A couple of isolated severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours of Wednesday, July 1st, 2020, near the City of Charlottesville, Virginia.
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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 LWX wrote it up.
A couple of isolated severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours of Wednesday, July 1st, 2020, near the City of Charlottesville, Virginia.
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 Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 1, 1:42 PM EST, 43 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC 242 PM EDT Wed Jul 1 2020 .SYNOPSIS... An upper-level low will slowly move offshore from New England tonight through Friday. A weak backdoor boundary may approach the area during the weekend before dissipating early next week as high pressure strengthens over the Atlantic. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Shortwave energy around an upper-level low over New England will pass through our area this afternoon into early this evening while a surface trough remains near central Virginia and southern Maryland. Daytime heating has led to an unstable atmosphere, with most of the instability east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the highest instability over southern MD into the VA Piedmont (latest mesoanalysis shows 1500-2500 J/KG of MLCAPE across these areas). The unstable atmosphere has led to popup showers and thunderstorms, and this will continue into this evening. The most widespread convection is expected over central Virginia into southern Maryland where low-level forcing will be a little stronger near the surface trough, and instability will be highest as well. A few severe storms are possible, with locally damaging winds and large hail being the primary threats. The best chance for a severe storm will be over southern Maryland into central Virginia where instability is highest. A strong to severe storm cannot be ruled out around the I-95 corridor near Washington and Baltimore, but confidence is lower due to less low-level forcing and slightly less instability. Farther northwest, coverage will be more isolated due to even less instability and no forcing. Convection will dissipate after sunset with the loss of daytime heating and subsidence behind departing shortwave energy. Patchy dense fog is possible late tonight with clearing skies and light winds. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... The upper-level low will continue to move offshore while upper- level ridging builds overhead for Thursday through Friday. A warming trend is expected during this time, with highs into the upper 80s to lower 90s Thursday for most areas and the lower to middle 90s for most areas Friday. Most of the time will be dry due to a capping inversion associated with the building upper- level ridge. A weak backdoor cold front may drop into the area late Friday or Friday night, and this may trigger a shower or thunderstorm. However, confidence is low at this time. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... A weak backdoor cold front will stall out nearby Saturday and Sunday, but there will be little in the way of a temperature gradient with any marine air likely staying well off to the northeast. Therefore, more hot and humid conditions are expected with max temps in the lower to middle 90s each day. A weak wind shift from the boundary may be enough to trigger isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours from daytime heating. Forecast confidence in regards to exact location and timing of convection remains low at this time. We will continue to monitor forecast trends as we move closer to the weekend. A southerly flow will develop and bring higher humidity conditions into the region Monday and Tuesday. Threats for showers and thunderstorms will be focused moreso in the mountains and along the Blue Ridge. Highs will linger in the lower 90s. High pressure will be weak to approach on Wednesday. This day may be our drier day as we head into a more unsettled late week and weekend period. && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected into this evening. Brief IFR conditions are possible in convection along with gusty winds. The best chance for a storm will be across DCA, BWI, and CHO. Patchy fog is possible overnight into early Thursday, especially across KMRB and KCHO. VFR conditions are expected for Thursday and Friday along with light north to northwest winds. VFR conditions expected most of the time for Saturday through Monday. A few popup showers and thunderstorms are possible each day, especially during the afternoon and evening hours. Cigs/vsbys could briefly be reduced during times of convection. && .MARINE... Sct-nmrs t-storms are expected into this evening. Storms may produce isolated strong wind gusts that require SMWs. Otherwise, onshore winds will be around 10 kt or less during this time. A north to northwest flow is most likely for Thursday and Friday, and winds should remain below SCA criteria for most of the time. No marine hazards expected Saturday through Monday. Winds generally north 5 to 10 knots through the period. Winds could become gusty in thunderstorms. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... A light onshore flow has caused elevated water levels this afternoon. These levels will continue through tonight before an offshore flow develops for Thursday. Minor flooding is possible for sensitive areas around the preferred high tide late tonight into early Thursday morning. Confidence is too low at this time for advisories, but this will have to be monitored throughout the evening. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...None. MD...None. VA...None. WV...None. MARINE...None. && SYNOPSIS...BJL NEAR TERM...BJL SHORT TERM...BJL LONG TERM...KLW AVIATION...BJL/KLW MARINE...BJL/KLW TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...BJL
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC 258 PM EDT Wed Jul 1 2020 ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ011-013-014-016>018-508-VAZ052>057-021000- Chesapeake Bay north of Pooles Island MD- Chesapeake Bay from Pooles Island to Sandy Point MD- Chesapeake Bay from Sandy Point to North Beach MD- Chesapeake Bay from North Beach to Drum Point MD- Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA- Tidal Potomac from Key Bridge to Indian Head MD- Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD- Tidal Potomac from Cobb Island MD to Smith Point VA- Patapsco River including Baltimore Harbor- Chester River to Queenstown MD-Eastern Bay- Choptank River to Cambridge MD and the Little Choptank River- Patuxent River to Broomes Island MD- Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island-District of Columbia-Southern Baltimore-Prince Georges- Anne Arundel-Charles-St. Marys-Calvert-Southeast Harford- Prince William/Manassas/Manassas Park-Fairfax- Arlington/Falls Church/Alexandria-Stafford-Spotsylvania- King George- 258 PM EDT Wed Jul 1 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay, Tidal Potomac River, and adjacent counties in central Maryland and northern Virginia as well as the District of Columbia. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight A few thunderstorms may be severe this afternoon and evening, with damaging wind gusts and large hail being the primary threats. The best chance for severe storms will be southeast of Interstate 95, including the Tidal Potomac and the Maryland Chesapeake Bay. An isolated instance of flooding is also possible, especially across southern Maryland. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Above normal temperatures will push afternoon heat indices into upper 90s to near 100 degrees Friday through Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Limited spotter activation may be needed this afternoon and evening. Please relay any reports of wind damage, hail, or flooding to the National Weather Service. MDZ003>006-501>507-VAZ025>031-036>040-050-051-501>508-WVZ050>053- 055-501>506-021000- Washington-Frederick MD-Carroll-Northern Baltimore- Extreme Western Allegany-Central and Eastern Allegany- Northwest Montgomery-Central and Southeast Montgomery- Northwest Howard-Central and Southeast Howard-Northwest Harford- Augusta-Rockingham-Shenandoah-Frederick VA-Page-Warren-Clarke- Nelson-Albemarle-Greene-Madison-Rappahannock-Orange-Culpeper- Northern Fauquier-Southern Fauquier-Western Highland- Eastern Highland-Western Loudoun-Eastern Loudoun- Northern Virginia Blue Ridge-Central Virginia Blue Ridge- Hampshire-Morgan-Berkeley-Jefferson-Hardy-Western Grant- Eastern Grant-Western Mineral-Eastern Mineral-Western Pendleton- Eastern Pendleton- 258 PM EDT Wed Jul 1 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for eastern West Virginia, northern and central Virginia, and central and western Maryland with the exception of Garrett County. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Above normal temperatures will push afternoon heat indices into middle to upper 90s Friday through Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
253 PM EDT WED JUL 01 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0120 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 WNW TINTOP HILL 38.33N 76.64W
07/01/2020 ST. MARYS MD TRAINED SPOTTER
LARGE BRANCH (6 INCH DIAMETER) DOWN ON THE 41000 BLOCK
OF BURNT MILL DRIVE.
&&
EVENT NUMBER LWX2001336
ADMThe Sterling radar (KLWX), 131 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:26 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Tree damage was reported near Free Union, including numerous trees which were blown down near the 3900 block of Free Union Road.
Tree damage was reported near the City of Charlottesville, including multiple trees which were blown down near the intersection of Carters Mountain Road and Scottsville Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, July 2020
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: 900376, 900378.