Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 83, NWS Baltimore/Washington

May 26, 20025 counties in Virginia

NWS Baltimore/Washington issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 26, 2002, 9:48 PM EDT for 5 counties in Virginia. It was in force for 42 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: May 26, 2002, 9:48 PM EDT (01:48 UTC)
Expired: May 26, 2002, 10:30 PM EDT
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Baltimore/Washington
Area: Whole counties

Counties City of Fairfax, VA, City of Manassas, VA, City of Manassas Park, VA, Fairfax County, VA, Loudoun County, VA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 14 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:50 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), launched 00:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 205 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 179 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -135 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1461 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 16 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 35 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS51 KLWX 270148
SVRLWX
VAC059-107-600-683-685-270230-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
948 PM EDT SUN MAY 26 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CITY OF FAIRFAX IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA
  CITY OF MANASSAS IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA
  CITY OF MANASSAS PARK IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA
  FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA
  LOUDOUN COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 1030 PM EDT

* AT 939 PM EDT...WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  OVER CENTREVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE...
  6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HERNDON AT 956 PM
  OVER OAKTON AT 958 PM
  4 MILES NORTHWEST OF MANTUA AT 1002 PM
  OVER VIENNA AT 1004 PM

DIME SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN CENTERVILLE.

VERY LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. IF YOU 
ARE IN THE PATH OF THE STORM...PUT YOUR CAR IN A GARAGE AND MOVE TO 
A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER.

TUNE INTO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

$$
HTS

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 26, 8:30 PM EDT, 1 hour 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 26, 8:30 PM EDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
830 PM EDT SUN MAY 26 2002

UPDATED ZONES TO REMOVE SVR TSTM WATCH WHICH EXPIRED AT 8 PM. STORMS
ARE WEAKENING AS DAYTIME HEATING IS LOST. HVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL
WILL BE POSSIBLE NEXT FEW HRS UNTIL CAPE COMPLETELY FIZZLES.
OVERNIGHT...CANNOT RULE OUT SCT SHRA/ISOLATED TSRA DUE TO WEAK BDRY
AND WEAK VORT OVHD BUT EXPECT ARIAL COVERAGE TO BE MUCH LESS AFTER
MIDNIGHT. WILL KEEP CHANCE POPS CWA WIDE AND REMOVE SVR WORDING THIS
UPDATE. HAVE ALSO RAISED LOW TEMPS TO CURRENT DEW PTS CWA WIDE
BECAUSE EXPECTING LLRH TO LINGER AND FOG TO FORM...ESPECIALLY IN
AREAS WHERE HVY RAIN FELL TODAY NW OF A LINE FROM CHO TO DCA TO BWI.
REST OF FCST UNCHANGED.

MMARGRAF

.LWX...
DC...NONE.
MD...NONE.
VA...NONE.
WV...NONE.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 26, 5:24 PM EDT, 4 hours 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
524 PM EDT SUN MAY 26 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0255 PM    SPERRYVILLE               VA   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   RAPPAHANNOCK                   SPOTTER REPORT

0220 PM    LURAY                     VA   .25 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   PAGE

0315 PM    WINCHESTER                VA   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   FREDERICK

0324 PM    3 W RELIANCE              VA   .75 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   WARREN                         SPOTTER REPORT AT 2 MILE
                                          MARKER ON I-66 E OF I-81

0335 PM    CASTLETON                 VA   .88 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   RAPPAHANNOCK

0350 PM    3 E MARTINSBURG           WV   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   BERKELEY                       ON RT 9 E OF TOWN

0355 PM    BUNKER HILL               WV   .88 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   BERKLELY

0410 PM    SHEPARDSTOWN              WV   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   JEFFERSON                      BY LAW ENFORCEMENT

0425 PM    WARRENTON                 VA   .75 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   FAUQUIER

0425 PM    1 E WARRENTON             VA   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   FAUQUIER                       AT US 29 AND RT 643

0353 PM    AMISSVILLE                VA   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   FAUQUIER

0507 PM    LEESBURG                  VA   .75 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   LOUDOUN                        BY LAW ENFORCEMENT

0515 PM    SPERRYVILLE               VA   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   RAPPAHANNOCK                   FROM A CO-OP OBSERVER

SMZ/HTS/JD/ND/CM/MM

Local storm report, May 26, 6:20 PM EDT, 3 hours 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
620 PM EDT SUN MAY 26 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0329 PM    KEARNEYSVILLE             WV   2.75 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   JEFFERSON                      TREES DOWNS AND BASEMENT
                                          FLOODING

0440 PM    ROUND HILL                VA   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   LOUDOUN                        REPORT BY SKYWARN

0507 PM    LEESBURG                  VA   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   LOUDOUN                        REPORTED BY EOC

0529 PM    POOLESVILLE               MD   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   MONTGOMERY                     BY LAW ENFORCEMENT

0551 PM    5 W GAITHERSBURG          MD   .75 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   MONTGOMERY                     SPOTTER REPORT

0550 PM    CAPON BRIDGE              WV   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   HAMPSHIRE

SMZ/CM/HTS/MM/JD

Local storm report, May 26, 7:43 PM EDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
743 PM EDT SUN MAY 26 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0650 PM    WARRENTON                 VA   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   FAUQUIER

0740 PM    1 N CASTLETON             VA   1.00 INCH HAIL REPORT
05/26/02   RAPPAHANNOCK                   FROM CO-OP OBSERVER

SMZ/HTS/DMW

Local storm report, May 26, 8:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
832 PM EDT SUN MAY 26 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0502 PM    LEESBURG AIRPORT          VA   52 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
05/26/02   LOUDOUN

0621 PM    7 S BERKELEY SPRINGS      WV   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   MORGAN                         REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT

0644 PM    2 W CAPON BRIDGE          WV   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/26/02   HAMPSHIRE                      REPORTED BY EOC

SMZ/MM/HTS/DMW

Special weather statement, May 26, 8:45 PM EDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before

DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021-025>031-036>042-
050>057-WVZ048>055-270130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
845 PM EDT SUN MAY 26 2002

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 8 PM...

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH PRODUCED VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL...LARGE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS NORTH AND WEST OF A LINE FROM
CHARLOTTESVILLE TO WASHINGTON D.C. TO BALTIMORE HAVE WEAKENED.
THEREFORE...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE
AREA HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 8 PM.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT
AS A WEAK BOUNDARY MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. THROUGH MIDNIGHT...HEAVY
DOWNPOURS AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS.
AFTER MIDNIGHT...ANY PRECIPITATION THAT REMAINS WILL BE WIDELY
SCATTERED.

MMARGRAF

The office that day

Everything else NWS Baltimore/Washington issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 26, 8:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LWX	Fauquier	42 min
May 26, 8:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LWX	Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William	52 min
May 26, 9:58 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LWX	Shenandoah	62 min
May 26, 10:19 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LWX	Fairfax, City of Fairfax	86 min
May 27, 4:50 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LWX	Loudoun	115 min
May 27, 3:23 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LWX	Rockingham	37 min
May 27, 3:26 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LWX	Nelson	2 hr
May 27, 3:42 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LWX	Rockingham, City of Harrisonburg	2 hr
May 27, 4:13 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LWX	Albemarle	32 min
May 27, 4:23 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LWX	Albemarle	67 min
May 27, 4:54 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LWX	Frederick, Shenandoah	36 min
May 27, 5:32 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LWX	Shenandoah	118 min
May 27, 6:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LWX	Fauquier	31 min
May 27, 6:58 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LWX	Stafford	2 hr
May 27, 7:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LWX	Prince William, City of Manassas, City of Manassas Park	31 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Virginia, 2002 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.