UPDATE 8:30 PM: Isolated severe storms continuing this evening in parts of Southwest Virginia
UPDATE 8:30 PM: The Storm Prediction Center’s updated mesoscale discussion sums up the severe weather situation well — isolated severe storm cells, but ingredients missing for larger scale severe weather. The SPC has dropped its chances of issuing a watch this evening from 80 percent to 40 percent. The strongest storm cells this evening continue to move southeast generally along the Interstate 77 corridor — and some of them have put out some large hail, up to golfball-sized. Other small storm cells have moved east into the New River Valley, but have generally weakened (though new cells have recently developed in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg area). The threat for localized severe weather will continue into the evening, but it does appear at this time that we will not see even a partial repeat of last night’s derecho event. END UPDATE
UPDATE 6:15 PM: Small but intense storms are developing in a scattered fashion, primarily in two areas: Along the Blue Ridge south of Roanoke, and west of Interstate 77 from Wytheville northwest into southern West Virginia. Storms are generally moving east. Thunderstorm warnings have already been issued for Franklin and Bedford counties, among others. Follow the latest on our Radar / Future Cast linked here. END UPDATE
Another extremely hot afternoon (100 once again at Roanoke) has destabilized the atmosphere, and severe storm potential is once again growing for Southwest Virginia as we move through the late afternoon and evening. The Storm Prediction Center has highlighted much of western and central Virginia for a heightened threat of severe storms, and states that there is an 80 percent chance another watch will be issued, with damaging winds once again as the main threat. It is likely, however, that the development of storms will be different than those of Friday’s massive derecho that blasted from the Upper Midwest to the East Coast. For one thing, cumulus clouds are building rapidly very near us (4:15 p.m. satellite photo linked), along the Blue Ridge south of Roanoke, and westward into southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky. Some of these building “towers’ may develop into storms within the next hour or two. It is expected that, in time, some of the storms will connect into one or more storm clusters, perhaps smaller versions of Friday’s lengthy bow echo. We also still need to watch activity in Indiana and Illinois to see if it coalescess and organizes into a storm cluster that could arrive later this evening.
June 30, 2012 - 4:54 PM
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I-77 North backed up miles from the junction of I-81 as usual on a holiday. The bad news is a convoy of power trucks is stuck in the traffic.
Things are now calm here in Christiansburg. I haven’t seen anything on radar that indicate a storm is developing, but I’m sure one is bound to arrive at some point.
If you will pardon the pun, I just hope the storm doesn’t arrive with a roar tonight.
At this point it seems unlikely that we’ll see anything similar to Friday’s storm line. More spotty severe weather locally now, and the storms in Indiana and Illinois just haven’t been organizing like they did yesterday.
That said, it’s no reason to dismiss this evening’s storms. Some could be a very big deal in localized areas.
Lots of damage but none on the lower 40. House is over 80 now . Hope comes on soon
Looking back to the start of the week — it’s hard to believe we thought Tropical Storm Debby might be the big weather deal this week. And it would have been unthinkable that 104-degree heat would take a back seat.
Getting ready to get slammed here in Woodlawn. Crazy lightening,but air so still it is amazing…
Golf all hail here! Garden shredded. Wow. Temp from 88 to 76 in less than 5 mins
DARK SKY WEST OF CBURG MOST LIKELY MOVING INTO ROANOKE NEXT NEAR POOR MTN.
Kevin what exactly could “venks.ry big deal” mean? Winds? Rain? Tornadoes? Thanks.
Andy
“very big deal” (I think that’s what you referred to, Andy — a couple of typo characters in there) that I referred to would mean localized large hail and wind damage. Already getting several large hail reports in Tazewell and Carroll counties, among others, to south and west.
Thunder all around – no rain yet up here near the Doppler. Yes, gorgeous sunset – Wow! Really red sky.
ANOTHER TORNADO WARNING FOR RICHMOND AT 8:00 PM Here we go again.
This one is just hit the Mechanicsville and New Kent areas and confirmed on the ground by law enforcement.
Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.
GETTING IT NOW IN CBURG INTENSE LIGHTING AND RAIN
The cell Arthur has been watching is now near Shawsville and may affect Bent Mountain and parts of southern Roanoke County/northern Floyd/northern Franklin counties in the next 30-60 minutes.
Yes, that’s what I meant. Sorry about the typo. And thanks a lot for your answer Kevin.
That storm just south of Roanoke I mentioned at 8:53 p.m. now carries a severe thunderstorm warning.
Thundering in Rocky Mount!
Another scorcher here in far SW VA. Was in the hayfield from 10 am until 8 pm. Not a very smart move but we got done and there may be no more hay unless the rains come. It was 97 again on my porch today and Tri-Cities airport hit an all time record high of 103. The old record was 102. Also, they had never hit 100 in June since they started keeping records in 1944. No storms in our area but I said last night we had no damage but there were quite a few limbs and small trees down and some without power but nothing like it was up the 81 corider and across central VA.
Thundering, lightning, hailing, and raining in Rocky Mount! This is crazy weather!
Nancy called out to me to get the dog out quickly, she can see all sorts of lightning from our screen porch out back (facing NE). I looked at radar and it shows nada. Then I took a look outside, and there is lots of what we used to call “heat lightning.” What is the official phrase for that, WW? “Cloud to cloud” lightning? Very windy out there too, and still HOT … 89*.
Rick, where are ye? It sure looked like your town got hit earlier this evening … “enter and sign in, please.” {For those of you under age 51, that was a phrase from a game show called “What’s My Line”}
The local weather has been so pressing I haven’t really had a chance to mention the amazing heat records set in several southern states. 109 in Nashville and in Charleston SC on Friday. 106, all-time record, in Atlanta today. Many, many more.
Similar to Friday’s adjustment from 103 to 104 for Roanoke, it appears based on the automated readings that today’s high will be adjusted upward from 101 to 102.
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/data/obhistory/KROA.html
Comment to the blog: BRING BACK THE “BORING” WEATHER OF LATE MAY AND FIRST 20 DAYS OF JUNE!!! Dream on, COLC.
Reply to Ron Brizendine’s comment at 8:25 on the previous thread …. based on what I saw earlier today in Roanoke City, I bet Craig County is a mess, especially the eastern half of the county. But maybe the brunt of the damage was a bit further east, through Alleghany and Botetourt Counties.
The way a derecho works like Friday night, it’s hard to find an area that is the brunt of damage. Instead, it’s more like there a few areas that seem to have had a relative lack of damage (I seem to live in one such area), and everybody else was in the brunt.
We had vivid lightning with the storm that passed through around 8:30 pm and very little rain. We have been watering the garden and flowers; the hot dry wind is taking the moisture right out of the ground.
Watching cheesy movie “the Day After Tommorow”…fires,floods,tornados and crazy weather. Kinda appropriate .
Lost power last night at around 10:00,Power was off all day.Finally power came back on tonight at 8:00.Temps today were not as hot as yesterday!Hit about 92 today in Marshall,yeaterday was around 100.Hope everyone`s power is back on real soon!I can`t wait till October,and cooler Temps!
Looks like one good large cell with tops above 50000ft
blossomed up around Christiansburg or so and crossed the ridge
into Franklin County..looks like a good downpour with that one
..looks like most of the rest moved from around Pulaski
ESE crossing the NC line south of Danville…
Hopefully you folks get cooled off.
These storms that keep redeveloping in Franklin Co are really getting on my nerves. Move along already. Hail in all storm events, pea size fortunately – sounds like some had much larger – and now up to about 1/2″ of rain.
Small hail,pea sized in storm that just went through here.Two hailstorms within 4 hours…I have gotten almost .5 inch of rain too! No watering whatever plants I have left after the hail tomorrow!!
I kept thinking about this earlier and meant to ask; what constitutes a severe outbreak? Day after day the SPC highlights us for severe weather and day after day we seem to be under the gun. Could this event go in the books as a days long outbreak event or will the derecho overshadow it all?
Either way I’m totally ready for it to be over.
Sure tossed worrying about whether or not your heat pump can handle 100+ temps/how high your electric bill’s going to be out the window.
The derecho itself would be considered an outbreak of severe weather, considering how many reports there were. Today’s storms probably wouldn’t have been widespread enough to warrant an “outbreak” designation — though that doesn’t mean they haven’t been particularly problematic for your location, Amanda. To make it 1 outbreak, there would have be more severe weather reports in between the derecho and this afternoon’s storms. There are some specific definitions out there, but this gives you the general idea. Just consider it an especially stormy period at your house, Amanda.
Returned from a week in the Luray area this evening and saw the random damage all along I-81. Much of Harrisonburg was without power. I noted a swath of sheared-off trees at MM126 on I-81 on the northbound side. Big poplar branch in my yard and more nearby but my neighborhood apparently escaped the power loss – most of the lines are underground.