High Wind in North Carolina, January 20 to 21, 2019

Name: High Wind in North Carolina, January 20 to 21, 2019
Start: 2019-01-20T06:35
End: 2019-01-21T03:00
Location: North Carolina

January 20 to 21, 2019 · NWS RNK · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

An Arctic cold front moved across the central Appalachian Mountains, supported aloft by a strong upper level disturbance. Deep mixing helped the 60 to 65 MPH winds off the surface to push down to ground after frontal passage, resulting in surface wind gusts in the 50 to occasionally 60 MPH range along the crest Blue Ridge in northwest North Carolina.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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: $22,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

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 Jan 20, 5:40 AM EST, 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 20, 5:40 AM EST, 55 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 20, 4:08 AM EST, 2 hours 27 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Blacksburg VA
408 AM EST Sun Jan 20 2019

VAZ007-009>014-018>020-023-024-032>035-045-046-WVZ042>044-507-508-
210915-
Tazewell-Smyth-Bland-Giles-Wythe-Pulaski-Montgomery-Craig-
Alleghany VA-Bath-Botetourt-Rockbridge-Patrick-Franklin-Bedford-
Amherst-Campbell-Appomattox-Mercer-Summers-Monroe-Eastern Greenbrier-
Western Greenbrier-
408 AM EST Sun Jan 20 2019

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST MONDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Virginia, south
central Virginia, southwest Virginia, west central Virginia and
southeast West Virginia.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

NCZ001-002-018-VAZ015>017-022-210915-
Ashe-Alleghany NC-Watauga-Grayson-Carroll-Floyd-Roanoke-
408 AM EST Sun Jan 20 2019

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest North Carolina,
southwest Virginia and west central Virginia.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   High Wind Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   High Wind Warning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

NCZ003>006-019-020-VAZ043-044-047-058-059-210915-
Surry-Stokes-Rockingham-Caswell-Wilkes-Yadkin-Henry-Pittsylvania-
Buckingham-Halifax-Charlotte-
408 AM EST Sun Jan 20 2019

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY...

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

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Wind Advisory.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Wind Advisory.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Ashe

When: January 20, 6:35 AM EST to January 21, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Ashe forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $8,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 36.434, -81.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High wind gusts, ranging from several around 45 mph to a recorded gust of 58 mph measured at the Ashe County Airport (KGEV), were observed across Ashe County. These high wind gusts blew down a few trees and at least one power line at various locations across the county. These high winds, combined with frigid temperatures associated with Arctic air, resulted in wind chill values as low as -28F in spots across the county.

High Wind, Watauga

When: January 20, 9:35 AM EST to January 21, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Watauga forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $8,000
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 36.231, -81.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High wind gusts, ranging from several around 45 mph to a recorded gust of 56 mph measured at the Watauga County Hospital Heliport (KTNB), were observed across Watauga County. These high wind gusts blew down multiple trees at various locations across the county, as well as a power line along Mountainview Baptist Church Road. These high winds, combined with frigid temperatures associated with Arctic air, resulted in wind chill values as low as -20F in spots across the county.

High Wind, Alleghany

When: January 20, 10:55 AM EST to January 21, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Alleghany forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $6,000
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 36.491, -81.127 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High wind gusts, ranging from several around 45 mph to as much as 60 mph, were observed across Alleghany County. A personal weather station near the community of Barrett recorded a maximum gust of 52 mph. These high wind gusts blew down multiple trees at various locations across the county.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, January 2019

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 793922, 793920, 793921.