The passage of a strong cold front resulted in strong and gusty post-frontal winds across the mountains of southwest Virginia.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The passage of a strong cold front resulted in strong and gusty post-frontal winds across the mountains of southwest 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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 25, 12:59 PM EST, 46 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 159 PM EDT Sat Mar 25 2023 .SYNOPSIS... A cold front will slowly push through our area early this evening bringing gusty winds. High pressure settling in tonight and Sunday will bring dry conditions and lighter winds. The dry weather will be short-lived as complex storm system approaching will generate more rain showers Sunday night into early Monday. Temperatures for most of the next work week will be near to above normal. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... Wind advisory expanded to include Mercer County... At 18Z a wedge of cooler air and low clouds persisted across much of the Virginia piedmont and into the Roanoke Valley, but visible satellite imagery shows this area slowly eroding, which should allow temperatures to quickly rebound late this afternoon. Strong west to southwest winds in advance of a cold front across WV into far southwest VA into extreme NE TN will continue to press east, and wind gusts have been close to or at advisory criteria in some higher elevation locations. Based on observations at KBLF, expanded the wind advisory to include Mercer County. These winds will gradually subside this evening as the core of strongest pressure rises and low level jet axis associated with the upper level low in southern MI lifts north. A few showers may still form, especially in the east, as the front moves through this evening, but with the deeper moisture now well to our east, coverage will be very limited. As the upper level low lifts northeast on Sunday, a deep west flow develops allowing dry weather, but weak upper level systems moving through this west/southwest flow to our south will bring some mid and high level clouds, especially in the southeast. With lower 1000-850mb thicknesses expected, highs will be slightly cooler (where clearing occured), but still above normal. Leaned toward the lower dew point guidance tomorrow with the deep west flow. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... As of 140 PM EDT Saturday... Confidence is moderate for a chance of showers throughout this forecast period due to two weak waves of low pressure. The flow aloft will remain nearly zonal throughout the early part of the week. Two weak shortwave disturbances will track across the Ohio River Valley into the Mid Atlantic, and each one should spark a weak wave of low pressure that will bring clouds and a chance of showers. The first wave should arrive on Monday, which will draw moisture northward during Sunday night into Monday morning. The rain chances should temporarily lessen by Monday evening, but the next wave of low pressure should enter on Tuesday for another chance of showers. Colder air will follow behind the second wave of low pressure by Tuesday night as the flow from the northwest accelerates. Upslope snow showers or flurries across are possible in the higher elevations of southeast West Virginia before the moisture vanishes. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 140 PM EDT Saturday... Confidence is moderate for high pressure building across the Mid Atlantic on Thursday, but rain may return to end the week. As low pressure heads offshore on Wednesday, high pressure will build across the Great Lakes and reach the Appalachian Mountains by Thursday. Good radiational cooling from light winds and clear skies on Thursday morning could lead to a chance of frost east of the Blue Ridge. It will be monitored now that the 2023 growing season has begun across the North Carolina and Virginia Piedmont along with the southern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Warmer air will return later in the week as an upper level ridge builds overhead and surface high pressure heads offshore. The next chance of rain may come during Friday into Saturday from an approaching low pressure system. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 130 PM EDT Saturday... Stubborn LIFR ceilings at KLYH and KROA are expected to finally erode between 18-21Z leaving VFR conditions at all TAF sites by late this afternoon. Strong west winds, gusting to 35 knots in the mountains, will only gradually diminish tonight. As high pressure settles into the area tonight and Sunday, VFR conditions with winds at or below 10 knots is expected. The exception will be at KBLF where a briefing period of MVFR ceilings are possible tonight/early Sunday thanks to an upslope flow. These MVFR ceiling could develop at KLWB, but confidence is low. Confidence in the wind forecast is high, ceiling forecast moderate. .Extended Aviation Outlook... An area of low pressure could arrive during Sunday night to provide a chance of rain and sub-VFR ceilings through Monday and Tuesday. Afterward, high pressure will build across the Mid Atlantic by Wednesday to provide good flying weather. Moisture will return to our area Thursday into Thursday night with chance for sub-VFR showers. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...Wind Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for VAZ007-009-015. NC...Wind Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for NCZ001-002-018. WV...Wind Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for WVZ042. && SYNOPSIS...PH NEAR TERM...PH SHORT TERM...VFJ LONG TERM...VFJ AVIATION...PH
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Blacksburg VA 203 PM EDT Sat Mar 25 2023 NCZ001-002-018-VAZ007-009-015-WVZ042-260900- Ashe-Alleghany NC-Watauga-Tazewell-Smyth-Grayson-Mercer- 203 PM EDT Sat Mar 25 2023 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest North Carolina, southwest Virginia and southeast West Virginia. .DAY ONE...This afternoon 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...Sunday through Friday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. NCZ003>006-019-020-VAZ010>014-016>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058- 059-WVZ043-044-507-508-260900- Surry-Stokes-Rockingham-Caswell-Wilkes-Yadkin-Bland-Giles-Wythe- Pulaski-Montgomery-Carroll-Floyd-Craig-Alleghany VA-Bath-Roanoke- Botetourt-Rockbridge-Patrick-Franklin-Bedford-Amherst-Henry- Pittsylvania-Campbell-Appomattox-Buckingham-Halifax-Charlotte- Summers-Monroe-Eastern Greenbrier-Western Greenbrier- 203 PM EDT Sat Mar 25 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central North Carolina, northwest North Carolina, central Virginia, south central Virginia, southwest Virginia, west central Virginia and southeast West Virginia. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A mesonet site at Burkes Garden measured a wind gust of 62 MPH.
A mesonet site near four miles west of Rugby measured a wind gust of 61 MPH.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, March 2023
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: 1090664, 1087945.