The gradient between building high pressure form the west and low pressure lifting off to the northeast brought high winds to Greenbrier County. Over a dozen reports of tree and powerline damage were received.
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.
The gradient between building high pressure form the west and low pressure lifting off to the northeast brought high winds to Greenbrier County. Over a dozen reports of tree and powerline damage were received.
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 Mar 19, 9:49 AM EST, 1 hour 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1049 AM EDT TUE MAR 19 2013 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT EXITS THE AREA THIS MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES IN FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS INTO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS TONIGHT. ANOTHER SURFACE TROUGH ARRIVES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. COOL HIGH PRESSURE THEN SETTLES IN FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1030 AM EDT TODAY... SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES CLEAR TO MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING...WITH THE LAST OF THE HIGH CLOUDS NOW EXITING OUR SOUTH CENTRAL VA COUNTIES. LOOKING AT BREEZY CONDITIONS AS WELL ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE WEST...HOWEVER WINDS EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE REMAIN LIGHT AND MORE FROM THE WEST SOUTHWEST. EXPECT WINDS ACROSS THE PIEDMONTS TO BECOMING INCREASINGLY NORTHWESTERLY DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON... AND INCREASE IN SPEED AS HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BUILD IN. TODAYS HIGHS WILL BE MILDER THAN MONDAY...ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES IN THE WEST WILL BE COOL WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 40S IN THE WV MOUNTAINS TO AROUND 50 IN THE NEW RIVER VALLEY...AND LOWER 60S ACROSS THE SOUTHERN VA PIEDMONT/NW NC PIEDMONT. TONIGHT...THE WINDS SUBSIDE SOME BUT THE GRADIENT REMAINS TIGHT ENOUGH TO PREVENT DECOUPLING. SURFACE HIGH RIDGES INTO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS BEFORE THE NEXT UPSTREAM WAVE ARRIVES WEDNESDAY. MODELS SHOWING HIGH CLOUDS INCREASING OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TIER OF THE FORECAST AREA. LOWS MAY BE AFFECTED SOME BY THIS. RIGHT NOW LEANING TOWARD A DEGREE OR TWO WARMER THAN MOS IN THE SOUTH WITH MID 30S...WHILE THE REST OF THE AREA COOLS INTO THE 20S...EXCEPT AROUND ROANOKE AND LYNCHBURG WITH LOWER 30S. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 233 AM EDT TUESDAY... ANY REPRIEVE FROM THE COLD WEATHER WILL BE SHORT LIVED AND MAINLY IN THE EAST ON WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE FLAT WESTERLY FLOW AMPLIFIES ONCE AGAIN INTO A RATHER DEEP 5H TROF FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. IMPULSES ROTATING INTO THE EVOLVING TROF WILL SERVE AS WEAK CLIPPER TYPE FEATURES WITH THE LEAD SHORTWAVE LIKELY RESULTING IN A BAND OF WESTERN SNOW SHOWERS LATER WEDNESDAY...AND ESPCLY WEDNESDAY EVENING WHEN THE ONSET OF THE COLDEST 85H AIR ARRIVES. SOME OF THIS PRECIP IN THE FORM OF -SHSN/FLURRIES MOUNTAINS...AND LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS EAST COULD SPILL ACROSS THE RIDGES SO KEPT AT LEAST SLIGHT POPS OUT TO THE PIEDMONT. OTRW BUMPED UP CHANCES WEST WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WHEN THINK ONLY LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE AT ELEVATION PER WARMISH BOUNDARY LAYER. HEAVIEST SNOW LOOKS TO COME WED NIGHT AS THE ARCTIC SURGE ARRIVES WHILE MOISTURE PROFILES ARE DEEPEST OUT WEST AIDED BY AN INCREASING UPSLOPE COMPONENT AS YET ANOTHER STRONG VORT ARRIVES BY EARLY THURSDAY. THIS ALONG WITH A QUICK DROP IN TEMPS COULD MAKE FOR A FLASH FREEZE TYPE SCENARIO WED NIGHT AS EARLIER MOISTURE FREEZES ESPCLY ACROSS UPSLOPE REGIONS AND THEN BECOMES SNOW COVERED. THUS BUMPED UP POPS TO LOW LIKELYS IN SPOTS OUT WEST AND LEFT CHANCES OUT TO THE BLUE RIDGE WITH SOME TAPERING BY DOWNSLOPE LATER WEDNESDAY NIGHT. APPEARS A QUICK 1-2 INCHES POSSIBLE WESTERN SLOPES WITH PERHAPS A BIT MORE NW GREENBRIER WHERE UPSLOPE LOOKS TO LINGER INTO AT LEAST MIDDAY THURSDAY. BOUNCED TEMPS WELL INTO THE 50S SE WED WITH A LITTLE WARM ADVECTION AHEAD OF THE UPSTREAM SYSTEM...WITH 35-40 FAR WEST...AND MAINLY 40S TO AROUND 50 ELSW. COLD AIR SHOULD BE QUICK ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SOME LOWS IN THE TEENS WEST LATE WED NIGHT AND 25-30 EAST DESPITE MIXING. EXPECTING A GRADUAL DECREASE IN CLOUDS THURSDAY EXCEPT NW UPSLOPE AREAS WHERE CLOUDS UNDER NW FLOW MAY LINGER UNTIL LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. WILL ALSO CAP OFF FLURRIES LATE THURSDAY GIVEN FORECAST LOW LEVEL DRYING OFF SOUNDINGS ACROSS THE NW WHILE LOWERING TEMPS A BIT MORE THURSDAY WITH 85H TEMPS FALLING TO AROUND -15C. THIS SUPPORTS KEEPING MUCH OF THE WEST BELOW FREEZING FOR HIGHS THURSDAY AND ONLY LOW 40S EAST. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 300 PM EDT MONDAY... A BLOCKY HEMISPHERIC CIRCULATION WITH VERY NEGATIVE AO PATTERN SUPPORTS TROUGHING AND BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE EASTERN CONUS THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND AND INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. POLAR FRONT WILL RESIDE SOUTH OF OUR FCST AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH BAROCLINIC ZONE ALONG THE GULF COAST. WEATHER CHALLENGE DURING THIS TIME FRAME REMAINS UNCHANGED. ALL MODELS AREA ADVERTISING SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL IMPULSES TO EXIT THE ROCKIES...TRACKING EAST ALONG SUPPRESSED POLAR FRONT. THE BIG QUESTION IS WHETHER CYCLOGENESIS CAN TAKE PLACE ALONG THIS SUPPRESSED BAROCLINIC ZONE TO OUR SOUTH...AND IF SO...CAN ANY OF THIS ENERGY GAIN LATITUDE PER STRONG WESTERLIES ALOFT. FORECAST SPREAD/UNCERTAINTY AND RUN-RUN CONTINUITY IS HIGH...SOME OF THE MODEL ENSEMBLES OFFERING A SUPPRESSED SOLUTION VS OTHERS WHICH OFFER A SERN US/MID-ATLC COASTAL STORM. SINCE THERE IS NO SOLID CONSENSUS ON HOW FAR NORTH THIS SYSTEM WILL TRACK...WILL MAINTAIN FORECAST CONTINUITY AND CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE CHC POPS FOR THE ENTIRE CWA THIS WEEKEND...WITH FOCUS ON THE SUNDAY TIME FRAME...DAY 6. WITH SYSTEM TRACKING TO OUR SOUTH...THIS PUTS US ON THE COLD SIDE OF THE SYSTEM...SO HODGE PODGE OF WINTRY PRECIP WOULD BE EXPECTED IF THE SYSTEM SPREADS MOISTURE THIS FAR NORTH. && .AVIATION /15Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 740 AM EDT TUESDAY... FRONT HAS MADE IT INTO THE FOOTHILLS PER MESOANALYSIS AND STILL HAVING A HARD TIME EATING THE WEDGE. THE WINDS HAVE PICKED UP BEHIND THE FRONT OVER THE MOUNTAINS SUCH THAT GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS SEEMS LIKELY AT THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THE WINDS WILL ERODE THE WEDGE BY 15Z WITH GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED THROUGH THE DAY. LOWER CIGS ARE GOING TO ALSO BE GONE AS WELL BY 14-15Z. THE WINDS WILL BE SUBSIDING THIS EVENING ALTHOUGH STILL A FEW GUSTS IN THE ROANOKE/BLACKSBURG AREA POSSIBLE WITH A GRADIENT STILL IN PLACE. THE FLYING CONDITIONS STAY IDEAL FOR WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH ONLY HIGH CLOUD STREAMING BY TO THE SOUTH BUT AS WE HEAD INTO WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING ANOTHER DISTURBANCE PASSES ACROSS AND COULD BRING MVFR OR LOWER CIGS TO THE BLF/LWB AREA ALONG WITH SNOW SHOWERS. COULD EVEN SEE LOWER CIGS AND RAIN/SNOW SHOWER EAST TO BCB/ROA WED EVENING. THIS SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH AND WILL BE GUSTY ON THE WINDS THURSDAY...WITH ANY LINGERING UPSLOPE LOWER CIGS LIFTING/DISSIPATING BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. HIGH PRESSURE KEEPS THINGS VFR FRIDAY MORNING. THERE IS SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE MODELS FOR THE NEXT SYSTEM ARRIVING LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. ATTM...IT IT APPEARING THAT THE SRN PORTION OF THE CWA MAY BE ON THE NRN SHIELD OF PRECIP FRIDAY NIGHT...WITH POTENTIAL AVIATION IMPACTS AT DAN. FURTHER SOUTH INTO THE CAROLINAS AND GULF COAST WILL BE AFFECTED MORE. && .FIRE WEATHER... AS OF 405 AM EDT TUESDAY... STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS FROM THE WEST WILL OVERSPREAD THE ENTIRE REGION FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF A COLD ON TODAY. EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE...RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL BELOW 20 PERCENT BY AFTERNOON...AND COUPLED WITH THE EXPECTED GUSTY WINDS...MAY RESULT IN AN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER THREAT...ALTHOUGH THE FUELS ARE SOAKED THIS MORNING. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...WP NEAR TERM...NF/WP SHORT TERM...JH LONG TERM...PM AVIATION...WP FIRE WEATHER...PM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 410 AM EDT TUE MAR 19 2013 NCZ001-002-018-VAZ015>017-200815- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-WATAUGA-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD- 410 AM EDT TUE MAR 19 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS COULD GUST OVER 40 MPH TODAY...ESPECIALLY THIS MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. VAZ009>014-018>020-022>024-033>035-WVZ044-200815- SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH- ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-MONROE- 410 AM EDT TUE MAR 19 2013 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. WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS COULD GUST OVER 35 MPH TODAY...ESPECIALLY THIS MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. VAZ007-WVZ042-043-045-200815- TAZEWELL-MERCER-SUMMERS-GREENBRIER- 410 AM EDT TUE MAR 19 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE LATE WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE UPSLOPE AREAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ003>006-019-020-VAZ032-043>047-058-059-200815- SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WILKES-YADKIN-PATRICK-HENRY- PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 410 AM EDT TUE MAR 19 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. 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 BLACKSBURG VA 801 AM EDT TUE MAR 19 2013 NCZ001-002-018-VAZ012>017-022-191415- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-WATAUGA-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON- CARROLL-FLOYD-ROANOKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WEST JEFFERSON...SPARTA...BOONE... WYTHEVILLE...RADFORD...PULASKI...BLACKSBURG...INDEPENDENCE... WHITETOP...TROUTDALE...VOLNEY...GALAX...FLOYD...ROANOKE...SALEM 801 AM EDT TUE MAR 19 2013 ...STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING... A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH WILL BRING A ONE TO THREE HOUR PERIOD OF STRONG GUSTY WINDS. ANTICIPATE GUSTS FROM THE WEST TO EXCEED 40 MPH AT TIMES THROUGH 1000 AM...ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS. WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY THROUGH THE DAY BUT GENERALLY STAY UNDER 40 MPH. YOU MAY WANT TO SECURE ANY OUTDOOR LOOSE OBJECTS BEFORE HEADING TO WORK.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Over a dozen reports of tree and powerline damage were received from scattered locations across the county. A wind gust of 51 mph was measured at Greenbrier County Airport at 535 PM, but substantially higher winds very likely occurred on exposed ridgelines.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, March 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: 441061.