88 mph wind gust reported on Snowshoe Mountain Sunday afternoon

Wind gusts in our area have peaked between 40 and 60 mph

ROANOKE, Va. – Wind gusts in our area have been enough to knock out power to more than 30,000 people and cause damage to cars and homes.

At Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia, the wind was strong enough to cause lift closures earlier Sunday afternoon. 

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It's a good thing they did too. The peak wind gust at Snowshoe wound up being 88 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Charleston, West Virginia.

If sustained, an 88 mph wind speed would be equivalent to that of a Category 1 hurricane's eye wall. 

For most areas west of the Blue Ridge Parkway, winds have gusted between 40 and 60 mph Sunday. 

High Wind Warnings and Advisories remain in effect for the region through midday Monday.

By Monday, we'll mainly be breezy with wind gusts not quite as strong as what we've seen Sunday afternoon.


About the Author:

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.