Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 147, NWS Blacksburg, VA

July 2, 2002Wythe County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 2, 2002, 4:42 PM EDT for Wythe County, Virginia. It was in force for 33 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Jul 2, 2002, 4:42 PM EDT (20:42 UTC)
Expired: Jul 2, 2002, 5:15 PM EDT
In force: 33 min
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Whole counties

County Wythe County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:46 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 2, 5:05 PM EDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Wytheville, VA

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 141 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: 1124 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -86 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1269 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 47 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.

699 
WUUS51 KRNK 022042
SVRRNK
VAC197-022115-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
442 PM EDT TUE JUL 2 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WYTHE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 515 PM EDT.

* AT 442 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MAX MEADOWS...MOVING    
  SOUTHWEST AT 20 MPH.

HAIL UP TO NICKEL SIZE IN DIAMETER CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

SOME LOCATIONS THREATENED THROUGH 515 PM EDT INCLUDE
  MAX MEADOWS...
  WYTHEVILLE...

<<CALL TO ACTION>>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.

RELAY SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

$$

06

LAT...LON 3692 8081 3705 8095 3691 8127 3681 8109

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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 2, 2:45 PM EDT, 1 hour 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 2, 2:45 PM EDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG, VA
245 PM EDT TUE JUL 2 2002

ATMOS HAS DEEPER MOISTR TODAY AND IS A LTL MORE SPPRTIVE OF
STORMS...SOME OF WHICH ARE BECOMING SEVERE.  CONVECTION HAS BEEN
LASTING PAST MIDNIGHT THE LAST COUPLE NIGHTS AND SEE NO REASON WHY
IT SHUDNT THE NEXT 2 NIGHTS AS WELL.  ACTIVITY SHUD ALSO CONT TO BE
FOCUSED OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN...WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE EAST OF
THE MTNS THRU THURSDAY.

12Z AVN RUN IS VERY DEEP WITH THE TROF OVER NEW ENGLAND LATE IN THE
WEEK...MUCH LIKE THE OLDER MRF RUNS.  MOST BELIEVE THIS TO BE
OVERDONE...SO WILL HOLD TEMPS UP.  STILL WILL BRING DRIER AIR INTO
THE REGION FRI AND KEEP IT DRY THRU MONDAY.

MRF AND ECMWF BOTH INDICATING RETROGRADING THE STRONG UPR RIDGE TO
THE WEST NEXT WEEK AND DEEPENING AN EAST COAST TROF.  WILL
RELUCTANTLY ADD POPS FOR TUE AS MRF PROGGING AN IMPRESSIVE FRONT FOR
THAT TIME.

FCSTID = 9
ROA   71  93  71  93 /  30  30  30  40
LYH   70  93  70  92 /  30  30  30  40
DAN   73  95  73  94 /  30  30  30  40
BLF   66  85  66  84 /  40  40  30  40
LWB   65  84  65  83 /  40  40  30  40
BCB   66  86  66  85 /  30  40  30  40
TNB   64  85  64  84 /  40  40  30  40

.RNK...
NC...NONE.
VA...NONE.
WV...NONE.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 2, 1:11 PM EDT, 3 hours 31 minutes before

NCZ001-002-018-VAZ007-009-010-012-015-WVZ042-021830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
111 PM EDT TUE JUL 2 2002

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TRACKING SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE AREA...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...
THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS OF VIRGINIA...AND THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF
NORTH CAROLINA WILL BE STRENGTHENING AND INCREASING IN COVERAGE
HEADING INTO MID AFTERNOON. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL HAVE VERY HEAVY
RAIN OF UP TO 2 INCHES IN LESS THAN AN HOUR...WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...
AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL. LOCATIONS MOST LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED
THROUGH 230 PM WILL INCLUDE BLUEFIELD...TAZEWELL...RICHLANDS...
MARION...THE MOUNT ROGERS AREA...AND THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS OF ASHE
AND WATAUGA COUNTIES.

JJ

Local storm report, Jul 2, 2:26 PM EDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
226 PM EDT TUE JUL 02 2002

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

610 PM     FAIRVIEW AREA             VA   0.88 INCH HAIL
07/01/02   WYTHE                          HAIL DAMAGED A VEHICLE
                                          AND COVERED THE GROUND.

210 PM     LEWISBURG                 WV   0.88 INCH HAIL
07/02/02   GREENBRIER                     REPORTED BY SKYWARN
                                          SPOTTER.

Local storm report, Jul 2, 2:47 PM EDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
247 PM EDT TUE JUL 02 2002

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

228 PM     1N LEWISBURG              WV   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/02/02   GREENBRIER                     REPORTED BY SKYWARN
                                          SPOTTER.

230 PM     FARLEY                    WV   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/02/02   SUMMERS

Special weather statement, Jul 2, 2:58 PM EDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before

VAZ007-009>011-018-019-WVZ042>045-022100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
258 PM EDT TUE JUL 2 2002

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TRACKING SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE AREA...

A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST WEST
VIRGINIA...AND THE VIRGINIA BORDER COUNTIES...IS DRIFTING SLOWLY
SOUTHWEST. SOME OF THESE STORMS ARE PRODUCING UP TO NICKEL SIZE
HAIL...AND LARGE AREAS ARE RECEIVING TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. RADAR
ESTIMATES THAT MOST OF SOUTHERN AND EASTERN GREENBRIER COUNTY...
SUMMERS...MONROE AND MERCER COUNTIES...HAVE GOTTEN AROUND 2 INCHES
OF RAIN. THIS HEAVY RAIN WILL SPREAD SLOWLY SOUTHWARD INTO THE
VIRGINIA BORDER COUNTIES OF ALLEGHANY...CRAIG...GILES...AND
TAZEWELL BY 400 PM. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE
IN SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA THROUGH 400 PM. THIS WILL AT LEAST CAUSE
SOME FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS...AND MAY BRING CREEKS OUT OF
THEIR BANKS.

IF YOU ARE IN THE AREA OF THESE STORMS...SEEK SAFE INDOOR SHELTER
UNTIL THEY PASS. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WATER COVERED
ROADS. THOSE LIVING ALONG CREEKS AND SMALL STREAMS SHOULD BE PREPARED
TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR A FLASH FLOOD
WARNING IS ISSUED.

JJ

Local storm report, Jul 2, 3:26 PM EDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
326 PM EDT TUE JUL 02 2002

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

316 PM     NORTH BLACKSBURG          VA   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/02/02   MONTGOMERY

Local storm report, Jul 2, 4:21 PM EDT, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
421 PM EDT TUE JUL 02 2002

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

245 PM     LEWISBURG                 WV   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/02   GREENBRIER                     SEVERAL TREES REPORTED
                                          DOWN.

320 PM                               WV   0.88 INCH HAIL
07/02/02   MONROE                         REPORTED BY COUNTY
                                          WARNING POINT.

325 PM     1NW UNION                 WV   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/02   MONROE                         TREES DOWN.

335 PM     2N RIPPLE MEAD            VA   WIND DAMAGE
07/02/02   GILES                          SEVERAL TREES REPORTED
                                          DOWN.

410 PM     BLACKSBURG                VA   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/02/02   MONTGOMERY                     REPORTED BY SKYWARN
                                          SPOTTER.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 2, 3:08 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Montgomery, City of Radford	37 min
Jul 2, 3:12 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Bland	33 min
Jul 2, 3:18 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Alleghany, Craig	27 min
Jul 2, 3:20 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Giles	25 min
Jul 2, 3:51 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Pulaski	24 min
Jul 2, 3:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Montgomery	33 min
Jul 2, 3:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Craig	48 min
Jul 2, 4:07 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Montgomery	3 hr
Jul 2, 4:36 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Bath	24 min
Jul 2, 4:40 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Botetourt	50 min
Jul 2, 4:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Carroll	29 min
Jul 2, 4:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Carroll, Grayson, City of Galax	48 min
Jul 2, 5:09 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Montgomery, Roanoke, City of Salem	36 min
Jul 2, 5:19 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Rockbridge, City of Lexington	41 min
Jul 2, 5:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Botetourt	31 min
Jul 2, 6:09 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Rockbridge, City of Lexington	111 min
Jul 2, 6:28 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Henry	32 min
Jul 2, 7:10 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Henry, City of Martinsville	35 min
Jul 2, 7:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Campbell	34 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.