Alert archive / West Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 249, NWS Baltimore/Washington

September 17, 2004Berkeley County, West Virginia

NWS Baltimore/Washington issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 17, 2004, 8:46 PM EDT for Berkeley County, West 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: Sep 17, 2004, 8:46 PM EDT (00:46 UTC)
Expired: Sep 17, 2004, 9:30 PM EDT
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Baltimore/Washington
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Berkeley County, WV

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:47 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Sep 17, 6:50 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 00:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 79 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: 1144 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 556 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 168 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 235 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.8
Supercell composite: 4.2

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 Sep 17, 4:06 PM EDT, 4 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 17, 4:06 PM EDT, 4 hours 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
406 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004

HONESTLY THIS HAS BEEN AN XTRMLY REACTIONARY SHIFT - HV SPENT MOST
OF DAY ISSUING PRODUCTS/GIVING BRIEFINGS/DOING INTERVIEWS. HVG BEEN
ON FOR THE PAST SVRL DAYS I HV AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SYNOPTICS
BEHIND WHAT IS HAPPENING ATTM. XPCT WELL BE ISSUING MR TORS DURG
THE NEXT SVRL HRS. ALTHO WE HV NOT RCVD MUCH RAFL SO FAR STILL BLV
THAT IN TRPCL ENVIRONMENT LARGE AMTS OF RA COULD FALL IN SHORT AMT
OF TIME. WE HV DROPPED THE PSBL TOTALS TO 3-5.

IT LOOKS LK PCPN THREAT SHOULD BEGIN TO WANE IN THE NW SXN OF CWA
DURG SAT AFTN...BCMG BRZY AS WIND TURNS NRLY.

WOODY
&&

.LONG TERM (SAT NIGHT-FRI)

THERE WILL BE A TASTE OF FALL IN THE AIR EARLY NEXT WEEK AS CANADIAN
HIGH BUILDS IN. OVERNIGHT TEMPS EARLY NEXT WEEK WILL DROP INTO THE
40S IN SOME SPOTS OUT WEST WITH 50S MORE COMMON EAST. SKIES EXPECTED
TO CLEAR RAPIDLY SAT NIGHT AS MUCH DRIER AIR ADVECTS IN GUSTY NRLY
WINDS. DONT HAVE ANY MENTION OF PRECIP IN THE EXTENDED. WILL ONLY
HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANY RIVER FLOODING THAT MAY BE ONGOING.

ROSA
&&

.LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
DC...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 800 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR ZONE DCZ001.

TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 800 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR ZONE DCC001.

MD...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 800 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR ZONES MDZ002>007...
MDZ009>011...MDZ013>014...MDZ016>018.

TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 800 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR ZONES MDC003...MDC009...
MDC017...MDC031...MDC033...MDC037.

TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 800 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR ZONES MDC005...MDC013...
MDC021...MDC025...MDC027...MDC043.

VA...TORNADO WARNING UNTIL 415 PM EDT FRIDAY FOR ZONES VAC113...
VAC157.

FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 800 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR ZONES
VAZ021...VAZ025>031...VAZ036>042...VAZ050>057.

WV...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 800 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR ZONES WVZ048>055.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 17, 11:29 AM EDT, 9 hours 17 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
1129 AM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004

DCZ001-MDZ002>007-009>011-013-014-016>018-VAZ021-025>031-036>042-
050>057-WVZ048>055-180800-
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-
1129 AM EDT FRI SEP 17 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...
A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN VIRGINIA...MARYLAND...THE
PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA...AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. RAINFALL
ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF IVAN WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA
THROUGH SATURDAY. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES WILL BE
POSSIBLE. THIS COULD LEAD TO THE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS...SMALL
STREAMS AND CREEKS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
THE FLOOD WATCH WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY. AS THE
RAIN CONTINUES...SIGNIFICANT RISES ON THE POTOMAC RIVER WILL BE
POSSIBLE...WITH SEVERAL LOCATIONS EXCEEDING FLOOD STAGE ON SUNDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 17, 8:20 PM EDT, 26 minutes before

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Local storm report, Sep 17, 8:21 PM EDT, 25 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Sep 17, 8:22 PM EDT, 24 minutes before

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Local storm report, Sep 17, 8:23 PM EDT, 23 minutes before

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Local storm report, Sep 17, 8:26 PM EDT, 20 minutes before

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Local storm report, Sep 17, 8:41 PM EDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
841 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004

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

0630 PM     TORNADO          LOVETTSVILLE            39.27N 77.64W
09/17/2004                   LOUDOUN            VA   AMATEUR RADIO

            JOHN WOLFORD AT ASH GEORGE TREES BLOCKING BRIDGE. RICKARD
            ROAD NORTH OF MILLTOWN ROAD BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES.

&&

STRONG

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 17, 8:15 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	LWX		2 hr
Sep 17, 8:36 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	LWX		114 min
Sep 17, 10:28 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	LWX		2 hr
Sep 17, 10:28 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	LWX		2 hr
Sep 17, 10:28 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	LWX		2 hr
Sep 17, 11:45 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	LWX		2 hr
Sep 17, 11:45 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	LWX		2 hr
Sep 18, 1:44 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	LWX		91 min
Sep 18, 1:44 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	LWX		91 min
Sep 17, 8:16 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	LWX	Washington	44 min
Sep 17, 10:10 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LWX	Washington	2 hr
Sep 17, 10:16 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LWX	Allegany	119 min
Sep 18, 12:58 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LWX	Allegany, Washington	3 hr
Sep 18, 3:48 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LWX	Harford	27 min
Sep 17, 11:19 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LWX	Berkeley, Morgan	3 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in West Virginia, 2004 Every 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.