A weak frontal boundary crossed from the Ohio Valley through the region during the day, causing isolated thunderstorms to develop across the higher elevations. Higher dew-points along the Virginia and North Carolina provided a small environment just suitable enough to create a strong updraft which produced pea to penny size hail.
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 weak frontal boundary crossed from the Ohio Valley through the region during the day, causing isolated thunderstorms to develop across the higher elevations. Higher dew-points along the Virginia and North Carolina provided a small environment just suitable enough to create a strong updraft which produced pea to penny size hail.
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 May 30, 2:40 PM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 340 PM EDT Tue May 30 2017 .SYNOPSIS... Series of fronts will cross the Mid Atlantic region through Wednesday. Wednesday night the strongest front will push into the region followed by cooler and drier air. Showers and thunderstorms return to the area Saturday and Sunday ahead of a developing low pressure system in the Ohio Valley. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 300 PM EDT Tuesday... Frontal boundary situated along the Alleghanys this afternoon will be shift east to the foothills and piedmont by this evening. Convection firing up along convergence zone near the front across the Mountain Empire northward to the WV mountains. High-res models are not too bold with this convection as it tends to keep it widely scattered over the New River Valley to NC foothills through 7pm, then weakens it. 12z CAMs ARW and NMM from the WRF highlight more convection further southwest in the TN valley this evening, northeast toward WV, but seem overdone given loss of heating, so should see isolated coverage at best out this way toward BLF-VJI around 8-10pm. Further east southwest flow is stronger, but vis satellite showing limited growth in cu field. Still could see some storms pop this evening out toward Dillwyn to Danville, but overall models showing best coverage out toward the Bay/Tidewater VA and coast of NC. Overnight expect some cloud cover sticking around due to not much change in airmass and continued southwest flow aloft with some cirrus possible. Patchy fog in the river valleys is possible but not much. Lows should range from the mid 50s west to lower 60s east. Wednesday, SPC has general thunderstorm outlook. Next upstream front moves from Ohio-Missouri around 8am, to the mountains by evening. Decent shortwave with this feature shifts across the Ohio Valley into northern VA by evening. Models are favoring more of shotgun pattern to storms Wednesday afternoon, but could see more coverage in WV/VA highlands per shortwave. Enough wind energy aloft may lead to some bowing segments up that way, so will have to watch. Highs will be close to normal with lower to mid 70s west, to lower 80s east. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... As of 250 PM EDT Tuesday... Comparatively quieter weather anticipated for the short-term period spanning through late in the week. Surface ridge will build into the region particularly after midnight in the wake of a cold front Wednesday evening. should see clearing skies across many areas except potentially some lingering upslope cloudiness along the Alleghanys perhaps as far east as the New River and Roanoke Valleys. Aloft, the southern periphery of cyclonic mid-level flow associated with a broad upper low across the Great Lakes and Northeast begins to influence the forecast area for Thursday into a part of Friday. Coolest temperatures aloft are progged to be on Thursday with 850 mb temperatures on the order of +8 to +11C. Surface high pressure in place keeps forecast dry, but with cool profiles aloft expect there to be a good coverage of diurnal cumulus. Highs into the 70s to low 80s. Continued dry into Thursday evening as well. Low confidence on radiational fog potential if winds can diminish to calm quickly. Friday looks to start off mostly sunny, but will get into more of a southwesterly return and increasing isentropic ascent ahead of a northeastward-advancing warm front. This will lead to an increase in cloudiness particularly across the western half of the CWA, with chances for showers mainly confined to the Blue Ridge eastward. May see a rumble or two of thunder as showalter indices dip negative as progged by the 12z GFS but this would be embedded in a broader shield of rain. Overall, first half of Friday looks better than the second half. With 850 mb temperatures on the rise toward the mid teens but with greater cloud cover, look for highs well into the 70s to mid 80s, and lows upper 50s to mid 60s. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 300 PM EDT Tuesday... Overall outlook for the weekend and potentially into midweek is a cloudy and wet one. Temperatures Warm front then makes very slow northward progress Saturday up through the Ohio Valley and northern mid-Atlantic states as it runs up against the stubborn cooler air over New England. The progged northward position of the warm front puts the central Appalachians and VA/NC Piedmont area into a warm sector Saturday with scattered garden-variety showers/storms. A reinforcing shot of cooler air over New England, with the passage of a stronger mid-level trough Saturday evening, then shunts the effective position of the front southward as a backdoor cold front/wedge boundary later Saturday night into early Sunday. Later on Sunday, sheared out/deamplifying mid-level trough may permit a greater coverage of showers and storms into the afternoon. Some models depict a wave low developing on the wavy front but it appears that more focused showers from it would remain well north. Regardless, it is nonetheless a cloudy and dreary outlook. Beyond the weekend, there are differences apparent between the ECMWF and GFS regarding rainfall chances; the GFS keeps it wet all the way into midweek while the ECMWF dries us out. Though I would lean a little closer to the ECMWF idea, official forecast stays closer to a blend for the early week until there's better clarity on the early next week period. && .AVIATION /20Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 126 PM EDT Tuesday... The aviation forecast centers around a weak front moving across, with isolated thunderstorms around this afternoon/evening. At the moment a few showers are firing north of LWB and west of BLF. The threat to any airport is low enough to keep even VCTS out of the taf, but watch for amendments. Coverage is expect to be isolated, with better coverage east of a CHO-DAN-BUY line by 00z. Appears with somewhat drier air moving into tonight, along with residual cloud cover, fog threat will be low, similar to this morning. Will leave out of the tafs for now. So overall VFR thru the taf period. Extended Aviation Discussion... A stronger front comes through on Wednesday night with showers and thunderstorms and the associated MVFR to IFR conditions with them, though most stay VFR. Then VFR expected for Thursday and Friday before showers and storms increase into Saturday and Sunday. Exceptions will be any late night river fog, or shower/wet ground induced fog. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...None. NC...None. WV...None. && SYNOPSIS...AMS/WP NEAR TERM...WP SHORT TERM...AL LONG TERM...AL AVIATION...AMS/WP
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 343 PM EDT Tue May 30 2017 VAZ046-047-058-059-311945- Appomattox-Buckingham-Halifax-Charlotte- 343 PM EDT Tue May 30 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Virginia and south central Virginia. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Isolated thunderstorms are possible through this evening. Some may become strong to severe with damaging winds and large hail the main threat. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. There is a low probability for widespread hazardous weather. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>045-WVZ042>044- 507-508-311945- 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-Mercer- Summers-Monroe-Eastern Greenbrier-Western Greenbrier- 343 PM EDT Tue May 30 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. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .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.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service BLACKSBURG VA
457 PM EDT TUE MAY 30 2017
VAZ009-015-302145-
Grayson-Smyth-
457 PM EDT TUE MAY 30 2017
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT
SOUTHERN SMYTH AND SOUTHWESTERN GRAYSON COUNTIES...
At 456 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located 8 miles southwest of
Chilhowie, moving east at 25 mph.
Winds in excess of 30 mph and half inch hail are possible with this
storm.
Locations impacted include...
Marion...
Chilhowie...
Whitetop...
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area...
and Sugar Grove.
Occasional cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm, so seek a
safe shelter inside a building or vehicle until the storm has passed.
LAT...LON 3689 8132 3658 8140 3659 8167 3661 8165
3662 8162 3662 8161 3664 8161 3664 8162
3679 8170 3681 8172 3682 8169
TIME...MOT...LOC 2056Z 261DEG 24KT 3671 8178
PMThe Roanoke radar (KFCX), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:57 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A thunderstorm produced pea to penny sized hail lasting roughly 10 minutes.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, May 2017
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: 699230.