A cold front trekking through the Ohio Valley on September 21st resulted in two instances of strong thunderstorms across West Virginia. The first storm that entered into Tyler County on that afternoon resulted in damaging winds as the direct result of a microburst.
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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 RLX wrote it up.
A cold front trekking through the Ohio Valley on September 21st resulted in two instances of strong thunderstorms across West Virginia. The first storm that entered into Tyler County on that afternoon resulted in damaging winds as the direct result of a microburst. This contributed to significant roof and tree damage along a street within the town of Sistersville. Another storm toppled down a single tree in Lewis County. Otherwise, radar activity proved to be weak and did not cause any other storm damage in the state. An excessive amount of moisture accompanying the front also yielded bursts of heavy rainfall. A member of the public recorded 1.45 inches of rain had fallen at their home near Hacker Valley in Webster County. However, with the historic drought ongoing in West Virginia, the ground was able to soak up the rain and did not lead to any reports of flash flooding.
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 Sep 21, 12:24 PM EST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Charleston WV 124 PM EDT Sat Sep 21 2024 .SYNOPSIS... The weekend opens up with a cold front that may produce a few afternoon showers along the mountains. Drying out for the remainder of the weekend, growing unsettled next week. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 121 PM Saturday... A cold front is currently tracking eastward over southeast Ohio at the time of this writing, and is expected to pass through our region this evening. Ahead of the front will be isolated showers and thunderstorms, with a marginal chance of severe thunderstorms over the northern WV mountains. This area is just downstream of a 500-mb vort. max. In addition, 0-6km bulk shear and instability are slightly more favorable over the northern mountains. The main threats of any stronger storms in this area would be isolated damaging wind gusts and large hail. In the wake of the frontal passage overnight, patchy dense fog will develop in the river valleys, especially in places where the ground is moist from rainfall today. The hot and dry weather will return Sunday as a ridge moves back over the middle Ohio Valley. There will be another concern for increased fire danger across the WV lowlands and southeast Ohio. Afternoon minimum RH values are expected to drop to 30-40% Sunday afternoon. We will re-evaluate the fire threat early Sunday morning as new data comes in to see if an SPS may be warranted. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... As of 1230 PM Friday... Ridging will begin to flatten and pivot east of our area at the beginning of the period as a cold front pushes east into the Ohio Valley. Low pressure associated with the warm frontal boundary will bring the potential for showers/storms starting late Sunday night into Monday and Monday night. High temperatures Monday will be in the low to mid 80's across the lowlands and as low as the low 60's across the mountains with high humidity as moisture plume advects into the region from the south. The system should provide some much needed rain for the area as we continue to experience extreme drought. Rainfall amounts should generally be under an inch per WPC QPF but isolated higher totals are possible across the higher elevations to the east and any areas that see repeated or heavier rainfall associated with thunderstorms. There is also a very small risk for excessive rainfall, mainly along and northwest of the Ohio River in our Ohio counties, which with our drought conditions would seem to be merely beneficial. SPC highlights no risk area for severe weather at this time but there is a marginal to the west of our area that has been matriculating eastward and could include western portions of the CWA in the future, especially with instability trending upward (SBCAPE 1000-1500 J/kg) and increased bulk shear around 35kts for Monday per 12Z GFS and Euro so it will be something to keep an eye on as we inch closer to Monday. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 1230 PM Friday... Low pressure and associated cold front will be approaching the area at the beginning of this period sometime Tuesday, bringing additional chances for some showers/storms. Forcing will be increased with this feature and as such an increase in the potential for showers and storms Tuesday compared to Monday. Instability appears to also be around the same, perhaps a little higher in our western lowlands compared to Monday, but it is still a little ways out and any antecedent cloud cover or ongoing precipitation would potentially hinder greater instability. Still something that should be watched as the system approaches early this week but overall dynamics aren't that supportive outside of some instability. QPF for Tuesday through early Thursday seems to be trending upwards, especially across the lowlands where the Euro now places most of the coal fields in a swath of around 2" of rain but the GFS keeps rainfall totals at around .5-1.25" across most of the area which either way would provide much needed precipitation for our drought stricken county warning area. I will note, however, that the WPC has most of the area under a marginal risk for excessive rainfall for Tuesday and also has us at around the .5-1.25" range, so we will need to keep an eye on the trends as the weekend progresses but with the ongoing extreme drought, it seems that the risk for flooding would be minimal at best. Precipitation chances should end rapidly from west to east by Thursday morning, but some lingering showers are possible across the mountains. Some models indicate moisture will continue to linger over the area through the weekend but the probability of that seems low. Temperatures will be a little milder after the front moves through but still in the low 80's across the lowlands to mid 70's in the mountains for most locations with mainly pleasant weather for the remainder of the period through Saturday as ridging once again builds back into the region. && .AVIATION /17Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 109 PM Saturday... Flight conditions remain VFR this afternoon with a cold front slowly tracking into the area from southeast Ohio. This cold front will produce isolated showers and thunderstorms this afternoon into early evening, which can briefly reduce flight conditions to IFR in any downpours. Expect mainly VFR conditions to begin the evening, but patchy river valley fog is expected to develop early Sunday morning, mainly between 06-12Z. Flight conditions are expected to drop to IFR/LIFR during this time, as noted in the latest 18Z TAF package. Areas that recorded rainfall today will be the most likely to see dense fog overnight. Any fog should dissipate by 13-14Z Sunday morning with VFR returning for the rest of the day. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Timing and location of overnight fog will 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 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 00 01 02 03 04 EDT 1HRLY 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 00 CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H HTS CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H BKW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H EKN CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H CKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H AFTER 18Z SUNDAY... IFR conditions possible Sunday morning with river valley fog in the mountains and down into the central lowlands. Brief IFR possible in any showers and thunderstorms Monday afternoon through early Wednesday morning. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...None. OH...None. KY...None. VA...None. && SYNOPSIS...28/RPY/JMC NEAR TERM...JMC SHORT TERM...28/RPY LONG TERM...28/RPY AVIATION...JMC
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Charleston WV 336 AM EDT Sat Sep 21 2024 WVZ032-040-523>526-220745- Taylor-Barbour-Northwest Pocahontas-Southeast Pocahontas- Northwest Randolph-Southeast Randolph- 336 AM EDT Sat Sep 21 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central, northeast and northern West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible this afternoon. Main concerns with stronger storms will be damaging wind gusts and hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011- 013>020-024>031-033-034-039-515>522-220745- Greenup-Carter-Boyd-Lawrence KY-Perry-Morgan-Athens-Washington- 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-McDowell-Wyoming-Upshur-Northwest Raleigh- Southeast Raleigh-Northwest Fayette-Southeast Fayette- Northwest Nicholas-Southeast Nicholas-Northwest Webster- Southeast Webster- 336 AM EDT Sat Sep 21 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Kentucky, southeast Ohio, southwest Virginia and much of West Virginia. .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 Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 126 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:46 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Significant roof and tree damage was observed along Riverside Drive in the town of Sistersville.
One tree was blown down on Johnathan Run Road outside of Rock Cave.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, September 2024
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: 1216406, 1216408.