Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 22, NWS Blacksburg, VA

August 31, 1994Alexander County, North Carolina

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Aug 31, 1994, 5:35 PM EDT for Alexander County, North Carolina. It was in force for 40 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 31, 1994, 5:35 PM EDT (21:35 UTC)
Expired
Aug 31, 1994, 6:15 PM EDT
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Whole counties

County Alexander County, NC

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 116 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 1994-08-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 1994-08-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 58 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
611 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
58 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
73 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KGSO 312135
TORGSO
NCC003-312215-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
535 PM EDT WED AUG 31 1994

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 615 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY

   IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
      ALEXANDER

AT 530 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM HAD ENTERED WEST ALEXANDER COUNTY.
THIS STORM HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL
AND A TORNADO OVER EAST CALDWELL COUNTY WITHIN THE PAST 30 MINUTES.

THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IS IN
A BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...FIND SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS..PILLOWS..
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON MOBILE
HOMES FOR STRONGER STRUCTURESd.

 IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES..YOU SHOULD GO TO A SAFE PLACE
 IMMEDIATELY.  WHEN IT IS SAFE..ASK YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFOREMENT
 AGENCY TO RELAY YOUR SEVERE WEATHER REPORT TO THE LOCAL NATIONAL
 WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

 JSN

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 31, 1:48 PM EDT, 3 hours 47 minutes before
VAZ016-017-018-019-020-024-023-022-032-033-311945-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROANOKE VIRGINIA
146 PM EDT WED AUG 31 1994

AT 140 PM EDT RADAR SHOWS A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN CRAIG AND
BOTETOURT COUNTIES IN WESTERN VIRGINIA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 TO 40 MPH AND COULD CAUSE STRONG GUSTY
WINDS ALONG WITH DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. ALSO HEAVY DOWNPOURS COULD
OCCUR. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO ROANOKE COUNTY WITH
IN THE HOUR.

ALSO RADAR SHOWS SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN OTHER PORTIONS
OF SOUTHWEST VIGINIA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE SCATTERED AND ARE
MOVING TO THE EAST.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO
DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA UNTIL A FRONT MOVES
THROGH SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA TONIGHT.

END/CE
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 2:27 PM EDT, 3 hours 8 minutes before
VAZ035-034-044-045-311930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LYNCHBURG VA
227 PM EDT WED AUG 31 1994

AT 215 PM EDT...RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM ALBEMARLE THROUGH ROCKBRIDGE TO CRAIG COUNTIES.
ANOTHER LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE IN
EASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY TO EASTERN CARROLL COUNTY.  AN AREA OF
SHOWERS HAD DEVELOPED OVER SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

STORMS ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY DOWNPOURS WERE LOCATED NORTH OF THE CITY OF
ROANOKE ALONG THE CRAIG COUNTYLINE...OVER ROCKY MOUNTY IN CENTRAL
FRANKLIN COUNTY AND NEAR THE PHILPOTT RESERVIOR IN WESTERN FRANKLIN
COUNTY.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 40 MPH.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY
GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN AND DEADLY LIGHTNING...WILL MOVE INTO
AMHERST AND BEDFORD COUNTIES WITHIN THE NEXT 20 MINUTES.

MEADOWS

NNNN
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 3:10 PM EDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
VAZ016-017-018-019-020-024-023-022-032-033-312045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROANOKE VIRGINIA
310 PM EDT WED AUG 31 1994

AT 300 PM EDT RADAR SHOWS SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
IN PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA. SOME WITH
HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WERE IN PATRICK...FRANKLIN
...AND HENRY COUTIES. ALSO RADAR SHOWS SOME WITH HEAVY DOWNPOURS
IN EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE
EAST AND WILL BE MOVING INTO ALLEGHANY COUNTY. ALL OF THESE STORMS
AND THE ONES THAT DEVELOP COULD HAVE STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL
HAIL.
END/CE
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 3:11 PM EDT, 2 hours 24 minutes before
VAZ016-017-018-019-020-024-023-022-032-033-312045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROANOKE VIRGINIA
310 PM EDT WED AUG 31 1994

AT 300 PM EDT RADAR SHOWS SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
IN PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA. SOME WITH
HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WERE IN PATRICK...FRANKLIN
...AND HENRY COUTIES. ALSO RADAR SHOWS SOME WITH HEAVY DOWNPOURS
IN EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE M OVING TO THE
EAST AND WILL BE MOVING INTO ALLEGHANY COUNTY. ALL OF THESE STORMS
AND THE ONES THAT DEVELOP COULD HAVE STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL
HAIL.
END/CE
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 3:39 PM EDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before
VAZ059-046-058-044-045-312045-COR

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LYNCHBURG VA
339 PM EDT WED AUG 31 1994

AT 332 PM EDT...RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM RUSTBURG IN CAMPBELL COUNTY TO SPARTA IN ALLEGHANY
COUNTY IN NORTH CAROLINA. ANY AREA OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED OVER LYNCHBURG. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT
40 MPH.  THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DEADLY
LIGHTNING AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.

MEADOWS

NNNN
Special weather statement, Aug 31, 3:43 PM EDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
VAZ059-046-058-044-045-312045-COR

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LYNCHBURG VA
339 PM EDT WED AUG 31 1994

AT 332 PM EDT...RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM RUSTBURG IN CAMPBELL COUNTY TO SPARTA IN ALLEGHANY
COUNTY IN NORTH CAROLINA. ANY AREA OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED OVER LYNCHBURG. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT
40 MPH.  THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDxS...DEADLY
LIGHTNING AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS.

MEADOWS

NNNN

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes in 1994

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.