Alert archive / Maryland / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 210, NWS Baltimore/Washington

August 4, 2004Baltimore County, Maryland

NWS Baltimore/Washington issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 4, 2004, 7:04 PM EDT for Baltimore County, Maryland. It was in force for 41 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
Aug 4, 2004, 7:04 PM EDT (23:04 UTC)
Expired
Aug 4, 2004, 7:45 PM EDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Baltimore/Washington
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Baltimore County, MD

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 91 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:07 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

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 87 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2004-08-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 24 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2004-08-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -2 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
24 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-92 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1125 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-2 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-4 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 4, 3:20 PM EDT, 3 hours 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 4, 3:20 PM EDT, 3 hours 44 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
320 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2004

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT AND THURSDAY):
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THROUGH 9:00 PM FOR THE NORTHWEST
FORECAST AREA...

WATER VAPOR LOOP SHOWS A DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER EASTERN CANADA
WHILE A RIDGE DOMINATES THE SOUTHWEST CONUS. HURRICANE ALEX
CONTINUES TO DEPART THE REGION. SEVERAL WAVES CONTINUE TO ROAM THE
MIDWEST AS AN IMPRESSIVE VORTICITY AXIS CURRENTLY PARALLELS THE
CANADIAN BORDER ON THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH.
ACARS 400-250MB WIND SPEED OBSERVATIONS REVEALS A 85-100KT JET
STRETCHING SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST OVER THE GREAT LAKES...WHILE
WEAKER ANTICYCLONIC FLOW IS EVIDENT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CONUS. 12Z
SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACES THE NEXT FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM THE MIDWEST
THROUGH THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES WITH SEVERAL WAVES ALONG THE
BOUNDARY. A 1026MB HIGH CURRENTLY DOMINATES CENTRAL CANADA.

AS ALEX CONTINUES TO MOVE WELL TO OUR NORTHEAST...MIDLEVEL
SUBSIDENCE IS WANING. AS A RESULT...AFTERNOON ACARS SOUDINGS REVEAL
MIDLEVEL TEMPERATURES HAVE COOLED SEVERAL DEGREES SINCE THE 12Z IAD
RAOB. THIS HAS ALLOWED INSTABILITY TO RISE...WITH 18Z SATELLITE
LIFTED INDICIES NOW LOWERING TO BETEEN -3 AND -5C WEST OF THE BLUE
RIDGE.

WITH LAPSE RATES INCREASING...THE ENVIRONMENT IS BECOMING
INCREASINGLY FAVORABLE FOR CONVECTION AS EVENING APPROACHES.
MEANWHILE...LINE OF CONVECTION WHICH HAS ORGINS TO A MIDWEST MCS
LAST NIGHT CONTINUES TO MOVE EAST TOWARDS OUR WESTERN FORECAST AREA.
PROPAGATION SPEED OF ABOUT 40 MPH PLUS SIGINIFICANT DRYING BEHIND
THE LINE SUGGESTS THAT THIS MATURE BOW IS PRODUCING SIGNIFICANT
WINDS. HOWEVER...MOUNTAINS WILL BECOME AN OBSTATICAL FOR THIS LINE
AND AM UNSURE HOW SIGNIFICANT THE WINDS WILL BE AS THE LINE
PROGESSES FUTHER EAST.

MODELS HAVE BECOME MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH THE TIMING OF THE COLD
FRONT...AND THIS SEEMS REASONABLE GIVEN CONVECTION. FRONTAL BOUNDRY
MAY HANG UP ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA OVERNIGHT...PROVIDING AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR HEAVIER RAINS AS DEEPER CONVERGENCE ARRIVES WITH
PRECIPTABLE WATER VALUES RISING OVER 2. AT THIS TIME AM UNSURE ON
LOCATION OF THE BOUNDARY SO WILL HOLD OFF ON ANY FLOOD WATCH. NEXT
SHIFT WILL BE ABLE TO MONITOR OBSERVATIONAL TRENDS.

WINDS SHIFT TO NORTHERLY WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY
TOMORROW. EXPECT MOISTURE TO BE TRAPPED UNDER LOWERING SUBSIDENCE
INVERSION TOMORROW...SO NOT EXPECTING MORE THAN A FEW BREAKS IN THE
CLOUDS DURING THE MAJORITY OF THE DAY.

COLLABORATIVE THANKS: RLX/RNK/AKQ/PHI/HPC

&&

.AVIATION: VCTS ACROSS IAD/DCA/MRB AS INSTSABILITY INCREASES THIS
AFTERNOON. HAD A DIFFICULT TIME TIMING THE CONVECTIVE LINE AS
PROPAGATION MAY SLOW WITH A DECREASED COLD POOL DEPTH AND AS IT
INTERACTS WITH THE TERRAIN. LINE OF CONVECTION MAY SUSTAIN ITSELF AS
IT BECOMES ELEVATED OVERNIGHT...WHICH MAY PROVIDE FOR AN ENHANCED
DURATION OF PRECIPITATION...MOST LIKELY ACROSS CENTRAL VIRGINIA.
WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHERLY WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. SOME LOWER
STRATO CU IS A POSSIBILTY GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND
BOUNDARY LAYER TURBULANCE.

&&

.LONG TERM THU NGT THRU WED...
WILL TREND OUT LINGERING PRECIP IN THE S THU EVENING. GFS IS A BIT
OF AN OUTLIER IN THAT IT DEVELOPS A 2NDRY SFC WAVE ALG CDFNT AND
KEEPS PRECIP IN A BIT LONGER. WILL TOSS THAT SOLN OUT FOR NOW.

HI PRES BUILDS IN BEHIND FNT AND REMAINS IN CTRL INTO EARLY NEXT
WEEK. VERY COOL 850 MB TEMPS NOTED BEHIND FNT FOR AUGUST. TEMPS DROP
DOWN TO 4C WRN ZONES BY FRI MORNING. CAN SEE A GOOD CU FIELD
DEVELOPING GIVEN UPR LVL FLOW AND DECENT LOW LVL LAPSE RATES. WELL
NOT BREAK OUT OF THE 70S FRI.

H5 TROF CLOSES OFF TO OUR N FRI. AS IT SHIFTS N...OUR FLOW BECOMES A
BIT MORE ZONAL. TEMPS WILL MODERATE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.

MOISTURE INCRS AHD OF CDFNT WED. HAVE INCLUDED CHC POPS DAY 7.
BOUNDARY SLATED THROUGH CWA ON THU.

&&

.LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
DC...NONE.
MD...NONE.
VA...NONE.
WV...NONE.
MARINE...NONE.

SHORT TERM/AVIATION FORECASTER: ROGOWSKI
LONG TERM FORECASTER: RDH
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 4, 3:17 PM EDT, 3 hours 47 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
317 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2004

DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021-025>031-036>042-
050>057-WVZ048>055-051030-
ALBEMARLE VA-ALLEGANY MD-ANNE ARUNDEL MD-
ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA VA-AUGUSTA VA-BERKELEY WV-
CALVERT MD-CARROLL MD-CHARLES MD-CLARKE VA-CULPEPER VA-
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DC-FAIRFAX VA-FAUQUIER VA-FREDERICK VA-
FREDERICK MD-GRANT WV-GREENE VA-HAMPSHIRE WV-HARDY WV-HARFORD MD-
HIGHLAND VA-HOWARD MD-JEFFERSON WV-KING GEORGE VA-LOUDOUN VA-
MADISON VA-MINERAL WV-MONTGOMERY MD-MORGAN WV-NELSON VA-
NORTHERN BALTIMORE MD-ORANGE VA-PAGE VA-PENDLETON WV-
PRINCE GEORGES MD-PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK VA-
RAPPAHANNOCK VA-ROCKINGHAM VA-SHENANDOAH VA-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE MD-
SPOTSYLVANIA VA-ST. MARYS MD-STAFFORD VA-WARREN VA-WASHINGTON MD-
1022 AM EDT WED AUG 4 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MARYLAND WEST OF THE CHESAPEAKE
BAY AND EAST OF GARRETT COUNTY...EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA...NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND WASHINGTON DC.

.DAY ONE...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
NUMBER 708 VALID UNTIL 900 PM EDT FOR WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL
MARYLAND...THE NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND PARTS OF NORTHERN
VIRGINIA. AT 310 PM EDT...RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR DUBOIS IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA TO
THE EAST OF PITTSBURGH IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. ON ITS CURRENT
MOVEMENT...THIS LINE WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN MARYLAND SHORTLY AFTER 4
PM EDT. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE
STRONGEST STORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TOMORROW. THERE IS A CHANCE
SOME OF THESE COULD BECOME SEVERE MAINLY OVER FAR SOUTHERN MARYLAND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN NETWORK HAS BEEN ACTIVATED.

ROSA

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 4, 4:45 PM EDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
445 PM EDT WED AUG 04 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0425 PM     BLIZZARD         9 SW KEYSER             39.35N 79.10W
08/04/2004                   MINERAL            WV   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            TREES DOWNED

&&

MANNING
Local storm report, Aug 4, 4:47 PM EDT, 2 hours 17 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT ... CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
447 PM EDT WED AUG 04 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0425 PM     TSTM WND DMG     9 SW KEYSER             39.35N 79.10W
08/04/2004                   MINERAL            WV   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            TREES DOWNED

&&
CORRECTED EVENT TYPE

MANNING
Special weather statement, Aug 4, 5:37 PM EDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 4, 5:38 PM EDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 4, 6:30 PM EDT, 34 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Aug 4, 6:45 PM EDT, 19 minutes before
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      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Baltimore/Washington issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 4, 6:28 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX2 hr
Aug 4, 7:08 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX97 min
Aug 4, 7:38 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX2 hr
Aug 4, 4:02 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXAllegany58 min
Aug 4, 5:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXWashington62 min
Aug 4, 6:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXCarroll, Frederick54 min
Aug 4, 7:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXHarford66 min
Aug 4, 7:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXAnne Arundel, Prince George's, City of Baltimore55 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Maryland, 2004Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2004

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.