EAST FREE OF CONVECTON BUT THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR THIS SYSTEM OF STORMS TO MOVE INTO THIS AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. WITH ANY STORMS...THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE GUSTY NW WINDS AND THE RAP MODEL IS SHOWING A BRIEF PERIOD 1-2 HRS OF GUSTY NW WINDS IN THE MTNS. KEPT SOME MINOR FOG ISSUES AFTER MIDNIGHT IN LWB BUT KEPT IT OUT ELSEWHERE. FOR MONDAY...NOT CONFIDENT ON THE FORECAST BUT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED FOR ANOTHER COMPLEX OF STORMS TO MOVE IN SOMETIME BETWEEN DAWN AND MID AFTERNOON. OUTSIDE OF THIS IT WILL BE VFR. EXECT MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH FRIDAY... THOUGH WILL LIKELY SEE MORE AREAS OF MVFR/IFR VISIBILITY DUE TO FOG EARLY EACH MORNING FROM TUESDAY ONWARD...ESPECIALLY AT KLWB AND KBLF. ALSO...EXPECT TO SEE AN UPTICK IN AFTERNOON CONVECTION AND ASSOCIATED SUB-VFR CONDITIONS AS THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM GRADUALLY WEAKENS AND DRIFTS WESTWARD TOWARD THE LOWER-MID MS VALLEY. TERRAIN- INDUCED AFTERNOON CONVECTION CURRENTLY ANTICIPATED MONDAY- FRIDAY. && .CLIMATE... RECORD HIGH BROKEN TODAY JULY 1ST FOR BLF WITH 90...WHICH BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 88 IN 2005. RECORD HIGHS: FOR MONDAY/2ND BLACKSBURG 95/1954 BLUEFIELD 87/2011 DANVILLE 100/1954 LYNCHBURG 99/1898 ROANOKE 100/1954 && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...RAB/WP NEAR TERM...DS/KK/WP SHORT TERM...JH LONG TERM...JH AVIATION...KK/WP CLIMATE...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 943 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012 VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-WVZ042>045-030145- TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL- FLOYD-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK- FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER- 943 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 452 IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM EDT MONDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. THESE STORMS MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE...MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY THROUGH THE PERIOD. QUARTER-SIZED HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS GUSTS...AND FREQUENT CLOUD-TO- GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. VAZ045-030145- CAMPBELL- 943 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A COMPLEX OF STORMS MAY AFFECT THE AREA STARTING BEFORE MIDNIGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS...AND MOVING EAST AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT WOULD BE DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE...MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY THROUGH THE PERIOD. QUARTER-SIZED HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS GUSTS...AND FREQUENT CLOUD-TO- GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ043-044-046-047-058-059-030145- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES- YADKIN-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 943 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE...MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY THROUGH THE PERIOD. QUARTER-SIZED HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS GUSTS...AND FREQUENT CLOUD-TO- GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
609 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1245 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 N DANBURY 36.48N 80.20W
07/01/2012 STOKES NC FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
TREES DOWN.
1253 PM HAIL NNW KING 36.28N 80.36W
07/01/2012 E1.00 INCH STOKES NC FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
&&
WHPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
645 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0128 PM TSTM WND DMG NE GRETNA 36.95N 79.36W
07/01/2012 PITTSYLVANIA VA 911 CALL CENTER
TREE BLOWN DOWN ONTO CABLE LINE.
0128 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 NW MT AIRY 36.99N 79.27W
07/01/2012 PITTSYLVANIA VA 911 CALL CENTER
TREE BLOWN DOWN ON POWER LINES.
&&
WHPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
653 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0120 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 NNE MAYFIELD 36.56N 79.55W
07/01/2012 PITTSYLVANIA VA 911 CALL CENTER
TREE BLOWN DOWN ON BUFORD ROAD.
&&
WHPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
654 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0100 AM TSTM WND DMG 3 NNE CHATHAM 36.86N 79.38W
07/01/2012 PITTSYLVANIA VA 911 CALL CENTER
TREE DOWN ON MILL CREEK ROAD.
&&
WHPSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1043 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012
VAZ007-010-WVZ042-043-020345-
BLAND VA-MERCER WV-SUMMERS WV-TAZEWELL VA-
1043 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT BLAND...MERCER...SUMMERS AND
TAZEWELL COUNTIES...
AT 1038 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM 8 MILES
WEST OF BECKLEY TO 13 MILES SOUTH OF HURLEY...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.
THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR GLEN BURKE AROUND 1050 PM...RICHLANDS...
JEWELL RIDGE...AND CEDAR BLUFF AROUND 1055 PM...FLAT TOP...
CLIFFIELD...BANDY...AND AMONATE AROUND 1100 PM...CAMP CREEK STATE
PARK AND AND JUMPING BRANCH AROUND 1105 PM.
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR LATER
UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
LAT...LON 3715 8190 3725 8174 3721 8168 3721 8156
3728 8142 3742 8129 3746 8131 3752 8122
3758 8120 3761 8108 3764 8107 3772 8098
3770 8090 3774 8093 3776 8091 3769 8068
3752 8080 3698 8140 3711 8189 3712 8190
JHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1103 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012
VAZ020-020330-
BATH VA-
1103 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT BATH COUNTY...
AT 1059 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM 18 MILES
NORTHEAST OF MARLINTON TO 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MARLINTON...MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR MOUNTAIN GROVE AROUND 1115 PM AND WARM
SPRINGS AROUND 1130 PM.
LAT...LON 3822 7970 3821 7960 3820 7958 3799 7978
3812 7995 3813 7995 3815 7992 3818 7992
3827 7981 3827 7978
DSThe Roanoke radar (KFCX), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:21 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and power lines were brought down by high winds in the Montcalm and Bluewell areas.
Multiple trees and power lines were brought down in the Bluefield area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, July 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: 401569, 401570.