Thunderstorm Wind in Covington (c) County, Virginia

The City of Covington Fire and Rescue Department reported that several trees were down across the city, some of which fell on homes and power lines. Some homes in Covington also reported losing shingles from the strong winds.

An unseasonably strong cold front was moving into the region from the west supported by a full latitude upper trough. The air mass behind the cold front was very cold for late April as temperatures plummeted into the 30s the next morning. Although dynamics associated with the cold front and upper trough were strong, surface moisture was limited. Nonetheless, a narrow line of strong to severe thunderstorms formed just ahead of the front during the late afternoon. The storms downed trees in a few counties of Southwest Virginia and within the City of Covington in West Central Virginia. Penny-sized hail was also observed in Galax in Southwest Virginia. All of the events took place within a one-hour time frame.