Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Blacksburg, VA

May 9, 2003Alleghany County, City of Covington, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 9, 2003, 9:54 PM EDT for Alleghany County, City of Covington, Virginia. It was in force for 21 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
May 9, 2003, 9:54 PM EDT (01:54 UTC)
Expired
May 9, 2003, 10:15 PM EDT
In force
21 min
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Alleghany County, VA, City of Covington, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 101 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:58 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 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 88 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 00:00Z on 2003-05-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1541 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 2003-05-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 90 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
1541 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-16 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1135 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
90 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
123 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
3.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

642 
WUUS51 KRNK 100154
SVRRNK
VAC005-560-580-100215-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
952 PM EDT FRI MAY 9 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  COVINGTON IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  CLIFTON FORGE IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA   
  NORTHERN ALLEGHANY COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 1015 PM EDT.

* AT 952 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES WEST OF CLIFTON FORGE...MOVING       
  SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS THREATENED THROUGH 1015 PM EDT INCLUDE
  NATURAL WELL...
  HOLLINS...
  COVINGTON...
  CLIFTON FORGE...

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.

<<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 3796 7994 3786 7983 3778 7994 3789 8013
          3795 8006

$$

06

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 9, 10:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKAlleghany, Botetourt, City of Covington32 min
May 9, 10:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBedford, Botetourt46 min
May 9, 11:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBedford, Campbell, City of Lynchburg46 min
May 9, 11:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKHalifax45 min
May 10, 12:28 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKHalifax32 min
May 10, 2:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKFranklin, Pittsylvania24 min
May 10, 3:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKPittsylvania31 min
May 10, 3:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBath36 min
May 10, 4:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKPittsylvania44 min
May 10, 4:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKCharlotte, Halifax37 min
May 10, 4:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKHalifax33 min
May 10, 4:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBotetourt40 min
May 10, 4:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKAmherst30 min
May 10, 4:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKHalifax48 min
May 10, 5:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBotetourt11 min
May 10, 5:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBedford49 min
May 10, 5:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKCampbell, City of Lynchburg32 min
May 10, 6:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKHalifax39 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.