A near stationary cold front lied near the Virginia/North Carolina border as did a broad upper trough across the eastern Great Lakes. Numerous embedded disturbances were evident within the base of the upper trough.
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 near stationary cold front lied near the Virginia/North Carolina border as did a broad upper trough across the eastern Great Lakes. Numerous embedded disturbances were evident within the base of the upper trough. These disturbances continued to impinge on a moist, unstable air mass and produce scattered to numerous afternoon and evening thunderstorms. With the front being located slightly south of its position the previous day, the strong to severe thunderstorms this day were also located a little further south, mainly across northwest and north central North Carolina as opposed to south central Virginia the previous day. Severe thunderstorms from Watauga to Stokes during the evening blew down a number of trees.
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 Aug 5, 2:59 PM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 359 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2015 .SYNOPSIS... AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL HEAD EASTWARD ALONG A FRONTAL BOUNDARY TOWARD OUR REGION TONIGHT. THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY...THE SYSTEM WILL CROSS THE AREA...BRINGING WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OF RAIN SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS. BY THE WEEKEND...DRIER HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVERHEAD. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 315 PM EDT WEDNESDAY... A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WAS STALLED OVER NORTH CAROLINA. ISOLATED CONVECTION STARTING FIRING AROUND 200 PM. CURRENTLY...ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE ACROSS PARTS OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAIN OF NORTH CAROLINA. OTHER ACTIVITY WAS SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA NEAR THE NC/SC BORDER. ADDITIONAL ISOLATED TO SCATTERED COVERAGE IS EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE REGION BY THE LATE AFTERNOON...AND LINGER INTO THE EARLY EVENING. MUCH OF IT WILL DISSIPATE AROUND OR A LITTLE AFTER SUNSET. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WAS HEADING EASTWARD THROUGH THE MID-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THIS FEATURE WILL HAVE THE INFLUENCE OF HELPING LIFT THE 850 MB FRONT NORTH OVERNIGHT...REACHING THE NORTHERN EXTENT OF THE FORECAST AREA AROUND DAYBREAK THURSDAY. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED COVERAGE OF SHOWERS IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT WITH THE PASSAGE OF THIS FEATURE. LOW TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT WILL BE COMPARABLE WITHIN A FEW DEGREES OF READINGS FROM LAST NIGHT. ANTICIPATE LOW TO MID 60S ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS WITH UPPER 60S TO NEAR 70 ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. ON THURSDAY...PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL INCREASE DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY FROM WEST TO EAST WITH THE APPROACH OF THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH. WHILE THIS IS OCCURRING...A PSEUDO-WEDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL WORK ITS WAY SOUTH ALONG THE LEE OF THE APPALACHIANS. THE COMBINATION OF THESE FEATURES WILL LEAD TO A CLOUDY...WET AND COOLER THAN NORMAL DAY. SOUTHSIDE VIRGINIA WILL BE THE LAST TO DEVELOP LIKELY OR GREATER COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS...IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 400 PM. THE BLUEFIELD TO LEWISBURG AREA WILL BE FIRST...IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 1100 AM. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM THE LOW TO MID 70S ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS WITH UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. AVERAGE PRECIPITATION TOTALS ON FRIDAY WILL RANGE FROM AROUND ONE-QUARTER OF AN INCH IN THE EAST TO ONE-HALF INCH IN THE WEST. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 300 PM WEDNESDAY... MODELS WERE SHOWING STRONG PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL PLACEMENT OVER THE COUNTY WARNING AREA ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING. ALL MODELS HAVE THE TROF AXIS RIGHT OVER THE FORECAST AREA ON 12Z/8AM FRIDAY. WITH ENOUGH LIFT AND NEARLY 2.0 INCH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL AGAIN RAISE PROBABILITY OF PRECIPITATION AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS FOR THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING. WEDGE OF SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE AREA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. ENOUGH MOISTURE WRAPPING AROUND WESTERN SIDE OF THE LOW ON FRIDAY TO HOLD CLOUD COVER IN THE EASTERN COUNTY WARNING AREA FOR MOST OF THE DAY ON FRIDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. WILL LEAN TOWARD COOLER MAV GUIDANCE FOR MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 200 PM WEDNESDAY... ONCE SURFACE LOW IS OFF THE COAST AND THERE IS DEEPER NORTHEAST WINDS...850 MB TEMPERATURES DROP A COUPLE OF DEGREES EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. A WEAK SHORT WAVE COMES THROUGH THE NORTHWEST UPPER FLOW ON SUNDAY. THIS MAY HELP TRIGGER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. CLOSED UPPER LOW NOW OFF CALIFORNIA WILL PROGRESS OVER THE WESTERN UPPER RIDGE AND THEN DIG THE EASTERN 500 MB TROF BY TUESDAY. MODELS CONTINUE TO BRING NEXT COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION ON TUESDAY. HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF PRECIPITATION THIS TIME FRAME WILL BE AHEAD OF AND ALONG THE FRONT ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY. && .AVIATION /20Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 135 PM EDT WEDNESDAY... VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL ACROSS THE REGION. THE PROXIMITY OF A FRONTAL BOUNDARY STALLED NEAR THE NC/VA BORDER WILL ACT AS THE FOCUS FOR ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. BRIEF...TEMPORARY IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS MAY EXIST UNDER ANY SHOWER OR STORM THAT DEVELOPS A HEAVY RAIN CORE. MUCH OF THE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL DISSIPATE AFTER SUNSET. DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...THE FRONT TO OUR SOUTH WILL LIFT NORTH AS A WARM FRONT AFTER 06Z/2AM. LOOK FOR ANOTHER INCREASE IN SHOWER COVERAGE AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. MOST AREAS WILL REMAIN VFR BUT ON THE LOW END OF THAT RANGE. POCKETS OF MVFR CIGS/VSBYS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THURSDAY MORNING...THE WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NORTH OF THE AREA...AND TAKE ITS ASSOCIATED PRECIPITATION WITH IT. ANY SUB-VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE TO VFR BY THE MID MORNING. BY THE LATE MORNING AND THE EARLY AFTERNOON...AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL BE APPROACHING THE REGION ALONG WITH ASSOCIATED CONVECTION. LOOK FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS INCREASE IN COVERAGE ACROSS THE WESTERN QUARTER OF THE AREA DURING THIS POTION OF THE FORECAST. CIGS IN THIS AREA WILL ALSO START TO TREND TO MVFR. EXTENDED AVIATION FORECAST... SHOWERS AND SOME STORMS WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY ON THURSDAY. MOST AREAS WILL EXPERIENCE MVFR CONDITIONS BY THE AFTERNOON WITH POCKETS OF IFR BY THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT AS THE SYSTEM CONTINUES MOVING THROUGH THE AREA. A PSEUDO-WEDGE DEVELOPS IN THE WAKE OF THE DEPARTING SYSTEM ON FRIDAY. LOOK FOR A CONTINUATION OF MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS WITH RAIN OR RAIN SHOWERS. WESTERN PARTS OF THE AREA HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF BREAKING OUT OF THE WEDGE WITH POCKETS OF IMPROVED FLIGHT CATEGORIES AND DEEPER CONVECTION OVER THE WEEKEND...VFR CONDITIONS RETURN TO MOST LOCATIONS AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO AND OVER THE REGION. LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING MOUNTAIN AND RIVER VALLEY FOG IS POSSIBLE. MONDAY WILL BRING OUR NEXT CHANCE OF ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS TO THE AREA WITH A PASSING SHORTWAVE TROUGH. MOST AREAS WILL BE VFR. LOCALIZED...BRIEF MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE UNDER THE HEAVIER CORES OF ANY CONVECTION THAT DEVELOPS. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...DS NEAR TERM...DS SHORT TERM...AMS LONG TERM...AMS AVIATION...DS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 404 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2015 NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059- WVZ042>044-507-508-062015- 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-SUMMERS-MONROE- EASTERN GREENBRIER-WESTERN GREENBRIER- 404 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2015 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. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL IS EXPECTED THURSDAY THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 550 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2015 NCZ018-052245- WATAUGA- 550 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2015 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHWESTERN WATAUGA COUNTY... AT 549 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER FOSCOE. THE STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY. WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... BOONE... FOSCOE... LOVILL... AHO... AND MOSES CONE MEMORIAL PARK. THIS INCLUDES APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. LAT...LON 3612 8175 3620 8182 3627 8169 3617 8158 TIME...MOT...LOC 2149Z 240DEG 2KT 3619 8174 RS
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 146 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:18 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Watauga County 911 Center reported that a tree was down at the intersection of State Route 194 and Broadstone Road, blocking the northbound lane of Route 194.
The public reported that a tree was down on a gazebo at a private residence.
The Watauga County 911 Center reported that a tree was down along North Carolina Highway 105 near its intersection with Earl Lyons Road.
The public reported that multiple trees and power lines were down on Woodruff Road near its intersection with North Carolina Route 67, or approximately three miles west-northwest of Boonville.
The Stokes County 911 Center reported that a number of trees were down throughout the town of Francisco.
The Yadkin County 911 Center reported that a number of trees and power lines were down throughout the town of Hamptonville.
Broadcast media out of Winston-Salem North Carolina relayed reports that multiple trees were down on Dodson Mill Road, just northwest of Pilot Mountain.
The Stokes County 911 Center reported that a number of trees were down throughout the town of Lawsonville.
The Stokes County 911 Center reported that a number of trees were down throughout the town of King.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 2015
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: 599035, 599036, 599037, 599042, 599040, 599038, 599039, 599043, 599044.