North Carolina, 2017

Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, March 27, 2017

March 27, 2017 · NWS RNK · 7 events in 2 counties and zones

A few thunderstorms developed ahead of a strong cold front during the afternoon and evening of the March 27th, a few of which intensified and became severe for short periods of time.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$2,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS RNK wrote it up.

A few thunderstorms developed ahead of a strong cold front during the afternoon and evening of the March 27th, a few of which intensified and became severe for short periods of time.

What forecasters said that day

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 27, 2:50 PM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 27, 2:50 PM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Blacksburg VA
350 PM EDT Mon Mar 27 2017

.SYNOPSIS...
Moist southerly flow will continue tonight into Tuesday, with
several rounds of showers and thunderstorms possible. Low
pressure in the Ohio Valley with a trailing cold front will lift
eastward tonight into Tuesday. This cold front will approach
us tonight and move east through the area Tuesday into Tuesday
night. Behind the front, drier air will arrive for midweek.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/...
As of 350 PM EDT Monday...

Isolated to scattered convection developing ahead of the cold front
this afternoon in the warm and unstable air. This convection is
developing ahead of a lead shortwave moving ahead of an upper trough.
The convective outlook for Day 1 places the marginal risk of severe
weather to our west with the best instability and dynamics. Highres
models like the HRRR and ARW showed isolated convection developing
this afternoon into tonight, especially along the southern Blue
ridge. Models enhance lift and low level convergence across the
Blue Ridge into the foothills after midnight into the overnight
as the front approach the Appalachians. Low temperatures
tonight will range from the upper 40s in the mountains to near
60 degrees in the Piedmont.

A strong cold front will move across our region Tuesday into Tuesday
night. Scattered showers and Thunderstorms will develop ahead
and along this boundary. The SWODY2 has placed eastern portions
of CWA in a marginal risk for Tuesday. The timing of the
shortwave on Tuesday with a favorable area of forcing for ascent
moving across eastern portions during the afternoon during peak
heating. The shortwave should move offshore around 29/00Z. The
strongest storms could produce hail and locally damaging wind
gusts. High temperatures Tuesday will vary from the upper 50s
in the mountains to the mid 70s in the Piedmont.

&&

.SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
As of 349 PM EDT Monday...

A cold front will move across the region Tuesday night with showers
exiting the piedmont during the evening. Some low level moisture may
squeeze out a few showers along western slopes overnight as the
theta-E boundary tracks south across the mountains. There is not
much cold air air behind this front, so any precipitation along
western slopes or across the mountains will be liquid and not frozen.

High pressure will move south out of Canada Wednesday, then wedge
down the east coast Wednesday night into Thursday. This wedge will
initial be dry and mostly clear Wednesday. Wednesday afternoon
temperatures will warm into the 60s west to 70s east. A strong area
of low pressure will track out of the Rockies Wednesday then across
the Midwest Thursday night. This system will throw warm moist air
over the wedge, increasing clouds and eventually the chance for
rain/drizzle. Saturation of the environment should not occur until
late Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Isentropic lift
increases during the day Thursday. With this in mind, we have
delayed the onset of stratiform rain/drizzle until late Thursday
morning and moreso along eastern slopes of the North Carolina High
Country and Grayson Highlands. The combination of rain falling into
a linger wedge will produce cool temperatures with highs in the 50s
areawide Thursday.

&&

.LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
As of 349 PM EDT Monday...

A strong area on low pressure will track from the Midwest to the
south-central Appalachian mountains Thursday night into Friday. This
low will erode the wedge of cooler air that moved into the region
Wednesday. Dynamics from this low and with a retreating wedge
boundary, there is the possibility strong storms could develop across
the region Friday into Friday evening. However, timing is everything
with this event. Currently, models have dynamics and retreating
wedge environment occuring during the morning, which lowers the
threat for severe weather. If this event occurs later in the day,
then the threat for severe weather will increase. With an eroding
wedge, temperatures will increase Thursday night and into the day
Friday. Lows Thursday night will occur around midnight (upper 40s),
then rise into the low to mid 60s Friday afternoon.

This low pressure system and associated showers will exit the mid
Atlantic coast Friday night. Dry high pressure and near normal
temperatures will follow for the weekend.

&&

.AVIATION /20Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
As of 300 PM EDT Monday...

East to southeast flow will push moisture into our region this
afternoon into Tuesday. SCT to BKN MVFR clouds will continue
this afternoon into tonight. Ceiling will hold in many areas
with some breaks in the clouds from time to time. Showers
and thunderstorms will be isolated to scattered over the
mountains this afternoon into tonight. Better rain threat later
tonight ahead of the front, with cigs dropping to mvfr (ISOLD
IFR) towards 12z Tuesday in most areas.

Dominant wind flow into Tuesday will be from a southerly
direction.

Extended Aviation Discussion...

Front moves in the mountains after 12z Tuesday with best threat of
showers/some thunder and sub-VFR in the 09z-18z Tuesday time frame.
Cold front exits the Piedmont by 00z Wednesday with lingering sub-
VFR cigs in BLF/LWB with VFR in the EAst.

High pressure builds in from the north Wednesday into Thursday with
next storm system moving in the MS Valley. A threat for Sub-VFR cigs
appears likely as the high wedges southwest Wed night into Thursday
for most sites. Better chances of rain Thursday night into
Friday.

&&

.RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
VA...None.
NC...None.
WV...None.

&&

SYNOPSIS...KK
NEAR TERM...KK
SHORT TERM...RCS
LONG TERM...RCS
AVIATION...RAH/WP
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 27, 2:42 PM EST, 1 hour 32 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Blacksburg VA
342 PM EDT Mon Mar 27 2017

NCZ001>003-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-WVZ042>044-507-508-
281945-
Ashe-Alleghany NC-Surry-Watauga-Wilkes-Yadkin-Tazewell-Smyth-Bland-
Giles-Wythe-Pulaski-Montgomery-Grayson-Carroll-Floyd-Craig-
Alleghany VA-Bath-Roanoke-Botetourt-Rockbridge-Patrick-Franklin-
Bedford-Amherst-Mercer-Summers-Monroe-Eastern Greenbrier-
Western Greenbrier-
342 PM EDT Mon Mar 27 2017

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.

A few strong storms are possible across the mountains into this
evening. Storms could produce small hail and gusty winds.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

NCZ004>006-VAZ043>047-058-059-281945-
Stokes-Rockingham-Caswell-Henry-Pittsylvania-Campbell-Appomattox-
Buckingham-Halifax-Charlotte-
342 PM EDT Mon Mar 27 2017

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central North Carolina,
central Virginia and south central Virginia.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon could become strong to severe. An
isolated threat of large hail and damaging winds exist in the
afternoon and evening hours.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

RCS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 27, 3:51 PM EST, 23 minutes before
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The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 136 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:13 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Wilkes

When
March 27, 4:14 PM EST
Where
Wilkes County, 1.63 mi SW of Summit
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.231, -81.438

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkes

When
March 27, 5:30 PM EST
Where
Wilkes County, 1.9 mi SSW of Knotville
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$500
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
36.195, -81.093

A large tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds at the intersection of River Road and Liberty Grove Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkes

When
March 27, 5:30 PM EST
Where
Wilkes County, 0.18 mi S of Traphill
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$500
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
36.347, -81.029

A large tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds along Traphill Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkes

When
March 27, 5:45 PM EST
Where
Wilkes County, 1.72 mi NNE of Ronda
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$500
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
36.254, -80.920

A large tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds along Little Elkin Church Road.

Hail, Surry

When
March 27, 6:04 PM EST
Where
Surry County, 0.89 mi SW of White Plains
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.441, -80.641

Hail, Surry

When
March 27, 6:15 PM EST
Where
Surry County, 2.87 mi E of Mt Airy Surry Co Arp
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
36.442, -80.499

Hail, Surry

When
March 27, 6:15 PM EST
Where
Surry County, 1.43 mi NNE of Mt Airy Surry Co Arp
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.469, -80.541

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, March 2017

Sources

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: 682970, 682977, 682978, 682981, 682972, 682973, 682976.