NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Winchester, VA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
20 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Winchester, Virginia since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 50 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 17
- Tornadoes
- 50
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Winchester
The strongest storm to pass near Winchester was an unnamed storm in 1878, a Category 1 hurricane with 92 mph winds when its centre passed 55 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre came within 9 miles. The record near Winchester begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 66 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1890s, with 4 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 20 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Winchester has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 33% of the 364 Virginia cities on this site. The highest rating among the 50 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 6 times; the most recent, on April 28, 2011, came within 22 miles. Of the 50, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 26 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on August 8, 2024. Winchester has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 57% of the 364 Virginia cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 82 times since 1960, with stones up to 3.5 inches. Winchester has more hail reports within 10 miles than 76% of the 364 Virginia cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Winchester
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 6 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | DianeAug 18 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1954 | HazelOct 15 | 39 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleSep 1 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 29 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 19 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1933 | Unnamed 1933 stormAug 24 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 4 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 23 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 14 | 9 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 29 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormOct 13 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormOct 23 | 55 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Winchester: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Winchester
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s6
- 2000s15
- 1990s14
- 1980s2
- 1970s5
- 1960s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2011 | EF2 | 22 mi | 33.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 16 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F2 | 2 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 16, 1989 | F2 | 23 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Aug 4, 1975 | F2 | 10 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 1961 | F2 | 9 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 8, 2024 | EF1 | 19 mi | 4.76 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 3, 2021 | EF1 | 20 mi | 1.81 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 8, 2014 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 4, 2008 | EF1 | 12 mi | 0.54 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F1 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 17, 2004 | F1 | 2 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 50, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Winchester
The Storm Prediction Center has 82 hail reports within 10 miles of Winchester since 1960, made on 50 separate days. Of these, 53 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.5 inches, fell on April 23, 1999. The most recent report is from April 15, 2024. May has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Winchester
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Winchester, VA, 3 miles east of Winchester at 720 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 24°F. May and September are the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 40.7 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (21.4 of 40.7 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 20 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 77°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 24 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 101 nights a year. Snowfall averages 23.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 40.7 inches is more than at 8 of the 109 Virginia stations used on this site (7%). Stephenson, 6 miles northeast, has its own station (Winchester 7 SE, VA): 39.9 inches a year, 0.8 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 24 | 2.8 | 6 | 6.9 |
| Feb | 45 | 26 | 2.2 | 5 | 8.0 |
| Mar | 53 | 32 | 3.5 | 7 | 3.8 |
| Apr | 65 | 42 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 73 | 52 | 4.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 61 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 64 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 77 | 57 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 45 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 35 | 2.8 | 5 | 0.6 |
| Dec | 45 | 28 | 3.1 | 6 | 3.8 |
| Year | 64 | 44 | 40.7 | 75 | 23.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Winchester, VA (720 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Winchester
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 373 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Winchester: 257 thunderstorm wind reports, 101 floods, 13 flash floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $2.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 4, 2008. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 13. Of the 364 Virginia cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 114 have had fewer than Winchester.
May 16, 2014: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Winchester — 1 killed, 1 injured, $5,000 damage.
July 28, 1997: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Winchester — 1 injured, $100,000 damage.
June 10, 2008: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Winchester — 1 injured.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Winchester's 3 ZIP codes have filed 61 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $575,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2018, with 10. 16% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 183 Virginia cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 109 have fewer than Winchester.
Frederick County, which includes Winchester, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 4 snowstorms, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 2, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Frederick County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $20.0 million a year, the 26th highest of 133 Virginia counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $12.7 million (64%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Winchester
- Stephenson, VA6 mi
- Stephens City, VA8 mi
- Clear Brook, VA8 mi
- Gore, VA9 mi
- Cross Junction, VA12 mi
- Middletown, VA12 mi
- Berryville, VA12 mi
- Boyce, VA13 mi
- Bunker Hill, WV13 mi
- Gerrardstown, WV14 mi
- Inwood, WV16 mi
- Strasburg, VA16 mi
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