Strong daytime heating helped destabilize the atmosphere, allowing a thunderstorm to briefly intensify to severe levels during the afternoon. This storm produced localized wind damage in Franklin county.
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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.
Strong daytime heating helped destabilize the atmosphere, allowing a thunderstorm to briefly intensify to severe levels during the afternoon. This storm produced localized wind damage in Franklin county.
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 Jun 13, 2:56 PM EST, 22 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 356 PM EDT Wed Jun 13 2018 .SYNOPSIS... A cold front over the Ohio Valley will move southeast crossing the Mid-Atlantic Region tonight and Thursday. High pressure will build into the region in the wake of the front for the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 330 PM EDT Wednesday... Scattered thundershowers which developed over the mountains this afternoon will drift east and into the piedmont before dissipating with the loss of daytime heating. A cold front extending from the eastern Great Lakes into the Ohio Valley will push into the area late tonight with the potential for additional showers across our northwestern CWA during the overnight. A pronounced shortwave trough over the Great Lakes will progress east towards Maine through Thursday morning. This will push a surface front into our region late tonight and Thursday. The synoptic models remain in decent agreement at 5h, and show the shortwave and advancing surface front. The front is forecast to enter the northwestern CWA after midnight tonight, briefly slowing across NC/VA Thursday morning, as it becomes parallel to the upper wind flow. It finally gets a push farther south into the Carolinas Thursday night as more energy passes through the base of the upper trough digging off the New England Coast. Models hang onto a threat of showers/few storms until the front clears the forecast area. Temperatures are expected to remain mild tonight, above 60, followed by a near normal sort of day Thursday with a highs in the 70s mountains and 80s lower elevations. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... As of 330 PM EDT Wednesday... By thursday evening, only some isolated linger showers, and a few storms will remain across the far southern and southeastern sections of the forecast area as the cold front continues to push south of the region. High pressure will build into the Ohio Valley, and also along the lee of the Appalachians on Friday. An inverted trough is expected to persist though across the Northern Mountains of north Carolina south into the Smokies. Late afternoon isolated showers and storms are expected here, but should diminish quickly after sunset. Friday night into Saturday an axis of an upper ridge will be advancing eastward toward the region, and high pressure at the surface will be strengthening. Look for a trend towards higher temperatures. Isolated showers and storms still cannot be ruled out over the Northern Mountains of North Carolina. High temperatures will trend warmer during this portion of the forecast. By Saturday Highs will range from around 80 to the lower 80s across the mountains with low to mid 80s across the Piedmont. Low temperatures will trend cooler thanks to drier air making its way into the area in association with the surface high pressure. Lows Saturday night/Sunday morning are expected to be in the low to mid 50s across the mountains with readings around 60 to the lower 60s across the Piedmont. Confidence during this portion of the forecast is moderate to high. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 345 PM EDT Wednesday... A broad upper ridge is expected to shift eastward from the Mississippi Valley to over the Tennessee/Ohio Valley late this upcoming weekend into early next week. This will bring a dome of much warmer air over the area. There are discrepancies as to how long the ridge will hold fast before a shortwave trough from over the Great Lakes region cuts through the top of the ridge and heads southeast into our region. The GFS is very agressive on this solution occuring Tuesday. Its Canadian counter part shows a feature of similar strength, but arriving about 24 hours later. The European solution is more subtle, but still there nonetheless, arriving with similar timing as the Canadian solution. Despite the position of the ridge, the area is not expected to be precipitation-free during the time that it is centered over, or close to over, the area. Low level moisture will continue still be plentiful across the area and there will be plenty of surface heating. We are expecting diurnal convection to fire Sunday and Monday afternoons, especially across the mountains where orographical influence will generate better coverage than across the Piedmont. Temperatures both of these days will average five to ten degrees above normal. Tuesday is a bit of a question given the above discussion. The consensus of the model solutions is leaning towards a slower arrival of the shortwave trough. Our forecast will continue to reflect diurnal convection with temperatures similar in magnitude to those of Monday. With model consensus leaning more towards Wednesday for the passage of the shortwave trough, anticipate greater coverage of showers and storms, abundant cloud cover, and temperatures slightly above normal. Forecast confidence during this portion of the forecast is moderate through Monday with low to moderate confidence Tuesday and Wednesday. && .AVIATION /20Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... As of 100 PM EDT Wednesday... Cold front over the Ohio Valley will approach the Mid-Atlantic region this afternoon. This will freshen-up the low level southwesterly winds this afternoon with gusts of 15 to 20 mph. Abundant low level moisture over the mountains is expected to morph into scattered showers and thunderstorms, but lacking any significant organization. A more organized line of thunderstorms will accompany the cold front as it pushes southeast across PA/OH/IN. This organized line of thunderstorms will enter WV this evening but is expected to fall apart as it passes over the WV/VA mountains. Will keep VCTS at all sites but LYH/DAN mainly in the 18-00z time frame. Confidence is medium to high that storms will be near all airports except in the east, where coverage looks sparse. Diurnal deep convection fades this evening, but will have to monitor thunderstorms along front to see how far southeast they progress tonight before dissipating. Late tonight, expect some fog to form especially where it rains. Confidence high enough to have dense fog at LWB, with MVFR to IFR at BLF/BCB. .Extended Aviation Discussion... Front will be south of us Thursday, though close enough where isolated storms could affect DAN. High pressure will dominate our weather pattern Thursday night and Friday. There is minimal potential for notable precipitation. Late night and early morning mountain and river valley MVFR fog valley fog is possible. There could be isolated showers/storms over the weekend but high pressure should keep it VFR most of the time, except for any late night fog. && .EQUIPMENT... As of 400 PM EDT Wednesday... The NOAA weather radio transmitter in Hinton, West Virginia that is WXM72 and broadcasting at a frequency of 162.425 MHz is off the air. Parts are on order to repair the transmitter, but there is no known time of restoration. We apologize for any inconvenience. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...None. NC...None. WV...None. && SYNOPSIS...DS/PM NEAR TERM...PM SHORT TERM...DS LONG TERM...DS AVIATION...PM EQUIPMENT...DS
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 344 PM EDT Wed Jun 13 2018 VAZ007-009>014-018>020-022>024-034-035-045>047-WVZ042>044-507-508- 141945- Tazewell-Smyth-Bland-Giles-Wythe-Pulaski-Montgomery-Craig- Alleghany VA-Bath-Roanoke-Botetourt-Rockbridge-Bedford-Amherst- Campbell-Appomattox-Buckingham-Mercer-Summers-Monroe- Eastern Greenbrier-Western Greenbrier- 344 PM EDT Wed Jun 13 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Virginia, south central Virginia, southwest Virginia, west central Virginia and southeast West Virginia. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. A few storms that fire up through this evening could become strong to severe. Isolated damaging wind gusts are the main threat, but isolated large hail cannot be ruled out. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. There is a low probability for widespread hazardous weather. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ015>017-032-033-043-044-058-059-141945- Ashe-Alleghany NC-Surry-Stokes-Rockingham-Caswell-Watauga-Wilkes- Yadkin-Grayson-Carroll-Floyd-Patrick-Franklin-Henry-Pittsylvania- Halifax-Charlotte- 344 PM EDT Wed Jun 13 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central North Carolina, northwest North Carolina, south central Virginia, southwest Virginia and west central Virginia. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. 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
243 PM EDT WED JUN 13 2018
VAZ022-131915-
Roanoke-
243 PM EDT WED JUN 13 2018
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN ROANOKE ...THE CITY OF
SALEM AND THE CITY OF ROANOKE...
Until 315 PM EDT
At 241 PM EDT, a developing strong thunderstorm was located over
Glenvar, moving southeast at 15 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph, heavy rainfall, and small hail are
possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Roanoke...
Salem...
Vinton...
Glenvar...
and Poages Mill.
This includes The following Location The Salem Fairgrounds.
LAT...LON 3729 7985 3726 7986 3724 7984 3721 7986
3722 7987 3721 7988 3716 7991 3714 7996
3714 7999 3715 7999 3715 8000 3717 8001
3717 8005 3727 8018 3732 8011
TIME...MOT...LOC 1841Z 293DEG 15KT 3729 8012
MBSSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service BLACKSBURG VA
321 PM EDT WED JUN 13 2018
VAZ014-022-033-131945-
Franklin-Montgomery-Roanoke-
321 PM EDT WED JUN 13 2018
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN ROANOKE...NORTHERN
FRANKLIN AND EAST CENTRAL MONTGOMERY COUNTIES AND THE SOUTHEASTERN
CITY OF ROANOKE...
Until 345 PM EDT
At 320 PM EDT, radar indicated strong thunderstorms extending from
near Shawsville to near Roanoke Mountain.
Movement was east at 15 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph and small hail are possible with these
storms.
Locations impacted include...
Roanoke...
Christiansburg...
Boones Mill...
Shawsville...
and Bent Mountain.
Heavy rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may cause
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
LAT...LON 3724 7985 3722 7984 3723 7982 3721 7980
3723 7978 3720 7978 3719 7972 3715 7970
3716 7970 3708 7961 3707 7961 3707 8006
3708 8011 3712 8013 3710 8020 3714 8038
3723 8036 3725 7994
TIME...MOT...LOC 1920Z 288DEG 14KT 3719 8032 3718 7992
MBSSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service BLACKSBURG VA
349 PM EDT WED JUN 13 2018
VAZ022-033-034-132015-
Franklin-Roanoke-Bedford-
349 PM EDT WED JUN 13 2018
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN ROANOKE...SOUTHWESTERN
BEDFORD AND NORTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES AND THE SOUTH CENTRAL CITY OF
ROANOKE...
Until 415 PM EDT
At 348 PM EDT, radar indicated strong thunderstorms extending from
Bent Mountain to near Northwest Smith Mountain Lake. Movement was
east at 20 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph are possible with these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Roanoke...
Boones Mill...
Moneta...
Bent Mountain...
and Burnt Chimney.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may
cause localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
LAT...LON 3715 7953 3705 7963 3703 7981 3709 8011
3712 8013 3712 8015 3717 8018 3726 7983
TIME...MOT...LOC 1948Z 284DEG 19KT 3714 8011 3718 7980
MBSThe Roanoke radar (KFCX), 31 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:18 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
One large tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds along Taylors Road while another tree was blown down along Highway 220.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, June 2018
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: 754440.