Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 340, NWS Baltimore/Washington

August 2, 20084 counties in Virginia; Prince George's County, Maryland

NWS Baltimore/Washington issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 2, 2008, 5:07 PM EDT for 4 counties in Virginia; Prince George's County, Maryland. It was in force for 38 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 2, 2008, 5:07 PM EDT (21:07 UTC)
Expired
Aug 2, 2008, 5:45 PM EDT
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Baltimore/Washington
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Prince George's County, MD, Arlington County, VA, City of Alexandria, VA, City of Falls Church, VA, Fairfax County, VA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 37 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:58 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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Aug 2, 1:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 29 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 2008-08-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 17 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 2008-08-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 88 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
17 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-223 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1825 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
88 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
58 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 2, 3:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 2, 3:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
332 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

.SYNOPSIS...A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTH OF THE REGION TONIGHT.
HIGH PRES WILL DOMINATE SUN THROUGH EARLY TUE. ANOTHER COLD FRONT
WILL IMPACT THE REGION DURING MID WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING/...

WILL KEEP THIS SHORT DUE TO ACTIVE WARNINGS.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT. PLEASE REFER
TO SHORT-TERM FUSED PRODUCTS FOR UPDATES ON CURRENT CONVECTION.
SHORT-TERM GUIDANCE INDICATES CONVECTION LINGERING INTO SRN MD
UNTIL 9 OR 10 PM THIS EVENING.

&&

.SHORT TERM /8 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY/...

CLEARING OVERNIGHT WITH TEMPS DROPPING INTO THE MID 60S SUBURBS
AND 50S IN THE HIGHLANDS. SCT CU TOMORROW AFTERNOON WITH AFTERNOON
HEATING. ENOUGH INSTABILITY TO POP UP SOME SHOWERS OVER NERN MD SO
INCLUDED A 20 POP FOR THE AFTERNOON. A CAP AROUND 12KFT SHOULD
PREVENT SHRAS INTO GROWING INTO TSTMS. SO NO MENTION OF TSTMS.

&&

.LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...

QUIET FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AS HIGH PRES DOMINATES SUN THROUGH
EARLY TUE. RETURN FLOW SETS UP LATE TUE WITH A CHANCE OF TSTMS TUE
NIGHT INTO EARLY WED. MODEL GUIDANCE NOW KEEPS MID- UPPER LEVEL
RIDGE WELL SOUTH OF THE AREA SO HOT TEMPERATURES ABOVE 95F APPEAR
UNLIKELY. LOOKS LIKE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE WEEK WILL BE TUE WITH
HEAT INDICES APPROACHING 100. COOLER AND DRIER FOR THE END OF NEXT
WEEK WITH ANOTHER DEEP TROF OVR THE ERN US.

&&

.AVIATION /19Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...

TSRA LIKELY THROUGH 00Z WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS AND BRIEF MVFR
CONDITIONS...THEN P6SM SKC OVERNIGHT. NEXT CHANCE OF TSTMS LOOKS
TO BE TUESDAY NIGHT WITH A CHANCE OF SEVERE WX.

&&

.MARINE...WINDS GENERALLY BELOW 15 KTS OUTSIDE OF TSTMS. NO SCA
REQUIRED.

&&

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

&&

PRODUCTS...ROSA
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 2, 3:00 PM EDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
300 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

ANZ530>537-DCZ001-MDZ006-007-011-013-014-016>018-VAZ052>057-
031000-
CHESAPEAKE BAY NORTH OF POOLES ISLAND MD-
CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM POOLES ISLAND TO SANDY POINT MD-
CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO NORTH BEACH MD-
CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NORTH BEACH TO DRUM POINT MD-
CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM DRUM POINT MD TO SMITH POINT VA-
TIDAL POTOMAC FROM KEY BRIDGE TO INDIAN HEAD MD-
TIDAL POTOMAC FROM INDIAN HEAD TO COBB ISLAND MD-
TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND MD TO SMITH POINT VA-
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-NORTHERN BALTIMORE-HARFORD-
SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES-ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-ST. MARYS-
CALVERT-PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX-
ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-SPOTSYLVANIA-
KING GEORGE-
300 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MARYLAND PORTION OF THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY...TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER...AND ADJACENT COUNTIES IN
CENTRAL MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

HEAT INDICES MAY APPROACH 100 DEGREES TUESDAY. SEVERE WEATHER IS
POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN HAS BEEN ACTIVATED.

MDZ003>005-009-010-501-502-VAZ021-025>031-036>042-050-051-
WVZ050>055-501>504-031000-
WASHINGTON-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-MONTGOMERY-HOWARD-
EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY-CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY-HIGHLAND-
AUGUSTA-ROCKINGHAM-SHENANDOAH-FREDERICK VA-PAGE-WARREN-CLARKE-
NELSON-ALBEMARLE-GREENE-MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-FAUQUIER-LOUDOUN-
ORANGE-CULPEPER-HAMPSHIRE-MORGAN-BERKELEY-JEFFERSON-PENDLETON-
HARDY-WESTERN GRANT-EASTERN GRANT-WESTERN MINERAL-EASTERN MINERAL-
300 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA...
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA...AND CENTRAL AND WESTERN MARYLAND
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GARRETT COUNTY.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

HEAT INDICES MAY APPROACH 100 DEGREES ON TUESDAY. SEVERE WEATHER IS
POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN HAS BEEN ACTIVATED.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 2, 4:14 PM EDT, 53 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 2, 4:33 PM EDT, 34 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 2, 4:34 PM EDT, 33 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 2, 4:35 PM EDT, 32 minutes before
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Local storm report, Aug 2, 4:44 PM EDT, 23 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Aug 2, 4:45 PM EDT, 22 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 2, 4:44 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX2 hr
Aug 2, 4:50 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX68 min
Aug 2, 5:47 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX60 min
Aug 2, 9:07 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXFrederick, Shenandoah15 min
Aug 2, 2:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXPage, Rockingham38 min
Aug 2, 2:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXGreene, Madison, Page, Rockingham43 min
Aug 2, 3:06 PM EDTTornado WarningLWXGreene, Rockingham30 min
Aug 2, 3:11 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX2 hr
Aug 2, 3:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXGreene, Madison, Orange51 min
Aug 2, 5:05 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX55 min
Aug 2, 5:41 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX99 min
Aug 2, 5:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXLoudoun28 min
Aug 2, 5:44 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX45 min
Aug 2, 6:10 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX2 hr
Aug 2, 6:31 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX74 min
Aug 2, 7:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXFairfax, City of Fairfax43 min
Aug 2, 3:09 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXFrederick, Washington41 min
Aug 2, 3:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXBaltimore, Carroll, Harford64 min
Aug 2, 3:46 PM EDTTornado WarningLWXHarford44 min
Aug 2, 4:07 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXFrederick, Washington39 min
Aug 2, 4:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXBaltimore, City of Baltimore35 min
Aug 2, 5:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXAnne Arundel, Calvert, Prince George's31 min
Aug 2, 6:09 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXAnne Arundel51 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Virginia, 2008Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Maryland, 2008Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2008

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.