Much cooler weather is on the way for the upcoming weekend. Some parts of the area may well see their first light freeze and some areas will see some frost as well.
Fall is definitely here!
NWS Blacksburg has more details below on what we can expect for the weekend.
Is everyone ready for some cooler air to move into the area!?! Here is the forecast low temperatures for the next 3 days as the cold front moves through the region.
Photo By BRLM Photographer Hayley Osborne: 2015 marks the final year for The Festy on the grounds at Devils Backbone. Discussions are underway as to where it might relocate.
Roseland
Nelson County, Virginia
Steve Crandall, owner and founder of Devils Backbone Brewing in Roseland says 2015 was the last year for The Festy Experience at the original location. “The Festy was started by four partners. Devils Backbone had a 25% stake in ownership. Micheal Allenby of The Artist Farm owned 25% as did Justin Billcheck Productions, and The Stringdusters owned 25%. We all brought different skill sets to the table. After two years we gave up our ownership. We had a five year contract to have the event hosted on our site. This was the last year for that contract,” Steve told us by phone while away in North Carolina.
BRL reached out to the founder of DB after rumors about the change swirled around as a backdrop to this year’s festival.
Steve Crandall (right) founder of Devils Backbone and his son Justin Crandall on the left in March 2015 when the old Arrington Depot was being moved from one side of the property to another.
Crandall told us he will begin another festival next fall in 2016 that’s more in tune with the local community.
“Allenby bought the remainder of The Festy out earlier this year from other partners. It’s too much stress on our infrastructure. Michael’s idea is to do a large event. It will go on, in another location. But we want to do something that’s more about our local community.”
Rumors have been flying for weeks that The Festy will relocate to Oak Ridge Estate where Lockn’ is held annually, but Crandall says he’s not sure where the event will eventually land since he hasn’t had ownership in it for a number of years.
When we talked to Michael Allenby by phone on Wednesday afternoon, he echoed what Crandall said. “No decision has been made on where The Festy will go. We are very interested in Nelson County and we know there is a lot of interest from the South Rockfish Valley area in having us stay nearby. While Dave Frey (Lockn’) has the cool infrastructure in place, we want to look at that, no decision has been made about where we will go.” Allenby said he wants a place where he can put down roots and have a permanent infrastructure where bringing in so much gear isn’t a necessity. “It’s an extremely risky venture, but with a good venue we can do it. We want people in the area to tell us what they want,” Allenby added.
Crandall says he wants an event that is more in line with what they do, “We want an event that’s about our brand and what Backbone is about. And, something we can take on the road to other areas where we sell craft beer. Nashville, Chattanooga, North Carolina, etc,”
BRLM will share more as we know, but it sounds like exciting changes in the wind!
Release Via VDC Virginia Distillery Company has announced the upcoming opening of its new tasting room and production facility. In November the fast-growing whisky business will welcome guests daily at a new visitor’s center that will offer what the company is calling “The Virginia Whisky Experience.” Set on a scenic 100-acre property in the bucolic town of Lovingston—located halfway between Charlottesville and Lynchburg—the newly built center will feature a relaxed tasting room in an idyllic setting. Guests will be able to enjoy samples of whisky and seasonally inspired cocktails made with locally sourced ingredients from Nelson County.
A perfect addition to fall getaways that include the area’s many surrounding breweries, wineries and cideries, the new distillery will offer visitors the opportunity to enjoy premium single-malt whisky that’s made with traditional methods but also leverages the ideal maturation climate in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Look for a museum, video and tour experience to launch in the spring of 2016, as well as an array of on-site events.
The owners of Virginia Distillery Company want to give a time-honored tradition from Scotland, where the art of distilling single-malt whisky dates back to the 15th century, an authentic American interpretation. The independently owned company currently offers Virginia Highland Malt, a rich and flavorful malt whisky that was originally distilled in Scotland but finished in local Virginia port-style wine casks. Virginia Highland Malt is currently distributed in Virginia, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C.
When VDC’s growing team fires up the authentic copper pot stills at the new distillery in November it will signify the birth of a uniquely American single-malt whisky. The vision came from the late Dr. George G. Moore, an Irish immigrant and self-made businessman who embodied the American dream and went on to achieve great success, founding and growing a range of businesses in Virginia and beyond. After 40 years of living in the U.S., Moore embarked on a passion project to create a company that would craft authentic single-malt whisky in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, but as the operation was beginning to take shape, he passed away unexpectedly in 2013. His vision is now being carried forward by his son Gareth H. Moore, Virginia Distillery’s CEO, along with support from the two other primary owners George Moore’s best friend Jack McDonnell (board member) and company President John McCray.
“At Virginia Distillery Co., we’re carrying my father’s vision to fruition,” says Gareth H. Moore. “We’re distilling a single-malt whisky utilizing time-tested traditional methods from the old world, but here in the new world Dad called home.”
VDC’s new single-malt whisky will be made with only the finest ingredients. That starts with importing two-row malted barley directly from Scotland. Once they arrive, the grains will take on a new character in the unique microclimate of Central Virginia’s mountains. After the grains are split in an authentic roller mill first commissioned in the 1920s, the mash will be made with pure, sweet water from a nearby mountain spring. Like a traditional Scottish single malt, the whisky will be aged in previously used bourbon casks, but the hot summers and cool winters will create a unique maturation profile. During the two-to-four years the whisky needs to develop, the Blue Ridge climate will help pull different flavors from oak barrels as temperature and humidity vary day to day and season to season. The result will be an American single-malt whisky that is distinctly original. At full production VDC will have the capacity to produce 350,000 cases annually.
Roseland
Nelson County, Virginia
The tents are coming down and things have wrapped up for Festy 2015. Local’s Day was held on Sunday, the final day of the festival.
Attendance was great and lots of people came out for the three day event.
Word on the street is that the festival moves its venue for 2016.
More when we know.
Festy 2015 kicked off on Friday, October 9th. Our Shay Munroe will be updating a few pic throughout the weekend!
Photo: Kevin Blackburn – The Blackburn Gallery – Nellysford, VA
Nelson County, Virginia Sometimes you just nail it, and Kevin Blackburn of The Blackburn Gallery in Nellysford did just that in this shot. Kevin tells us this is from a UAV at an overlook on Route 250 looking back into Nelson County.
Very nice!
Thanks to Kevin Blackburn of The Blackburn Gallery in Nellysford for this shot on our cover photo. Kevin tells us this…
Thanks to our weather watcher John Taylor up at Devils Knob for this beautiful shot of the sunshine on top of the cloud deck looking down into the Rockfish Valley of Nelson County. This was Monday morning around 9AM. Peeks of sunshine were even being seen in the valley as well. It’s been almost two weeks since any appreciative sunshine has been seen.
Early Monday morning John Taylor up on Devils Knob at Wintergreen Resort got this fantastic shot of the sun reappearing on top from about 3500 feet above.
Finally!
Thanks for letting us know it’s still up there John!
Photo By Krystle Evans: The Rockfish River Dam at Schuyler in East Nelson County, Virginia was roaring on Saturday after an additional 3-4″ of rain fell from Friday through Sunday October 4, 2015.
The area was under Flash Flood Watches for most of the weekend, along with Wind Advisories for many counties. The Blue Ridge Parkway was closed over the weekend due to debris from high winds scattered along the roadway.
Things begin to improve on Monday and then really get good on Tuesday!
Via NWS: Some of the area remains under a flash flood watch until Saturday evening. CANCELED – CANCELED – CANCELED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
348 AM EDT SAT OCT 3 2015
…PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN STILL EXPECTED THIS TODAY…
.LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK SLOWLY ALONG A STATIONARY COASTAL FRONT
AND COMBINE WITH DEEP MOISTURE TO PRODUCE PERIODS OF MODERATE TO
HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH TONIGHT. FORECAST RAINFALL
AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN SLIGHTLY LOWERED RESULTING IN A REDUCED RIVER
348 AM EDT SAT OCT 3 2015
…FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING…
THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR
* PORTIONS OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA…SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA…
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA…INCLUDING THE
FOLLOWING IN CENTRAL …VIRGINIA…AMHERST. IN SOUTH CENTRAL
VIRGINIA…BEDFORD AND HENRY. IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA…BLAND…
CARROLL…CRAIG…FLOYD…GILES…GRAYSON…MONTGOMERY…
PATRICK…PULASKI AND WYTHE. IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA…
ALLEGHANY VA…BATH…BOTETOURT…FRANKLIN…ROANOKE AND
ROCKBRIDGE.
* THROUGH THIS EVENING
* UP TO AN INCH OF RAIN IS EXPECTED…WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS
ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE BLUE RIDGE. THIS RAIN WILL BE
FALLING ON SOIL THAT IS COMPLETELY SATURATED. THIS WILL LEAD TO
MUCH OF THE RAIN RUNNING OFF INTO SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS.
* IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING…SOME AREA
RIVERS COULD FLOOD. CURRENT RIVER FORECASTS BASED ON THE
ANTICIPATED WIDESPREAD RAINFALL SHOW MINOR FLOODING ON THE
UPPER ROANOKE FROM ABOVE ROANOKE DOWNSTREAM TO SMITH MOUNTAIN
LAKE. LOWERED RAINFALL FORECASTS NOW SUGGEST THAT THE UPPER
JAMES AND PARTS OF NEW RIVER MAY NOT REACH FLOOD STAGE BUT
COULD STILL RISE VERY CLOSE TO FLOOD STAGE.
TREES COULD ALSO BE TOPPLED GIVEN THE WET SOIL CONDITIONS AND
GUSTY NORTHEAST BREEZES EXPECTED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.
AN INCREASED RISK OF LANDSLIDES IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IF
YOU LIVE IN AN AREA PRONE TO LANDSLIDES…HEAD TOWARD HIGHER
GROUND AWAY FROM STREAMS…RIVERS…AND STEEP SLOPES.
&&
$$
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
348 AM EDT SAT OCT 3 2015
…PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN STILL EXPECTED THIS TODAY…
.LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK SLOWLY ALONG A STATIONARY COASTAL FRONT
AND COMBINE WITH DEEP MOISTURE TO PRODUCE PERIODS OF MODERATE TO
HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH TONIGHT. FORECAST RAINFALL
AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN SLIGHTLY LOWERED RESULTING IN A REDUCED RIVER
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…EDEN…YANCEYVILLE…DANVILLE…
LYNCHBURG…APPOMATTOX…SOUTH BOSTON…KEYSVILLE
348 AM EDT SAT OCT 3 2015
…FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING…
THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR
* PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA…
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING IN NORTH …CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA…
CASWELL AND ROCKINGHAM. IN VIRGINIA…APPOMATTOX…
BUCKINGHAM…CAMPBELL…CHARLOTTE…HALIFAX AND PITTSYLVANIA.
* THROUGH THIS EVENING
* AN ADDITIONAL HALF OF AN INCH OF RAIN IS EXPECTED…WITH
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. THIS RAIN WILL BE FALLING ON SOIL THAT
WAS COMPLETELY SATURATED. THIS WILL LEAD TO MUCH OF THE RAIN
RUNNING OFF INTO SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS AND CAUSING RAPID
RISES AND FLOODING.
* IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING…SOME AREA RIVERS
ARE ALSO LIKELY TO FLOOD. CURRENT RIVER FORECASTS BASED ON THE
ANTICIPATED RAINFALL SHOW PARTS OF THE LOWER ROANOKE AND DAN
RIVERS EITHER RISING BACK OVER FLOOD STAGE THIS MORNING OR
RISING TO A HIGHER CATEGORY IN THE LOWER DAN.
TREES COULD ALSO BE TOPPLED GIVEN THE WET SOIL CONDITIONS AND
GUSTY NORTHEAST WIND EXPECTED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
The current position and projected path of Hurricane Joaquin Joaquin may factor into our weekend forecast that already includes very heavy rains across the Central Virginia Blue Ridge area : Click to see an enlarged view.
Central Virginia Blue Ridge
Hurricane Joaquin is moving out to sea. By Saturday it will be on a NNE course away from the US and very little threat. A Flash Flood Watch continues for the VA Central Blue Ridge Area from Friday morning until Saturday.
Hurricane Joaquin is now weakening a bit, down to a Category 3 hurricane, as is now lifting off to the north before…
Above, Tommy says we’ll still some rain (occasionally heavy locally) over the weekend, but amounts won’t be a much as previously anticipated earlier in the week. Sun returns by early next week.
Photo Courtesy of Amy Winters : Flood waters cover the driveway and nearby Glenthorne Loop near Nellysford in Nelson County. Over 3″ of rain fell near there Tuesday afternoon and more than 6″ of rain fell just above at Wintergreen Resort at 3500 feet.
Nelson County, Virginia and Nearby Areas
As Tommy mentioned might happen in his forecast, major pounding rains fell across the Central Virginia Blue Ridge area on Tuesday afternoon creating all sorts of problems. Many roads have been closed and some accidents have occurred.
At our BRL-Nature Foundation Station at Wintergreen gauge we showed just over 6″ of rain by late Tuesday afternoon. The majority of the rain fell between noon and 5PM. Click to enlarge.Down below our BRL-Trager Brothers station showed about half that amount. Just over 3″.
Nelson: Dima Holmes: "Spruce Creek a bit before crosses Rt 151. Never seen it in past 4 years in Horizons" pic.twitter.com/ysboU9m59E
