A cold front moving across the region triggered widespread rain showers ahead of the boundary, with little to no lightning observed. Early morning showers and cloud cover strictly limited heating, resulting in low CAPE values.
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 cold front moving across the region triggered widespread rain showers ahead of the boundary, with little to no lightning observed. Early morning showers and cloud cover strictly limited heating, resulting in low CAPE values. The main line of convection passed across the mountains during early afternoon, triggering winds in the 25 to 35 mph range per weather spotter reports. However, as the line passed east of the Blue Ridge, it encountered a stronger low level jet and higher shear and helicity, which helped the convection to rapidly intensify. Strong wind reports remained spotty along the main line, with isolated reports of wind damage.
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 Sep 21, 12:39 PM EST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 139 PM EDT SAT SEP 21 2013 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON...EXITING TO THE EAST COAST BY SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA FROM THE GREAT LAKES THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 120 PM EDT SATURDAY... ADJUSTED TIMING AND INTENSITY OF RAIN FOR THIS AFTERNOON. COLD FRONT IS ENTERING WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. HEAVIEST RAIN IN NARROW BAND JUST AHEAD OF THE SFC FRONT. MODIFIED TEMPERATURES AND DEW POINTS FOR LATEST TRENDS. MORE CHANGES THIS AFTERNOON... AS OF 910 AM SATURDAY... KFCX 88D LOOP SHOWED LARGE AREA OF RAIN ADVANCING EAST TOWARDS OUR REGION. ADJUSTED TIMING OF RAIN WITH LATEST RADAR AND MODEL TRENDS. MODIFIED TEMPERATURES AND DEW POINTS FOR NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS WITH THE QUICK ADVANCE OF RAIN. HOLDING WITH THE CURRENT FLASH FLOOD WATCH WHERE HEAVIER RAIN WAS YESTERDAY AND WILL MONITOR EVOLUTION OF HEAVY RAIN FOR MODIFICATIONS. THIS MORNING RNK 8AM/12Z SOUNDING INDICATED PWAT AT 1.29 WITH PLENTY OF MOISTURE UP TO 840 MB AND GENERALLY A SOUTHWEST FLOW. WILL MAKE ADDITIONAL ISC GRID CHANGES AS THE MORNING PROGRESSES. AS OF 710 AM SATURDAY... SLOWED DOWN ONSET OF SHOWERS IN THE WEST BY 1-2 HOURS PER LATEST WRF/RADAR TRENDS. STILL LOOKS LIKE MOST SHOWERS ARRIVE ACROSS WV BY 10 AM...MOVING INTO THE NEW RIVER VALLEY AROUND MIDDAY THEN EAST TO THE PIEDMONT AFTER 2PM. LOOKING AT A WET SATURDAY FOR THE AREA. MODELS STILL DIFFER ON TIMING BUT OVERALL FAVOR AN AREA OF SHOWERS WORKING INTO THE MOUNTAINS BY MID MORNING AND THEN SHIFTING EAST INTO THE PIEDMONT BY EARLY AFTERNOON. THE WIDTH (WEST-EAST) OF THE RAIN WILL BE LARGE ENOUGH SUCH THAT AT LEAST 3-6 HOURS OF SHOWERY CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR. EARLY THIS MORNING...THERE WILL STILL BE A FEW SHOWERS ALONG A WEAK WARM FRONT PUSHING EAST OF THE PIEDMONT...WITH PATCHY DRIZZLE ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE ALONG WITH PATCHY DENSE FOG. THEN...THE DEEPER MOISTURE WORKS INTO THE MOUNTAINS AFTER 800 AM...WITH SUBSTANTIAL 35- 40 KNOT 8H JET WORKING ACROSS ERN KY INTO THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS BY MIDDAY AND THEN SHIFTING INTO THE PIEDMONT IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS COMBINED WITH SOME DECENT UPPER DIVERGENCE ALLOWS FOR CATEGORICAL POPS FOR MOST AREAS TODAY. THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAINS EXISTS AS WELL AND ADDED THAT IN THE FORECAST. OVERALL...THE MAIN THREAT FOR ANY FLASH FLOODING WILL BE CONFINED TO WHERE WE HAVE THE WATCH OVER GREENBRIER/SUMMERS COUNTY. CANNOT RULE OUT ISOLATED FLOOD ISSUES ACROSS THE REST OF THE MOUNTAINS...GIVEN THE SW-NE FLOW AND THE SLOWER MOVEMENT SHOULD THE NEXT LOW PRESSURE WAVE MOVE ALONG THE FRONT FROM THE GULF COAST STATES INTO THE CAROLINAS CAUSE IT TO STALL THIS AFTERNOON. PWATS SHOULD BE RUNNING ABOUT 1.5 TO 2 INCHES BY MIDDAY WHICH IS CLOSE THE 99TH PERCENTILE WHICH IS WELL ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. THE THING THAT MAY CUT INTO THE QPF IS THE DEEP CONVECTION FIRING UP ACROSS THE GULF COAST INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO. THIS TENDS TO ROB US AT TIMES ESPECIALLY IF THE FRONT SHIFTS EAST FASTER. LEANED TOWARD THE GFS/ECMWF AND LOCAL WRF...GIVEN THE DEPICTION OF THE RAINFALL THIS MORNING AND LOCATION OF LOW LVL JET. THE THREAT FOR SVR WX IS STILL MINIMAL GIVEN LACK OF SUN EXPECTED THOUGH THE LOW LVL WINDS COULD BRING SOME GUSTY WINDS ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN CWA. TEMPS OVERALL WILL BE COOL...AND WITH CLOUDS/RAIN WILL SEE HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S EAST TO MID TO UPPER 60S WEST. TONIGHT...THE SLOWING DOWN OF THE FRONT MAY KEEP HIGHER OVERALL RAIN THREAT THRU THE EVENING IN THE PIEDMONT BEFORE THE WAVE EXITS EAST. DRIER AIR ALOFT TO MOVE IN BUT NW FLOW WILL KEEP THE CLOUDS AND FEW SHOWERS AROUND OVER THE SE WV UPSLOPE AREAS INTO EARLY MORNING BEFORE ENDING. THE FRONT STILL MAY LINGER CLOSE ENOUGH TO OUR SE TO KEEP A FEW SHOWERS SITUATED FROM DANVILLE AND REIDSVILLE NORTHEAST TOWARD BUCKINGHAM LATE TONIGHT. TEMPS TONIGHT WILL STAY MILD EAST WITH A LITTLE COOLER IN THE WEST...WITH 8H TEMPS DROPPING TO +9C BY 12Z SUNDAY. SHOULD SEE LOWS FROM THE LOWER TO MID 50S MOUNTAINS TO LOWER 60S EAST. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 300 AM EDT SATURDAY... SUNDAY'S TROUGH LEFT BEHIND SATURDAY'S COLD FRONT WILL EVENTUALLY BE REPLACED BY A SKINNY UPPER RIDGE EARLY NEXT WEEK. POSSIBLY A FEW SHOWERS LEFT ALONG THE VA/NC PIEDMONT EARLY SUNDAY. SURFACE WINDS VEER THROUGH SUNDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES EAST ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES. DEWPOINTS WILL TAKE A TUMBLE THROUGH SUNDAY FALLING INTO THE 40S ALONG SE WEST VA LATE DAY. MOST CLOUDS WILL BE DIURNAL IN NATURE AND CONFINED TO SE WEST VA. SUNDAY NIGHT WILL FEATURE WEAK NE TO E WINDS WHICH IS USUALLY A FAVORABLE DIRECTION FOR SOME CLOUDS TO BANK ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER...SUCH A DRY PROFILE SHOULD KEEP THESE CLOUDS TO A MINIMUM INTO MONDAY MORNING. THE COLDEST SPOTS MAY FALL CLOSE TO 40F IN THE WEST. DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH H85 TEMPS SLOW TO MODERATE WITH A PERSISTENT WEAK EASTERLY COMPONENT. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 1230 PM EDT FRIDAY... OVERALL QUIET PERIOD APPEARS IN STORE AS A LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTH STRENGTHENING BY THE END OF THE PERIOD AS STRONGER UPPER LEVEL RIDGING DEVELOPS. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR FALL LIKE TEMPS TO START WITH QUITE A WARM UP BY THE END OF THE WEEK AS THE CANADIAN AIRMASS MODIFIES UNDER LIGHT SOUTH TO SW FLOW BY FRIDAY. A WEAK SURFACE WAVE TRACKS OFF THE CAROLINAS BY MID WEEK. JUST HOW FAR NORTH MOISTURE MAKES IT IN QUESTION GIVEN CONFLUENCE ALOFT AND DRY AIR SO ONLY INCLUDING A LOW POP OVER THE WEST/SW WED FOR NOW. BETTER SUBSIDENCE SHOULD ENSURE MORE SUN THU/FRI WITH HIGHS REBOUNDING TO ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS AFTER A COOLISH START TO BEGIN THE WEEK. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 730 AM EDT SATURDAY... POOR FLYING CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT WITH VARIABILITY OF CLOUDS AND RAIN. MVFR CONDITIONS WITH POCKETS OF IFR IN LOW CLOUDS AND RAIN AHEAD AND ALONG THE COLD FRONT. SOME VFR POSSIBLE POST FRONT ACROSS THE WEST BEFORE WINDS SUBSIDE SOME OVERNIGHT WITH FOG FORMING AGAIN AT MOST LOCATIONS. UPSLOPE CLOUDINESS COULD WORK INTO BLF/LWB AS WELL DROPPING THE CIG TO MVFR OR WORSE. FOR SUNDAY INTO NEXT WEEK...A LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING DRY CONDITIONS TO THE REGION INTO MID WEEK. PATCHY IFR VALLEY FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH MORNING. && .HYDROLOGY... AS OF 335 AM EDT SATURDAY... LEAVING THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH AS IS. THERE WILL BE A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVIER SHOWERS TODAY AS THE FRONT MOVES ACROSS. WILL HAVE TO WATCH THOSE AREAS IN THE GREENBRIER COUNTY THAT FLOODED FRIDAY MORNING FOR ANOTHER THREAT TODAY. OVERALL AVERAGE RAINFALL ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE AROUND ONE HALF TO TWO THIRDS OF AN INCH. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO 2 INCHES NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION GIVEN THE HIGHER PWATS IN PLACE WITH THE FRONT. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR WVZ043-045. && SYNOPSIS...RCS/WP NEAR TERM...KK/WP SHORT TERM...KM LONG TERM...JH AVIATION...KK/WP HYDROLOGY...WP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 309 PM EDT SAT SEP 21 2013 WVZ043-045-221915- SUMMERS-GREENBRIER- 309 PM EDT SAT SEP 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SHOWERS WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. THE RAIN MAY BE MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES. LOCALIZED POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING MAY BE POSSIBLE...BUT WIDESPREAD FLASH FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. .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>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059- WVZ042-044-221915- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES- YADKIN-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON- CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE- PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL- APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-MERCER-MONROE- 309 PM EDT SAT SEP 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SHOWERS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. THE RAIN MAY BE MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES. LOCALIZED POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING MAY BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND IN URBAN AREAS. A FEW WIND GUSTS OVER 35 MPH ARE ALSO POSSIBLE IN SOME OF THE HEAVIER SHOWERS. .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 Roanoke radar (KFCX), 16 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:21 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was blown down near the intersection of Turners Creek Road and Five Mile Mountain Road.
A tree was blown down on Waidsboro Road.
Two trees were blown down on Leesville Road just north of the Town Fork Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, September 2013
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: 473062, 473063, 473065.