Strong Wind — Loudoun, Virginia

2007-02-14 · Loudoun, Virginia

Event narrative

The Washington Post reported that a 15 year old girl in Bluemont, VA., was killed when a strong wind gust sent portions of a large old tree fell. Wind gusts around the region ranged from 20 to 25 mph with gusts as high as 35 mph.

Wider weather episode

A low pressure system moved out of the Southern Plains and strengthened off the southeast coast February 12th through 14th, bringing accumulating wintry precipitation to much of northern Virginia beginning during the afternoon and evening hours of February 12th and continued through the early morning hours of February 14th. The heaviest precipitation occurred February 13th as the low pressure system intensified off the coast.

Snow and sleet accumulations ranged from 1 to 7 inches and ice accumulations ranged from a tenth to three quarters of an inch. This mix of sleet, snow and freezing rain created a very hard and thick layer of ice. Many snow plows were not equipped to handle such heavy precipitation, leading to longer wait times for roadways and sidewalks to be cleared. Icy road conditions lead to dozens of car accidents across the region. Schools were closed for much of the week. Several restaurants and florists reported reduced Valentines' Day sales due to the hazardous road conditions.

The Washington Post reported that a 15 year old girl in Bluemont, VA., was killed when a strong wind gust sent portions of a large old tree fell. Wind gusts around the region ranged from 20 to 25 mph with gusts as high as 35 mph.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 16426. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.