Hail in Virginia, May 5, 2018

Name: Hail in Virginia, May 5, 2018
Start: 2018-05-05T15:25
End: 2018-05-05T16:53
Location: Virginia

May 5, 2018 · NWS RLX · 7 events in 2 counties and zones

Following a period of sunshine earlier in the day, thunderstorms formed across southwest Virginia and southeast Kentucky during the late afternoon of the 5th as a low pressure system approached. Large hail fell out of these storms during the late afternoon and evening.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $15,000
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 RLX wrote it up.

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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 5, 3:08 PM EST, 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 5, 3:08 PM EST, 17 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Charleston WV
408 PM EDT Sat May 5 2018

.SYNOPSIS...
An low pressure low brings more rain to the area for the rest of
this Weekend. High pressure to the north battling upper level
low pressure to the south early next week, wins out by midweek.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/...
As of 300 PM Saturday...

Low pressure over Tennessee will continue to move ENE overnight
tonight and move over the area Sunday morning and exit Sunday
night. More steadier rain from this system will spread over the
region later this evening and persist through Sunday morning
before ending west to east Sunday afternoon and evening.
Rainfall amounts are expected to range between an inch to an
inch and a half, with some localized areas seeing a tad more if
convection develops. Instability is marginal at best and
diminishes after sunset. FFGs are between 2 and 3 inches over
much of the area. So,the flood threat is low and not
anticipating any watches or warnings.

&&

.SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
As of 330 PM Saturday...

The latest in a series of short waves and associated cold
fronts rotating through a mean eastern CONUS trough cruises
into the area Sunday night into Monday. This brings renewed rain
chances in the form of rain showers. The surface trough
approaches the southern mountains by Monday morning. Then,
models agree that a wave/enhancement just ahead of the upper-
level trough axis will bring more widespread rain shower
activity. Should destabilization occur via WAA, aided by solar
energy fighting through the thick cloud deck, thunderstorms are
possible across the SE. Models right now suggest MUCAPE on the
order of 500-700 J/kg in the southern zones, however generally
weak flow indicates any storms would be short-lived and weak in
nature.

High pressure to the North eventually wins out and forces the
region to dry Monday night from North to South. Some radiational
cooling is possible, especially northwest of 64/79 corridors
where clearing skies are most likely.

Diurnally driven rain showers are possible Tuesday as high
pressure to the North battles instability and southern stream
low pressure systems. Better chances for radiational cooling
exist Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with more clearing
likely.

&&

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
As of 400 PM Saturday...

Moisture remains high through the remainder of the week with
generally unsettled conditions. The best chance for dry weather
during the long term occurs Wednesday with high pressure to the
North, though with moisture diurnally driven showers are still
on the table though unlikely at this point.

A trough moves through later in the week with an upper Great
Lakes low and a training cold front through the Ohio Valley.
Rain showers from this are possible Wednesday night with a warm
front through Thursday night when the cold front passage. During
the day Thursday, thunderstorms are possible in the warm sector.

The forecast for Friday into next weekend depends upon how far
south the front gets, and whether and where a wave forms along
the front.

&&

.AVIATION /20Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
As of 210 PM Saturday...

VFR to MVFR conditions will prevail through the afternoon hours
in scattered showers. Rain coverage will increase from the WSW
this evening, as Low pressure over Tennessee moves ENE and moves
over the southern portion of the area by 06Z. Conditions are
expected to deteriorate to IFR or worse in CIGS/VSBYs after 06Z
and persist into Sunday morning.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY...

FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Low to Medium.

ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Timing of IFR/LIFR Rain/Fog/Cigs this
evening and into Sunday may vary.

EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY
OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION:
H = HIGH:   TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL.
M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS.
L = LOW:    TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL.

UTC 1HRLY       18   19   20   21   22   23   00   01   02   03   04   05
EDT 1HRLY       14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   00   01
CRW CONSISTENCY  L    L    L    L    L    L    M    L    L    L    L    L
HTS CONSISTENCY  L    M    L    H    H    H    M    M    M    L    L    L
BKW CONSISTENCY  H    L    M    M    M    M    M    M    M    M    M    L
EKN CONSISTENCY  M    M    M    L    L    L    L    L    L    L    L    M
PKB CONSISTENCY  M    M    H    H    H    H    M    H    H    H    H    L
CKB CONSISTENCY  M    M    M    M    H    H    H    M    L    M    L    L

AFTER 18Z SUNDAY...
IFR possible in departing rain Sunday and Sunday night.

&&

.RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WV...None.
OH...None.
KY...None.
VA...None.

&&

SYNOPSIS...JS/MC
NEAR TERM...JS
SHORT TERM...MC
LONG TERM...MC
AVIATION...JS

Hazardous weather outlook, May 5, 3:37 AM EST, 11 hours 48 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Charleston WV
437 AM EDT Sat May 5 2018

KYZ101>103-105-OHZ075-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011-013>020-024>034-
039-040-515>526-060845-
Greenup-Carter-Boyd-Lawrence KY-Athens-Jackson OH-Vinton-Meigs-
Gallia-Lawrence OH-Dickenson-Buchanan-Wayne-Cabell-Mason-Jackson WV-
Wood-Pleasants-Tyler-Lincoln-Putnam-Kanawha-Roane-Wirt-Calhoun-
Ritchie-Doddridge-Mingo-Logan-Boone-Clay-Braxton-Gilmer-Lewis-
Harrison-Taylor-McDowell-Wyoming-Upshur-Barbour-Northwest Raleigh-
Southeast Raleigh-Northwest Fayette-Southeast Fayette-
Northwest Nicholas-Southeast Nicholas-Northwest Webster-
Southeast Webster-Northwest Pocahontas-Southeast Pocahontas-
Northwest Randolph-Southeast Randolph-
437 AM EDT Sat May 5 2018

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Kentucky, portions
of southeast Ohio, southwest Virginia and much of West Virginia.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

There is a marginal risk of excessive rainfall today and tonight.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

OHZ066-067-076-060845-
Perry-Morgan-Washington-
437 AM EDT Sat May 5 2018

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast Ohio.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

The radar

The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:24 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Dickenson

When: May 5, 3:25 PM EST
Where: Dickenson County, 0.55 mi E of Clintwood
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.150, -82.460

Hail, Dickenson

When: May 5, 3:50 PM EST
Where: Dickenson County, 0.55 mi W of Haysi
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: Social Media
Coordinates: 37.220, -82.330

Some cars were dented by hail near John Flannagan Lake.

Hail, Dickenson

When: May 5, 3:50 PM EST
Where: Dickenson County, 1.65 mi E of Tandy
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 37.220, -82.370

Hail, Dickenson

When: May 5, 3:52 PM EST
Where: Dickenson County, 0.88 mi SE of Russell Mart
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 37.210, -82.290

Hail, Buchanan

When: May 5, 3:55 PM EST
Where: Buchanan County, 0.69 mi N of Hurley
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 37.430, -82.030

Hail, Dickenson

When: May 5, 3:55 PM EST
Where: Dickenson County, 4.41 mi NE of Bartlick
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 37.300, -82.280

Hail, Dickenson

When: May 5, 4:53 PM EST
Where: Dickenson County, 1.66 mi W of West Dante
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.970, -82.350

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Virginia in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, May 2018

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: 743686, 743687, 743688, 744138, 743689, 743690, 743691.