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 >
000 NOUS41 KLWX 062052 PNSLWX DCZ001-MDZ003>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-501-502-VAZ021-025>031-036> 042-050>057-WVZ050>055-501>504-062300- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 450 PM EDT FRI JUN 6 2008 ...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF JUNE 4 EXTREME WEATHER EVENT CONTINUED... ...UPDATE FOR STAFFORD...FAUQUIER AND CULPEPER COUNTIES... A SURVEY TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA CONDUCTED A DAMAGE SURVEY OF PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA THAT INCLUDED STAFFORD...FAUQUIER AND CULPEPER COUNTIES ON THUR JUNE 5TH. IN STAFFORD COUNTY...THE SURVEY CONCLUDED THAT AN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY AROUND 735 PM EDT THAT LASTED FOR 2 MINUTES IN SOUTHERN STAFFORD COUNTY ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTH OF RAMOUTH. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 95 MPH. PATH LENGTH WAS 1.5 MILES AND WAS 50 TO 100 YARDS WIDE. THE STORM IMPACTED THE COMMUNITY OF WOODS OF ABEL LAKE LOCATED ON THE SOUTH END OF ABEL RESERVOIR. DAMAGE WAS CONFINED MAINLY TO TREE DAMAGE. NO STRUCTURES APPEARED DAMAGED BY THIS TORNADO. THE TORNADO INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 400 YARDS SOUTHWEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF HULLS CHAPEL RD...RT 653...AND MOOREWOOD LANE. NUMEROUS TREES WERE TOPPED OR UPROOTED IN THIS AREA...INCLUDING ON LAKEBREEZE WAY. THE TORNADO LIFTED NEAR MOUNTAIN VIEW RD AND OAKENWALD LANE...BUT NOT BEFORE KNOCKING DOWN SEVERAL LARGE HARDWOOD TREES. IRONICALLY...THE TORNADO THAT HIT NEAR ABEL RESERVOIR APPEARS TO HAVE CROSSED THE PATH OF THE EF-2 TORNADO THAT STRUCK THE ENGLAND RUN AREA OF STAFFORD COUNTY THE NIGHT OF 08 MAY 2008. ANOTHER AREA OF STORM DAMAGE WAS SURVEYED. THIS AREA EXTENDED FROM EAST OF THE CITY OF CULPEPER VIRGINIA TO JUST WEST OF THE CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG AND ENCOMPASSED THE COUNTIES OF CULPEPER...FAUQUIER AND STAFFORD. THE DAMAGE OBSERVED WAS IN THE FORM OF LARGE TREE LIMBS STRIPPED OFF TREES...AND SMALL DIAMETER TREES SNAPPED OFF. IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS. THESE WINDS WERE PRODUCED FROM A BOW ECHO MOVING EAST AT NEARLY 60 MPH AND ESTIMATED TO BE PRODUCING SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH. SCATTERED TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED EXTENDING FROM CULPEPER TO JUST WEST OF FREDERICKSBURG. HOWEVER...EMBEDDED WITHIN THIS MAIN DAMAGE AREA...TWO AREAS OF MORE CONCENTRATED TREE DAMAGE WERE FOUND. THE DAMAGE IN BOTH THESE NON- CONTINUOUS AREAS WAS CONSISTENT WITH HIGHER WINDS UPWARDS OF 95 MPH. THE SURVEY TEAM CONCLUDED AN EF-1 TORNADO OCCURRED TWICE ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE BOW ECHO JUST NORTH OF THE APEX OF THE BOW. THESE TORNADOES CAUSED THE MORE SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE IN THE FORM OF LARGE 2 TO 3 FOOT DIAMETER TREES SNAPPED OFF MID-WAY AND LARGE 2 TO 4 FT DIAMETER UPROOTED TREES. THE FIRST TORNADO PATH STARTED AROUND 715 PM EDT AT STEVENSBURG THEN TRAVELED A SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE LIFTING NEAR LIGNUM IN EASTERN CULPEPER COUNTY AT 721 PM. TOTAL PATH LENGTH WAS ABOUT 4 MILES...AND ABOUT 150 YARDS WIDE WITH MAX WINDS OF 95 MPH. EAST OF LIGNMUM TREE DAMAGE WAS MUCH LESS SEVERE. A FEW MILES FURTHER EAST...ANOTHER CONCENTRATED CORRIDOR OF DAMAGE WAS FOUND. THIS WAS CAUSED BY AN EF-1 TORNADO THAT FORMED AT 727 PM EDT AFTER THE BOW ECHO HAD CROSSED THE RAPIDAN RIVER INTO THE SUMMERDUCK AND GOLDVEIN AREAS IN SOUTHERN FAUQUIER COUNTY. IT TRAVELED EAST BEFORE LIFTING NEAR HARTWOOD IN NORTHWEST STAFFORD COUNTY AROUND 735 PM. TOTAL PATH LENGTH OF THIS SECOND TORNADO WAS ABOUT 8 MILES...AND WAS 100 YARDS WIDE WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 95 MPH. DURING TRAVELS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE NORTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA AREA... SCATTERED TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED...BUT NOT CONCENTRATED EXCEPT IN THE AREAS NOTED ABOVE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE THANKS THE MEMBERS OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF THE COUNTIES SURVEYED FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE. $$ SMZ