A cold front moved through the Mid-Atlantic region and showers and thunderstorms developed ahead and along the frontal boundary. Many thunderstorms became severe with large hail and damaging winds.
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.
A cold front moved through the Mid-Atlantic region and showers and thunderstorms developed ahead and along the frontal boundary. Many thunderstorms became severe with large hail and damaging winds. Montgomery County had multiple rounds of thunderstorms that led to flash flooding.
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 May 2, 2:17 PM EST, 5 hours 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 317 PM EDT MON MAY 2 2016 .SYNOPSIS...A COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRIEFLY RETURN FOR WEDNESDAY. A LARGE AREA OF UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE AREA THURSDAY AND FRIDAY BEFORE HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS FOR THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/...RISK FOR THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY FAR SOUTHERN AREAS WHERE STORMS OVER RNK AREA WILL TRACK ENE INTO NELSON...AUGUSTA AND ALBERMALE COUNTIES. ENVIRONMENT IS ACTUALLY LESS FVRBL FOR SEVERE WX THAN YESTERDAY. RECENT ACARS DATA FROM IAD AND BWI SHOW A 4C DEGREE RISE AT 500 MB SINCE 12Z AND CINH VALUES RANGING FROM 55 J/KG IN NRN VA TO OVER 200 J/KG IN NORTHEAST MD. ENVIRONMENT IS MORE UNSTABLE IN THE CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA WHERE CLOUD STREETS ARE EVIDENT BUT ALOFT TEMPS HAVE WARMED UP CONSIDERABLY MAKING LARGE HAIL LESS LIKELY. GUSTY WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT. TONIGHT...SHORTWAVE-TROUGH OVER MISSOURI WILL TRACK EWD WITH MULTIPLE SFC WAVES MOVING ACROSS THE AREA ALONG SLOW MOVING CDFNT. RAIN/SHOWERS AND MAINLY ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD OVER THE AREA THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGHT THE NIGHT INTO TUE MORNING BEFORE MOVING OFFSHORE TUE AFTERNOON. RAINFALL TOTALS WILL RANGE FROM HALF INCH ACROSS THE PA BORDER TO OVER AN INCH SOUTH OF I-66 AND U.S. ROUTE 50. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/...SFC RIDGING BUILDS IN TUE NIGHT AND EARLY WED WITH A LULL IN PRECIP. A DEEP UPPER LEVEL LOW FORMS OVER MICHIGAN AND DROPS SLOWLY SWD TOWARD THE OH VALLEY. SHOWERS MOVE IN AGAIN WED NIGHT IN AREA OF STRONG UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE AND STRONG ASCENT. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...A SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE OVER THE EASTERN OHIO VALLEY WILL SLOWLY PIVOT EAST INTO THE MID ATLANTIC REGION AND THE CAROLINAS THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. RAIN SHOWERS AND PERHAPS A RUMBLE OF THUNDER OR TWO ARE ANTICIPATED WITH THIS BROAD COLD CORE LOW. TEMPERATURES WILL BE 7 TO 10 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE. THE CHANCE FOR RAIN SHOWERS WILL LINGER FRIDAY...AND SO WILL THE BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. AS THE LOW MOVES OUT TO SEA FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...THE RAIN CHANCES WILL DECREASE FROM WEST TO EAST. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COOLER THAN NORMAL. A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL DRY OUT CONDITIONS SATURDAY NIGHT...BRIEFLY...BEFORE THE NEXT COLD FRONT FROM THE NORTH SAGS INTO THE REGION AND BRINGS THE NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURES WON'T BE AS CHILLY SUNDAY. THE FRONT COULD WORK ITS WAY NORTH AS A WARM FRONT ON MONDAY. THIS WILL BRING BACK THREAT FOR SHOWERS OR A THUNDERSTORM. TEMPERATURES WILL BE CLOSER TO NORMAL...IF NOT SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. && .AVIATION /19Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... RAIN TONIGHT WITH CIGS DROPPING BACK TO IFR AND EVEN LIFR. T-STORMS POSSIBLE MAINLY AT CHO. RAIN CONTINUES INTO TUE MORNING BEFORE EXITING IN THE AFTERNOON. IFR CONDITIONS WITH RAIN SHOWERS THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. WINDS NORTHWEST 5 TO 10 KNOTS THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. && .MARINE...MAINLY LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS THROUGH TONIGHT AS AREA REMAINS NEAR THE CENTER OF A LOW BUT HIGHER WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. NO MARINE HAZARDS EXPECTED THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...LFR NEAR TERM...LFR SHORT TERM...LFR LONG TERM...KLW AVIATION...LFR/KLW MARINE...LFR/KLW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 814 PM EDT MON MAY 2 2016 ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ011-013-014-016>018-508-VAZ052>057-031015- 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-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES- ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-ST. MARYS-CALVERT-SOUTHEAST HARFORD- PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX- ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-SPOTSYLVANIA- KING GEORGE- 814 PM EDT MON MAY 2 2016 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...TONIGHT THERE IS A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT FOR SOUTHERN BALTIMORE METRO AND THE ENTIRE WASHINGTON DC METRO. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...SEVERE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MDZ003>006-501>507-VAZ025>031-036>040-050-051-501>508-WVZ050>053- 055-501>506-031015- WASHINGTON-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-NORTHERN BALTIMORE- EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY-CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY- NORTHWEST MONTGOMERY-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MONTGOMERY- NORTHWEST HOWARD-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST HOWARD-NORTHWEST HARFORD- AUGUSTA-ROCKINGHAM-SHENANDOAH-FREDERICK VA-PAGE-WARREN-CLARKE- NELSON-ALBEMARLE-GREENE-MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-ORANGE-CULPEPER- NORTHERN FAUQUIER-SOUTHERN FAUQUIER-WESTERN HIGHLAND- EASTERN HIGHLAND-WESTERN LOUDOUN-EASTERN LOUDOUN- NORTHERN VIRGINIA BLUE RIDGE-CENTRAL VIRGINIA BLUE RIDGE- HAMPSHIRE-MORGAN-BERKELEY-JEFFERSON-HARDY-WESTERN GRANT- EASTERN GRANT-WESTERN MINERAL-EASTERN MINERAL-WESTERN PENDLETON- EASTERN PENDLETON- 814 PM EDT MON MAY 2 2016 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...TONIGHT THERE IS A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT FOR NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND SOUTH TO THE CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
733 PM EDT MON MAY 02 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0731 PM HAIL N WOLF TRAP 38.94N 77.29W
05/02/2016 E1.00 INCH FAIRFAX VA AMATEUR RADIO
QUARTER SIZE HAIL
&&
EVENT NUMBER LWX1603777
DHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
734 PM EDT MON MAY 02 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0731 PM HAIL 1 NE WOLF TRAP 38.95N 77.26W
05/02/2016 M1.00 INCH FAIRFAX VA AMATEUR RADIO
&&
EVENT NUMBER LWX1603778
SMZPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
735 PM EDT MON MAY 02 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0620 PM HAIL N OAKTON 38.89N 77.30W
05/02/2016 E1.00 INCH FAIRFAX VA AMATEUR RADIO
QUARTER SIZE HAIL
&&
EVENT NUMBER LWX1603780
DHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
740 PM EDT MON MAY 02 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0715 PM HAIL N TYSONS CORNER 38.92N 77.23W
05/02/2016 E0.75 INCH FAIRFAX VA AMATEUR RADIO
PENNY SIZE HAIL
&&
EVENT NUMBER LWX1603781
DHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
814 PM EDT MON MAY 02 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0715 PM HAIL ST. CHARLES 38.61N 76.93W
05/02/2016 E2.75 INCH CHARLES MD 911 CALL CENTER
BASEBALL SIZE HAIL
&&
EVENT NUMBER LWX1603782
DHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
817 PM EDT MON MAY 02 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0812 PM HAIL 2 WNW HUNTINGTOWN 38.63N 76.65W
05/02/2016 M0.75 INCH CALVERT MD TRAINED SPOTTER
PENNY SIZE HAIL
&&
EVENT NUMBER LWX1603783
DHThe Sterling radar (KLWX), 34 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:18 UTC.
5 flash flood, 3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Many cars stalled and stranded in standing water at 11800 Block Parklawn Drive.
There was a vehicle stranded in high water at 10550 Block of Stable Lane.
There was a water rescue at Goldsboro Road and Massachusetts Avenue. Multiple vehicles were stranded in 6-8 inches of water.
There were multiple cars stranded in high water near Bullis School on Falls Road.
There was water running over the road at Summer City Blvd and Walnut Ave and led to a road closure.
There was water running over the road at 5th Street and Chesapeake Ave and the road was closed.
The river gauge at Turkey Branch at Rockville reached a flood stage of 10 feet and crested at 11.54 feet AT 05/02/16 20:20 EST. Water approached the intersection of Turkey Branch Parkway and Danvers Street and the intersection of Turkey Branch Parkway and Grenoble.
The river gauge at Northwest Branch Anacostia River at Colesville, Maryland reached a flood stage of 9 feet and crested at 9.3 feet at 05/02/16 21:45 EST. Backyards of homes on Kemps Mill Road just south of Randolph Road are flooded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Maryland in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, May 2016
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: 634668, 634670, 634671, 634672, 634677, 634678, 634994, 635050.