Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 209, NWS Blacksburg, VA
NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 4, 2003, 11:47 PM EDT for Bedford County, Campbell County, City of Lynchburg, Virginia. It was in force for 28 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 4, 2003, 11:47 PM EDT (03:47 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 5, 2003, 12:15 AM EDT
- In force
- 28 min
- Issued by
- NWS Blacksburg, VA
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Counties Bedford County, VA, Campbell County, VA, City of Lynchburg, VA
The radar
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:50 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.
Did it verify
Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.
Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.
The nearest sounding before it
Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 00:00Z, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 23 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 729 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -5 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1228 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 33 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 12 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 42 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
818 WUUS51 KRNK 050347 SVRRNK VAC019-031-680-050415- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1145 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... NORTHWESTERN CAMPBELL COUNTY IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA LYNCHBURG IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA EASTERN BEDFORD COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA * UNTIL 1215 AM EDT. * AT 1145 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR FOREST...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH. * SOME LOCATIONS THREATENED THROUGH 1215 AM EDT INCLUDE FOREST... LYNCHBURG... THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING UP TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 60 MILES AN HOUR. 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 3731 7944 3725 7922 3742 7917 3749 7934 $$ 10
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 Aug 4, 10:25 PM EDT, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 4, 10:25 PM EDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG, VA 1025 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003 MAIN CONCERNS WITH FUTURE OF ORGANIZED TSRA ALONG THE WRN SLOPES AND NEW DEVELOPMENT JUST E OF THE BLUE RIDGE NEAR MTV. ALTHO INSTAB NOT ALL THAT IMPRESSIVE APPEARS DYNAMICS ENOUGH TO CONT MARGINAL SVR THREAT A BIT LONGER WITH MORE EMPHASIS ON FLOODING BEFORE ACTIVITY LIKELY WEAKENS TOWARD MIDNIGHT. THUS PLAN TO LET GOING SVR WATCH CONT A BIT LONGER AND HOLD UPDATE UNTIL CAN EITHER CANCEL OR LET WW838 EXPIRE. .RNK... NC...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. JH
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 4, 6:48 AM EDT, 16 hours 59 minutes before
NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059- WVZ042>045-051000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 648 AM EDT MON AUG 4 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA... WESTERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA...AS WELL AS NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...AND SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA. THE PRIMARY THREAT IS DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. IN ADDITION...ISOLATED AREAS MAY SEE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 2 TO 3 INCHES FROM CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...SPSRNK...FOR DETAILS. THIS PRODUCT CAN BE VIEWED ON THE BLACKSBURG OFFICE INTERNET PAGE AT WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/ER/RNK. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY...MAINLY LATE IN THE DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON. 06
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 4, 8:35 PM EDT, 3 hours 12 minutes before
VAZ007-WVZ042>045-050230- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 835 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003 ...BROKEN LINE OF STORMS APPROACHING SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA... A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST INTO PARTS OF THE GREENBRIER VALLEY BETWEEN 8:45 PM AND 10:00 PM. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO PRODUCE WINDS TO 60 MPH ALONG WITH SOME HAIL. OTHER ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...FORMING AHEAD OF THE LINE...COULD ALSO BECOME STRONG...TO SEVERE QUITE QUICKLY AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST INTO TAZEWELL AND MERCER COUNTIES. IN ADDITION...VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL ACCOMPANY ANY OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO TWO INCHES IN AN HOUR MAY ALSO PRODUCE SOME LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. JH
Special weather statement, Aug 4, 10:15 PM EDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
VAZ007-009>013-018>020-WVZ042>045-050400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1015 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING TO MOVE SLOWLY EAST... A BROKEN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH...AND SOME SMALL HAIL WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SLOWLY EAST INTO WESTERN VIRGINIA THROUGH MIDNIGHT. LOOK FOR THE STRONGEST STORMS TO AFFECT SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA AS WELL AS THE MOUNTAIN EMPIRE REGION DURING THE NEXT HOUR...BEFORE THE STORMS SHIFT EAST INTO THE VIRGINIA HIGHLAND COUNTIES...AND WESTERN NEW RIVER VALLEY AFTER 11:00 PM. IN ADDITION...RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO TWO INCHES IN AN HOUR MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FINALLY WEAKEN BY MIDNIGHT. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN AFFECT FOR THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA UNTIL MIDNIGHT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. JH
Local storm report, Aug 4, 11:04 PM EDT, 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1104 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1014 PM VA WIND DAMAGE
08/04/03 FRANKLIN TREES DOWN ON MUDDY FORK
RD, SE FRANKLIN COUNTY.The office that day
Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 4, 10:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Franklin | 25 min |
| Aug 4, 10:21 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RNK | Tazewell | 3 hr |
| Aug 5, 12:06 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Amherst, Rockbridge, City of Buena Vista, City of Lexington | 39 min |
| Aug 5, 12:13 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Patrick | 32 min |
| Aug 5, 1:01 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Bedford, Franklin | 59 min |
| Aug 5, 2:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Craig, Montgomery, City of Radford | 57 min |
| Aug 5, 2:34 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Montgomery, City of Radford | 56 min |
| Aug 5, 2:39 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Roanoke | 36 min |
| Aug 5, 2:48 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Botetourt | 57 min |
| Aug 5, 3:21 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Floyd | 24 min |
| Aug 5, 3:39 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Roanoke, City of Roanoke, City of Salem | 51 min |
| Aug 5, 3:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Bedford | 66 min |
| Aug 5, 4:43 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Franklin | 62 min |
| Aug 5, 6:22 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Halifax | 23 min |
| Aug 5, 6:23 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Halifax | 52 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Virginia, 2003Every 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.