Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Watches in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 69

April 3, 20029 counties in Maryland; 58 counties in North Carolina; 54 counties in Virginia

The Storm Prediction Center issued this severe thunderstorm watch at Apr 3, 2002, 2:00 PM EST for 9 counties in Maryland; 58 counties in North Carolina; 54 counties in Virginia. It was in force for 6 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Apr 3, 2002, 2:00 PM EST (19:00 UTC)
Expired
Apr 3, 2002, 8:00 PM EST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 121 counties

Calvert County, MD, Caroline County, MD, Dorchester County, MD, Queen Anne's County, MD, Saint Mary's County, MD, Somerset County, MD, Talbot County, MD, Wicomico County, MD, Worcester County, MD, Alamance County, NC, Beaufort County, NC, Bertie County, NC, Bladen County, NC, Brunswick County, NC, Camden County, NC, Carteret County, NC, Caswell County, NC, Chatham County, NC, Chowan County, NC, Columbus County, NC, Craven County, NC, Cumberland County, NC, Currituck County, NC, Dare County, NC, Davidson County, NC, Duplin County, NC, Durham County, NC, Edgecombe County, NC, Franklin County, NC, Gates County, NC, Granville County, NC, Greene County, NC, Guilford County, NC, Halifax County, NC, Harnett County, NC, Hertford County, NC, Hoke County, NC, Hyde County, NC, Johnston County, NC, Jones County, NC, Lee County, NC, Lenoir County, NC, Martin County, NC, Montgomery County, NC, Moore County, NC, Nash County, NC, New Hanover County, NC, Northampton County, NC, Onslow County, NC, Orange County, NC, Pamlico County, NC, Pasquotank County, NC, Pender County, NC, Perquimans County, NC, Person County, NC, Pitt County, NC, Randolph County, NC, Robeson County, NC, Sampson County, NC, Scotland County, NC, Tyrrell County, NC, Vance County, NC, Wake County, NC, Warren County, NC, Washington County, NC, Wayne County, NC, Wilson County, NC, Accomack County, VA, Amelia County, VA, Brunswick County, VA, Caroline County, VA, Charles City County, VA, Charlotte County, VA, Chesterfield County, VA, City of Chesapeake, VA, City of Colonial Heights, VA, City of Danville, VA, City of Emporia, VA, City of Franklin, VA, City of Hampton, VA, City of Hopewell, VA, City of Newport News, VA, City of Norfolk, VA, City of Petersburg, VA, City of Poquoson, VA, City of Portsmouth, VA, City of Richmond, VA, City of Suffolk, VA, City of Virginia Beach, VA, City of Williamsburg, VA, Dinwiddie County, VA, Essex County, VA, Gloucester County, VA, Goochland County, VA, Greensville County, VA, Halifax County, VA, Hanover County, VA, Henrico County, VA, Isle of Wight County, VA, James City County, VA, King and Queen County, VA, King George County, VA, King William County, VA, Lancaster County, VA, Lunenburg County, VA, Mathews County, VA, Mecklenburg County, VA, Middlesex County, VA, New Kent County, VA, Northampton County, VA, Northumberland County, VA, Nottoway County, VA, Powhatan County, VA, Prince Edward County, VA, Prince George County, VA, Richmond County, VA, Southampton County, VA, Surry County, VA, Sussex County, VA, Westmoreland County, VA, York County, VA

Warnings issued inside it

5 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 3, 6:38 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHHalifax22 min
Apr 3, 7:03 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQPasquotank, Perquimans42 min
Apr 3, 7:13 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQBertie22 min
Apr 3, 7:18 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMHXMartin57 min
Apr 3, 7:26 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMHXPitt34 min

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 7.0 hours before the alert went out and 184 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2002-04-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2002-04-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 59 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1330 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
59 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
109 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 
WWUS20 KWNS 031855
SEL9  
SPC WW 031849
MDZ000-NCZ000-VAZ000-CWZ000-040100-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 69
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
149 PM EST WED APR 3 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   EASTERN AND SOUTHERN MARYLAND                           
   CENTRAL AND EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA                     
   CENTRAL AND EASTERN VIRGINIA                           
   COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 200 PM UNTIL
800 PM EST.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 100 STATUTE MILES
EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES SOUTH OF SOUTHERN PINES NORTH
CAROLINA TO 35 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF WALLOPS VIRGINIA.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. 
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES.

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS IN BANDS/CLUSTERS ALONG/AHEAD OF COLD FRONT AND LEE TROUGH
MOVING E FROM THE APPALACHIANS.  SUFFICIENT DEEP SHEAR FOR ROTATING
UPDRAFTS...COUPLED WITH DEEP UNIDIRECTIONAL WSW FLOW AND MODERATE 
COLD DOWNDRAFT POTENTIAL...SUGGESTS LIKELIHOOD FOR SMALL SCALE BOWS
WITH HIGH WIND/HAIL.

AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 450.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 26040.

...CORFIDI

355,0802 391,0755 365,0734 333,0782

WWUS20 KWNS 031855
SEL9  
SPC WW 031849
MDZ000-NCZ000-VAZ000-CWZ000-040100-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 69
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
149 PM EST WED APR 3 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   EASTERN AND SOUTHERN MARYLAND                           
   CENTRAL AND EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA                     
   CENTRAL AND EASTERN VIRGINIA                           
   COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 200 PM UNTIL
800 PM EST.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 100 STATUTE MILES
EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES SOUTH OF SOUTHERN PINES NORTH
CAROLINA TO 35 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF WALLOPS VIRGINIA.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. 
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES.

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS IN BANDS/CLUSTERS ALONG/AHEAD OF COLD FRONT AND LEE TROUGH
MOVING E FROM THE APPALACHIANS.  SUFFICIENT DEEP SHEAR FOR ROTATING
UPDRAFTS...COUPLED WITH DEEP UNIDIRECTIONAL WSW FLOW AND MODERATE 
COLD DOWNDRAFT POTENTIAL...SUGGESTS LIKELIHOOD FOR SMALL SCALE BOWS
WITH HIGH WIND/HAIL.

AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 450.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 26040.

...CORFIDI

355,0802 391,0755 365,0734 333,0782

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Watches in North Carolina, 2002Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Virginia, 2002Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Maryland, 2002Every severe thunderstorm watch 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.