A nearly stationary front positioned across southwest Virginia, combined with high instability, led the formation of scattered afternoon severe thunderstorms. Some of these storms produced damaging winds and large hail.
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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.
A nearly stationary front positioned across southwest Virginia, combined with high instability, led the formation of scattered afternoon severe thunderstorms. Some of these storms produced damaging winds and large 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 Jul 16, 9:13 AM EST, 3 hours 1 minute earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 1013 AM EDT Sat Jul 16 2022 .SYNOPSIS... Low pressure over the Mid Mississippi Valley will slowly track along a wavy front that extends into the Mid Atlantic region through Monday. This will continue the daily chance of showers and thunderstorms through early next week. Temperatures will remain near normal. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 1010 AM EDT Saturday... Not much changes to previous forecast. A few showers popping across the central VA piedmont north into the Shenandoah Valley. As shortwave over the Ohio Valley moves closer this afternoon, expect a few more storms to fire up especially along/east of the Blue Ridge. Little to no shear and weak flow will likely bring threat of torrential downpours/localized flooding. Severe threat is low, but cannot rule out a wet microburst in the piedmont. Previous discussion... More numerous thunderstorms this afternoon. Short wave over the Ohio Valley will move east and cross the Mid Atlantic region today and tonight. Lift will be enhanced by upper diffluence and Convective Available Potential Energy will be in the 2000-2500 J/KG range thanks in part to slight cooling aloft during the time of maximum heating. The amount of clouds may offset some heating but CAM show two areas of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. The first tracks from central West Virginia east in northeast Virginia and the second develops near the southern Blue Ridge and foothills and tracks across southern Virginia and northern North Carolina. A majority of the storms will be from 18Z/2PM to 00Z/8PM but models show the precipitation along the Virginia/North Carolina border lingering until at least 03Z/11PM. The air mass has not changed much over the past few days and today will be no exception. Combination of persistence and NBM guidance will again give reasonable forecast for both highs today and lows tonight. Surface dew points in the Virginia and North Carolina piedmont will be around 70 and precipitable water values are close to 2.0 inches by the end of the day. Similar to Friday, storm motion will be slow, so localized flooding is a threat, especially in any locations that have multiple rounds of rain or in urban areas. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 315 AM EDT Friday... Shower and storm chances increase to start the week... An upper level trough continues its trek eastward toward the Mid Atlantic from the Midwest. The trough digs deeper into the Southern US during the beginning of the work week. The surface cold front associated with the trough approaches the area Monday into Tuesday. This system will provide some synoptic scale lift, and with south/southeasterly flow from the surface high pressure spinning offshore in the Atlantic feeding moisture into the area, chances of showers and storms increase on Monday. Highest chances at this time look to be along and west of the Blue Ridge during this forecast period. As the front approaches, cloud cover will increase. This will also hold daytime temperatures down a few degrees in the mountains, from the mid to upper 70s. The Piedmont will likely still see high temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. Forecast confidence is average. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 315 AM EDT... Daily threat of storms through next week in a typical mid-July pattern. Large ridging remains anchored over the southwest CONUS with weak troughing over the east. Embedded within the troughing a shortwave from the Northern Plains will approach and cross north of the area on Wednesday with a front extending south. This feature and front will enhance rain and storm chances for Wednesday and Thursday. Ridging over the southwest begins to build eastward towards the end of next week so above normal temperatures are starting to look more likely. All in all, typical mid to late July weather with diurnal storms with a slight uptick with the front Thursday, then models are showing a brief dry/lower humidity spell to close out the week. && .AVIATION /14Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 640 AM EDT Saturday... A short wave moving east out of the Ohio Valley today will bring scattered light showers to the central Appalachians this morning with VFR ceilings and visibilities. This afternoon MVFR thunderstorms will develop ahead of this feature in central and eastern Virginia. Some of the more intense storms may produce very strong to damaging wind. In addition MVFR thunderstorms will also develop later this afternoon in the mountains and foothills of southwest Virginia and northern North Carolina and move slowly east across the region. The most likely locations for thunderstorms north of Route 460 will be from 16Z/noon to 00Z/8PM and the most likely timing of storms south of 460 will be from 18Z/2PM through 03Z/11PM. Locations that have rainfall today have a better probability of developing MVFR to IFR fog late tonight. Average confidence for ceiling, visibility and wind. Average confidence for timing and location of thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Extended Aviation Discussion... A moist southerly flow should increase during Sunday and into early next week as a cold front approaches from the Ohio River Valley. Each day will have afternoon and evening MVFR thunderstorms, but areal coverage will peak Monday and Tuesday as the cold front passes overhead. By Wednesday, showers and thunderstorms will be more isolated in coverage. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...None. NC...None. WV...None. && SYNOPSIS...AMS NEAR TERM...AMS/WP SHORT TERM...AS LONG TERM...BMG AVIATION...AMS/AS
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 526 AM EDT Sat Jul 16 2022 VAZ035-045>047-058-059-170930- Amherst-Campbell-Appomattox-Buckingham-Halifax-Charlotte- 526 AM EDT Sat Jul 16 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Virginia and south central Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening. The primary threat is damaging wind. Slow moving storms combined with heavy rainfall rates may produce localized flooding this afternoon and evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. The daily threat for afternoon and evening thunderstorms continues Sunday and Monday. Any of the stronger storms may produce heavy rainfall rates that may result in localized flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. NCZ003>006-019-020-VAZ011-013-014-016>020-022>024-032>034-043-044- WVZ044-507-508-170930- Surry-Stokes-Rockingham-Caswell-Wilkes-Yadkin-Giles-Pulaski- Montgomery-Carroll-Floyd-Craig-Alleghany VA-Bath-Roanoke-Botetourt- Rockbridge-Patrick-Franklin-Bedford-Henry-Pittsylvania-Monroe- Eastern Greenbrier-Western Greenbrier- 526 AM EDT Sat Jul 16 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central North Carolina, northwest North Carolina, south central Virginia, southwest Virginia, west central Virginia and southeast West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Slow moving storms combined with heavy rainfall rates may produce localized flooding this afternoon and evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. On Sunday strong to severe storms are possible. The primary threat is damaging wind. The daily threat for afternoon and evening thunderstorms continues on Monday. Any of the stronger storms may produce heavy rainfall rates that may result in localized flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. NCZ001-002-018-VAZ007-009-010-012-015-WVZ042-043-170930- Ashe-Alleghany NC-Watauga-Tazewell-Smyth-Bland-Wythe-Grayson-Mercer- Summers- 526 AM EDT Sat Jul 16 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest North Carolina, southwest Virginia and southeast West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. The daily threat for afternoon and evening thunderstorms continues Sunday and Monday. Any of the stronger storms may produce heavy rainfall rates that may result in localized flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:12 UTC.
11 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
One tree was blown down along Cedar Tree Road by thunderstorm winds.
One tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds on Railroad Lane.
Multiple trees and power lines were blown down by thunderstorm winds along Tabor Road.
Multiple trees and power lines were blown down by thunderstorm winds along Wyatt Miles Road.
Multiple trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds along Kings Cross Road.
Two trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds.
One tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds along the 1000 block of Piney Grove Road.
Two trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds.
One tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds along the 1000 block of Story's Creek Road.
One tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds along Owen Walker Road.
A few powerlines were blown down by thunderstorm winds in the area of South Boston.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, July 2022
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: 1046657, 1046656, 1046654, 1046655, 1046658, 1046659, 1046661, 1047523, 1046660, 1047524, 1047526, 1047531.