Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 20, NWS Blacksburg, VA

April 30, 2003Amherst County, City of Lynchburg, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 30, 2003, 7:01 PM EDT for Amherst County, City of Lynchburg, Virginia. It was in force for 44 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: Apr 30, 2003, 7:01 PM EDT (23:01 UTC)
Expired: Apr 30, 2003, 7:45 PM EDT
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Whole counties

Counties Amherst County, VA, City of Lynchburg, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 114 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:10 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

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 11.0 hours before the alert went out and 47 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1037 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 69 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 83 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.

649 
WUUS51 KRNK 302301
SVRRNK
VAC009-680-302345-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
701 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  LYNCHBURG IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  AMHERST COUNTY IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 745 PM EDT.

* AT 659 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LYNCHBURG CITY...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS THREATENED THROUGH 745 PM EDT INCLUDE
  LYNCHBURG CITY...
  AMHERST...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING UP TO NICKEL SIZE
HAIL.

<<CALL TO ACTION>>IF SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...GO INSIDE
A STURDY SHELTER.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAN PRODUCE LARGE DAMAGING HAIL...
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY
HEAVY RAIN.

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

LAT...LON 3777 7921 3755 7896 3737 7917 3737 7920
          3741 7918 3743 7922 3747 7920 3760 7935


09

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 Apr 30, 3:15 PM EDT, 3 hours 46 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 3:15 PM EDT, 3 hours 46 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG, VA
315 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

TONIGHT...TSRA THAT HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE MTNS SHUD CONT TO
PROPAGATE EWD. GREATEST INSTABILITY WILL DOWN IN SOUTHSIDE VA AND NW
NW AREAS- WILL HAVE LIKELY POPS DOWN THAT WAY INTO EARLY
EVENING....THEN MOSTLY CHC THRU LATE EVENING. NOTHING MUCH AFTER
MIDNITE. MOS LOWS...MAINLY IN THE M-U 50S...LOOK GOOD.

THURSDAY...COULD BE SIMILAR TO TODAY...EXCEPT FOR NO BOUNDARY TO
PROVIDE A SFC CONVERGENCE FOCUS. BEST CHC STILL LOKKS TO BE IN THE
MTNS WHERE WE HAD A 30 POP- SLIGHT CHC EAST. WENT A LITTLE ABOVE MAV
MOS HIGHS- THICKNESSES IND HIGHS COULD GET INTO THE LOW 80S EASILY
IN THE PIEDMONT.

JJ

THUR NGT THRU SAT...SOMEWHAT COMPLICATED SFC PTTN WITH LOW COMING
OUT OF SRN STREAM IN THE SE U.S. AHEAD OF APPROACHING CDFNT. DONT
EXPECT THIS TO HAVE ALOT OF INFLUENCE ON WX FOR CWA. BEST POPS WL BE
FRI NGT AS FNT MOVES THRU. EXTENDED CHC POPS AND AMNT OF CLOUDS
INTO SAT MORN IN COORDINATION WITH ADJACENT OFFICES. WENT CLOSE TO
MAV GUID WITH ONLY VERY MINOR ADJUSTMENTSD TO CURRENT T/TD FCST.

SAT NGT THRU SUN NGT...BETWEEN SYS WITH HIGH CENTERED OVR FA ON SUN.
STAYED BELOW GUID FOR MINS SUN MORN.

MON THRU WED...GFS BRIGNING WARM FNT ACRS FA DURING THE DAY MON.
SHUD HAVE ENOUGH MOISTURE AND LIFT BY THE AFTN SO HAVE ADDED CHC
POPS. CWA WELL INTO WARM SECTOR BY TUES SO RAISED MAXES. TIMING OF
NEXT FNT IS FOR WED SO POPS IN FOR DAY 7 ALSO.

AMS

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

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 30, 1:20 PM EDT, 5 hours 41 minutes before

NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059-
WVZ042>045-011300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
120 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA...
WESTERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA...AS WELL AS NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON WILL CONTAIN LOCALLY HEAVY
RAIN...AND SMALL HAIL. ISOLATED STRONGER STORMS MAY PRODUCE UP TO
QUARTER SIZE HAIL OR DAMAGING WIND GUSTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS FRIDAY.  SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT...THE
GREATEST THREAT OF STORMS DURING THE AFTERNOON.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY...BUT MAY BE NEEDED
LATER IN THE WEEK.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 30, 1:47 PM EDT, 5 hours 14 minutes before

WVZ042-301945-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
147 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

AT 147 PM EDT THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE COVERING THE
WESTERN PORTION OF MERCER COUNTY...WEST AND NORTHWEST OF MATOAKA.
DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATED THAT OVER TWO INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN
THE CRANE CREEK BASIN...AND NEARLY TWO INCHES IN THE WIDEMOUTH CREEK
AREA.  THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING SLOWLY NORTHEAST ACROSS WESTERN
MERCER...AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS LIKELY.  PEOPLE IN AND AROUND
THE MATOAKA AREA SHOULD AVOID AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING. IF WATER
BEGINS TO SUDDENLY RISE...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION TO
STAY ABREAST OF THE WEATHER FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.  BE
PREPARED TO ACT QUICKLY SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

04

Special weather statement, Apr 30, 2:42 PM EDT, 4 hours 19 minutes before

NCZ001>003-018-019-VAZ011>020-022>024-WVZ044-045-301930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
242 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

...LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST THROUGH THE
MOUNTAINS...

AS OF 240 PM EDT...A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS SLOWLY
MOVING EAST THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...
SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.  SOME STORMS WERE
PRODUCING BRIEF PERIODS OF HAIL AND STRONG WINDS...AS WELL AS VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL.

THE LINE WAS GENERALLY ALONG A LINE FROM BOONE NORTH CAROLINA...ON
NORTH TO WYTHEVILLE VIRGINIA...THEN UP TO NEAR LEWISBURG WEST
VIRGINIA.  THE NORTHERN END OF THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST ABOUT 25
MPH.  THE NORTHERN END OF THE LINE IN NORTH CAROLINA WAS MOVING MUCH
SLOWER...HOWEVER ADDITIONAL STORMS WERE DEVELOPING ACROSS THE
FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA AND WERE MOVING NORTHEAST.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR STORMS MOVING IN FROM THE WEST OR SOUTHWEST
THIS AFTERNOON...AND BE READY TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IF WARNING
IS ISSUED.

Special weather statement, Apr 30, 3:44 PM EDT, 3 hours 17 minutes before

NCZ002>006-019-020-VAZ010>020-022-032-033-043-WVZ044-045-302126-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
344 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SLOWLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST
   WEST VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...AND NORTHWEST NORTH
   CAROLINA...

THE THUNDERSTORMS EXTEND FROM NEAR LEWISBURG WEST VIRGINIA SOUTH
ACROSS WYTHEVILLE VIRGINIA...TO NEAR WILKESBORO NORTH CAROLINA.
THE LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING EAST AT NEAR 15 MPH. THESE STORMS
CAN PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS...AND VERY HEAVY
DOWNPOURS OF RAIN. FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING IS ALSO LIKELY
WITH THE STORMS PASSAGE. THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL AFFECT
THE NEW RIVER AND ROANOKE VALLEYS IN VIRGINIA...AND THE NORTH
CAROLINA PIEDMONT LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLET
FOR POSSIBLE WARNING THIS AFTERNOON.

CACCIAPAGLIA

Local storm report, Apr 30, 4:24 PM EDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
424 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

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

0340 PM    2W ENON                   NC   0.75 IN HAIL
04/30/03   YADKIN

0353 PM    WHITETOP                  VA   0.75 IN HAIL
04/30/03   GRAYSON

0355 PM    BLACKSBURG                VA   0.75 IN HAIL
04/30/03   MONTGOMERY

0400 PM    1N BLACKSBURG             VA   1.00 IN HAIL
04/30/03   MONTGOMERY

Local storm report, Apr 30, 5:50 PM EDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
550 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

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

0425 PM    PEMBROKE                  VA   0.75 IN HAIL
04/30/03   GILES

0500 PM    SHILOH                    NC   0.75 IN HAIL
04/30/03   ROCKINGHAM

0500 PM    STUART                    VA   1.00 IN HAIL
04/30/03   PATRICK

0503 PM    4W MOUNT AIRY             NC   0.75 IN HAIL
04/30/03   SURRY

0540 PM    ROANOKE                   VA   1.00 IN HAIL
04/30/03   ROANOKE

0540 PM    3NE ROANOKE               VA   0.75 IN HAIL
04/30/03   MONTGOMERY

Local storm report, Apr 30, 7:01 PM EDT, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
701 PM EDT WED APR 30 2003

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

0650 PM    EVINGTON                  VA   0.75 IN HAIL
04/30/03   CAMPBELL                       REPORTED BY SPOTTER.

0659 PM    EVINGTON                  VA   0.88 IN HAIL
04/30/03   CAMPBELL                       PUBLIC REPORT.

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 30, 3:54 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Montgomery	51 min
Apr 30, 4:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Giles	38 min
Apr 30, 4:36 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Craig, Roanoke	39 min
Apr 30, 4:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Montgomery	31 min
Apr 30, 4:51 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Patrick	39 min
Apr 30, 5:17 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Botetourt, Roanoke	28 min
Apr 30, 5:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Botetourt	44 min
Apr 30, 5:47 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Franklin	28 min
Apr 30, 5:55 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Pittsylvania	35 min
Apr 30, 6:28 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Bedford	47 min
Apr 30, 6:36 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Campbell	39 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Virginia, 2003 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

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.