April 27-28, 2011 Severe Weather

Active Weather for the West, Warming in the East

The potential for heavy snow at higher elevations in the western U.S. will continue for many spots through the weekend. In the meantime, the eastern half of the continental U.S. will transition to above normal temperatures ahead of a pair of cold fronts next week that will bring readings back to closer to normal as we approach Thanksgiving Day. Read More >

...EF-0 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN RESTON VIRGINIA... LOCATION...RESTON IN FAIRFAX COUNTY VIRGINIA DATE...APRIL 27 2011 ESTIMATED TIME...11:25 PM TO 11:28 PM EDT MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF-0 MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...80 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...75 YARDS LENGTH...1.2 MILES BEGINNING LAT/LON...38.952N / 77.345W ENDING LAT/LON...38.964N / 77.331W * 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... DAMAGE ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE PATH WAS PRIMARILY TO TREES. THE TORNADO BEGAN IN A PARKING LOT ALONG SUNSET HILLS ROAD...WHERE SMALL LIMBS WERE SNAPPED FROM A HARDWOOD TREE...AND A LARGE LIMB WAS SNAPPED FROM A SOFTWOOD TREE. IT CROSSED SUNSET HILLS ROAD AND ENTERED THE HIDDEN CREEK COUNTRY CLUB GOLF COURSE...WHERE IT INTENSIFIED AND UPROOTED OR SNAPPED SEVERAL HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES. THE TORNADO WEAKENED SLIGHTLY AS IT CROSSED NORTH SHORE DRIVE AND WEDGE ROAD...WHERE A FEW TREES WERE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. A FEW HOMES APPEARED TO SUFFER MINOR DAMAGE FROM FALLEN TREES. AS IT CROSSED WIEHLE AVENUE...THE TORNADO INTENSIFIED AGAIN...SNAPPING OR UPROOTING NUMEROUS TREES ADJACENT TO TALL OAKS VILLAGE CENTER BEFORE WEAKENING RAPIDLY. THE TORNADO ENDED BEHIND THE COLVIN WOODS APARTMENTS. THIS TORNADO HAS BEEN RATED EF-0.