Isolated to scattered thunderstorms formed as a result of a stationary front that pushed to the northeast of the area, and a cold front approaching from the northwest that followed on September 27th. Instability increased in some parts of the area due to breaks in the cloud cover.
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.
Isolated to scattered thunderstorms formed as a result of a stationary front that pushed to the northeast of the area, and a cold front approaching from the northwest that followed on September 27th. Instability increased in some parts of the area due to breaks in the cloud cover. As a result, storms initiated along the slowly moving frontal boundary in the southern Piedmont counties of Virginia. Some storms produced strong wind gusts and hail east of the Blue Ridge divide.
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 27, 2:54 PM EST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 354 PM EDT Tue Sep 27 2016 .SYNOPSIS... A stationary front with weak areas of low pressure extended from the Mid Atlantic states to Louisiana. Another cold front will track through the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys on Wednesday and Wednesday night. This low pressure system over the Mid Atlantic will move slowly northeast into New England this weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 335 PM EDT Tuesday... Front was hung up along the Blue Ridge this afternoon. Lowered clouds had just cleared out of the piedmont after 2PM. MSAS analysis showed east of the front that the lifted index values were as high as -5 where there has been breaks in the clouds today. Highest probability for precipitation remains east of a Lynchburg to Wilkesboro line. Expect a sharp gradient on the western side of the clouds and precipitation tonight and Wednesday. Mean flow from 850-500mb will be from the southwest tonight and Wednesday which will result in little movement of the surface front. Axis of deepest moisture and lift will remain over the piedmont of Virginia and North Carolina on Wednesday. Models fill low clouds and some fog back in overnight, especially east of the Blue Ridge. Amount of clearing on Wednesday will be the biggest influence on afternoon high temperatures. Fog is also expected to form overnight in the western river valleys. Have lowered minimum temperatures in southeast West Virginia based on the lack of cloud cover and the surface dew points that have lowered in the mid 30s to lower 40s. Otherwise stayed close to bias corrected MAV guidance for lows tonight and highs on Wednesday. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... As of 300 PM EDT Tuesday... Closed upper low center in the Ohio Valley Wednesday evening will move eastward and reach Eastern Kentucky by Thursday night. Scattered showers and thunderstorms associated with the shortwave riding northward along the frontal boundary will continue Wednesday evening into Wednesday night as the low digs south. The SWODY2 has highlighted a marginal risk for severe weather east of the Blue Ridge mountains. Low temperatures Wednesday night will range from the mid 40s in the northwest mountains to the lower 60s in the Piedmont. Coop guidance suggest that a few lower 40s may be possible. A cold front will drop southeast out of the Ohio valley and move east into the Appalachians on Thursday. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop ahead and along the frontal boundary. Some the thunderstorms could be strong with hail, gusty winds and heavy downpours. An impressive low to mid level lapse rates combined with very low freezing heights across the area could help the hail potential. High temperatures on Thursday will vary from around 60 degrees in the west to the lower 70s in the East. Cloudy conditions with scattered showers will continue Thursday night. The best chance for rain will be across the north. Low temperatures Thursday night will vary from lower 40s in the mountains to the mid 50s in the Piedmont. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 300 PM EDT Tuesday... Closed upper low over Kentucky Friday morning lifts northward in the Ohio Valley this weekend. The low center continue to push into the Great lakes by Sunday evening and New England by Monday. The low will move into the Atlantic ocean on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the potential for tropical low development across the Caribbean may lead to a threat for the southeast early next week. This is being monitored by the NHC and WPC. Temperatures will start cooler for Friday with clouds along with unsettled weather and improve Saturday, then moderate Sunday into Tuesday. && .AVIATION /20Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 120 PM EDT Tuesday... A front extended from central Virginia to western North Carolina this afternoon. There will be little movement of the front tonight and Wednesday. Showers and thunderstorms will develop this afternoon east of the front, with the best probability of precipitation at KLYH and KDAN. Medium to high confidence that the showers and thunderstorms will form around 21Z/5PM. Gusty winds are possible with any of the stronger storms but the chance is too low at any individual TAF site to include in the forecast at this time. Models, especially the NAM, showed IFR to LIFR ceilings east of the front overnight. High confidence that KLYH will have LIFR ceilings after midnight. LIFR ceilings are possible at KDAN too but confidence was too low to include in the forecast. Over the mountains with little cloud cover, fog will form in the river valleys. Expect LIFR fog and stratus at KLWB after 2AM. Low confidence about how long it will take the low clouds in the foothills and piedmont of Virginia and North Carolina to lift after sunrise. Extended aviation discussion... A deep upper low will remain over the Ohio and Tennessee Valley through Friday. This will keep variable clouds, MVFR cigs, and periods of -SHRA across the region through much of the period. Saturday is the most likely day to be drier and have VFR conditions. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...None. NC...None. WV...None. && SYNOPSIS...AMS NEAR TERM...AMS SHORT TERM...KK LONG TERM...KK AVIATION...AMS/PM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 432 AM EDT TUE SEP 27 2016 VAZ034-035-044>047-058-059-280845- BEDFORD-AMHERST-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX- CHARLOTTE- 432 AM EDT TUE SEP 27 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT WHICH COULD LEAD TO RAPID RISES OF CREEKS AND STREAMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ003>006-019-020-VAZ022>024-032-033-043-280845- SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WILKES-YADKIN-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT- ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-FRANKLIN-HENRY- 432 AM EDT TUE SEP 27 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ001-002-018-VAZ007-009>020-WVZ042>044-507-508-280845- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-WATAUGA-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI- MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-MERCER- SUMMERS-MONROE-EASTERN GREENBRIER-WESTERN GREENBRIER- 432 AM EDT TUE SEP 27 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL 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. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. RCS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
508 PM EDT TUE SEP 27 2016
VAZ033-043-272215-
FRANKLIN-HENRY-
508 PM EDT TUE SEP 27 2016
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN AND
NORTHERN HENRY COUNTIES THROUGH 615 PM EDT...
AT 508 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER BASSETT...
MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM ALONG WITH
PEA-SIZED HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. FREQUENT LIGHTNING CAN BE
EXPECTED.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MARTINSVILLE...
SYDNORSVILLE...
BASSETT...
LEATHERWOOD...
AND OAK LEVEL.
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY CAUSE
LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 10 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
LAT...LON 3671 8009 3676 8009 3678 8010 3679 8007
3679 8004 3682 8007 3691 7963 3671 7968
TIME...MOT...LOC 2108Z 260DEG 25KT 3676 8001
RABThe Roanoke radar (KFCX), 36 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:11 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds resulted in two trees down across roadways just west of Bassett.
Thunderstorm winds resulted in one tree down over the road at the 600 block of Basset Drive.
Thunderstorm winds resulted in one tree down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, September 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: 660209, 660203, 660211, 660201, 660202.