High Wind — Central Virginia Blue Ridge, Virginia

2024-03-20 · Central Virginia Blue Ridge, Virginia

Event narrative

A mesonet 4 miles NW of Wintergreen measured a peak wind gust of 68 mph at 1249 LST (149 PM EDT).

Wider weather episode

Strong westerly downslope winds developed in the early to mid afternoon on March 20. This event occurred as a pressure trough moved across the Potomac Highlands and Shenandoah Valley during peak heating, with the resulting deep mixing bringing strong winds and very dry air from aloft down to the surface. This was a rare high wind event that reached the valley floor in the Shenandoah Valley. The extremely low relative humidity values and high winds fueled numerous wildfires across the entire region.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1166492. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.