National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Mountain Snow and Heavy Winds in the Northwest; Fire Weather Conditions in California; Tropical Storm Rafael

A storm system is bringing strong winds and heavy mountain snow to the Cascades into the Northern Rockies. Santa Ana winds and dry conditions will support elevated to critical fire weather over coastal portions of California. Snow, strong winds, blizzard conditions, and high seas are impacting Southwestern Alaska. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the Florida Keys from Tropical Storm Rafael. Read More >

...EF-0 TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR BEALETON VIRGINIA...

LOCATION...3 MI SE OF BEALETON TO CALVERTON IN FAUQUIER COUNTY VIRGINIA 
DATE...OCTOBER 13 2011 
ESTIMATED TIME...4:58 PM TO 5:11 PM EDT
MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF-0
MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...75 MPH 
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...75 YARDS 
LENGTH...6.3 MILES
BEGINNING LAT/LON...38.549N / 77.723W
ENDING LAT/LON...38.629N / 77.679W
* FATALITIES...NONE
* INJURIES...NONE

* THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO 
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT/S/ AND PUBLICATION IN NWS 
STORM DATA.

...SUMMARY...

JUST SOUTHEAST OF BEALETON...A RETIRED PILOT REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD 
BETWEEN MORGANSBURG AND MARSH ROADS JUST PRIOR TO 500 PM. NO DAMAGE 
WAS OBSERVED AT THIS TIME IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE FUNNEL CLOUD. 
INITIAL SPOTTY TREE DAMAGE WAS FOUND NEAR AND SOUTH OF THE KASTLE 
GREENS GOLF COURSE. NEAR THIS LOCATION ON ROGUES ROAD...A RESIDENT 
REPORTED DAMAGE TO TREES AND A BOAT ON HIS PROPERTY. A NEIGHBOR 
OBSERVED A FUNNEL CLOUD AT THE TIME OF THE DAMAGE.

THE CIRCULATION THEN CONTINUED A NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD TRACK TOWARD 
THE WARRENTON-FAUQUIER AIRPORT. SPOTTY TREE DAMAGE WAS FOUND ALONG 
EBENEZER CHURCH ROAD...MAINLY IN THE FORM OF SNAPPED LARGE LIMBS.

DAMAGE OCCURRED TO A FARM LOCATED OFF MIDLAND RD NEAR OLD WINDWRIGHT 
LANE...ABOUT 2 MILES SE OF MIDLAND. THE METAL ROOF COVERING ON THE 
REAR OF A FARMHOUSE WAS PEELED OFF AND WAS LATER FOUND IN A FIELD 
200 YARDS NORTHWEST OF THE HOUSE. A RESIDENT INSIDE THE HOUSE 
WITNESSED THE ROOF SECTION LIFT VERTICALLY UP AND AWAY. A BARN WAS 
FLATTENED ON THE PROPERTY...AND ANOTHER SMALLER BARN HAD SUBSTANTIAL 
DAMAGE. TWO HEAD OF CATTLE WERE INJURED AND HAD TO BE PUT DOWN. 
ABOUT A DOZEN TREES AROUND THE PROPERTY WERE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED.

ONE-HALF MILE FARTHER NORTHEAST...A PORCH WAS BLOWN OFF OF A 
RESIDENCE AT THE END OF LONGSTALK LANE. NUMEROUS HARDWOOD AND 
SOFTWOOD TREES WERE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED NEAR THIS RESIDENCE.

ALTHOUGH DAMAGE BECAME SPOTTY NORTHEAST OF LONGSTALK LANE AND 
GENERALLY WAS CONFINED TO A FEW LARGE LIMBS...POCKETS OF MORE 
FOCUSED DAMAGE WERE FOUND WEST OF EUSTACE ROAD AND SOUTH OF CATLETT 
ROAD /STATE ROUTE 28/...WHERE APPROXIMATELY 30 TREES WERE SNAPPED OR 
UPROOTED ALONG LICKING RUN AND A HAY SHED ROOF WAS DAMAGED.

A NARROW PATH OF DAMAGE WAS DOCUMENTED ON THE GROUNDS OF A HIGH 
SCHOOL ON CATLETT RD IN CALVERTON...WHERE A HALF DOZEN SOFTWOOD PINE 
TREES WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED. AT THIS POINT THE DAMAGE PATH ENDED. 
THIS TORNADO HAS BEEN RATED EF-0 WITH MAXIMUM WINDS ESTIMATED AT 75  
MPH.