Alert archive / West Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Charleston, WV

May 30, 20096 counties in West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 30, 2009, 7:41 PM EDT for 6 counties in West Virginia. It was in force for 51 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 30, 2009, 7:41 PM EDT (23:41 UTC)
Expired: May 30, 2009, 8:32 PM EDT
In force: 51 min
Issued by: NWS Charleston, WV
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Boone County, WV, Clay County, WV, Fayette County, WV, Kanawha County, WV, Nicholas County, WV, Raleigh County, WV

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 69 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:43 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 30, 8:24 PM EDT	HAIL 0.75	Hernshaw, WV

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 30, 4:49 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	11 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 164 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 728 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 76 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 118 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS51 KRLX 302341
SVRRLX
WVC005-015-019-039-067-081-310100-
/O.NEW.KRLX.SV.W.0039.090530T2341Z-090531T0100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
741 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN BOONE COUNTY IN WEST VIRGINIA...
  SOUTHERN CLAY COUNTY IN WEST VIRGINIA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF CLAY...
  FAYETTE COUNTY IN WEST VIRGINIA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...FAYETTEVILLE...BABCOCK STATE PARK...
  SOUTHERN KANAWHA COUNTY IN WEST VIRGINIA...
  WESTERN NICHOLAS COUNTY IN WEST VIRGINIA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF SUMMERSVILLE...
  NORTHWESTERN RALEIGH COUNTY IN WEST VIRGINIA...

* UNTIL 900 PM EDT

* AT 739 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  A CLUSTER OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE  
  HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS     
  LOCATED NEAR CHESAPEAKE...OR 13 MILES SOUTH OF CHARLESTON...AND    
  MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  MARMET...BELLE...COAL FORK...EAST BANK...CEDAR GROVE...GLASGOW...
  BURNWELL...PRATT...POWELLTON...MONTGOMERY...SMITHERS...MOUNT
  HOPE...GAULEY BRIDGE...OAK HILL...GLEN...HAWKS NEST STATE PARK AND
  ANSTED

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PLEASE REPORT HAIL OR STRONG WINDS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT
SUNDAY MORNING FOR CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST OHIO AND CENTRAL
VIRGINIA AND CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3787 8172 3825 8171 3855 8093 3834 8069
      3808 8075 3810 8085 3809 8088 3806 8085
      3808 8081 3806 8080 3805 8081 3801 8077
      3795 8080 3787 8080
TIME...MOT...LOC 2340Z 259DEG 24KT 3817 8157

$$

08

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS51 KRLX 310032
SVSRLX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
832 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

WVC005-015-019-039-067-081-310042-
/O.CAN.KRLX.SV.W.0039.000000T0000Z-090531T0100Z/
KANAWHA WV-CLAY WV-NICHOLAS WV-RALEIGH WV-BOONE WV-FAYETTE WV-
832 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR FAYETTE...EASTERN BOONE...
NORTHWESTERN RALEIGH...WESTERN NICHOLAS...SOUTHERN CLAY AND SOUTHERN
KANAWHA COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE LIMITS
AND NO LONGER POSES A SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...THUS THE SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED. HOWEVER GUSTY WINDS AND PEA
SIZE HAIL ARE STILL POSSIBLE.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT
SUNDAY MORNING FOR CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST OHIO AND CENTRAL
VIRGINIA AND CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA.

PLEASE REPORT HAIL OR STRONG WINDS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

LAT...LON 3787 8172 3825 8171 3855 8093 3834 8069
      3808 8075 3810 8085 3809 8088 3806 8085
      3808 8081 3806 8080 3805 8081 3801 8077
      3795 8080 3787 8080
TIME...MOT...LOC 0032Z 248DEG 20KT 3834 8123

$$

12

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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 30, 7:35 PM EDT, 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 30, 7:35 PM EDT, 6 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
735 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

.SYNOPSIS...
A LOW PRESSURE CENTER MOVES ACROSS TONIGHT.  A COLD FRONT CROSSES
SUNDAY MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.
NEXT COLD MOVES IN TUESDAY NIGHT OR WEDNESDAY.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/...
SHOWERS ALONG FRONT THAT WASHED OUT ACROSS CNTRL WV TODAY HAVE NOT
COMPLETELY GONE AWAY...WITH NEW SHOWERS ALREADY FORMING ALONG THIS
AXIS IN THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE CWA.  EXPECT ACTIVITY WILL
CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN THE AFTERNOON HEATING AND IN ADVANCE OF WEAK
LOW PRESSURE APPROACHING FROM W KY...ACROSS THE SW PORTION OF THE
CWA...THEN WORKING E THIS EVENING.

MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF ON PW VALUES AND INSTABILITY...WITH THE
JUICIEST AIR TO THE W.  FREEZING LEVEL AND STRENGTH OF FLOW CAN
STILL SUPPORT MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL AND WIND IN AND NEAR NE KY
WHERE SLT RISK IS.  USED NEWLY WRITTEN EDIT AREA FROM MODEL
PARAMETER TOOL TO HELP WITH PLACEMENT AND TIMING OF HIGHEST POPS AND
BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS.  MODELS SHOW PRECIPITATION HANGING ON
A LITTLE LONGER IN THE MOUNTAINS EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AS A COLD
FRONT MOVES IN FROM THE N.

HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO BUILD INTO THE AREA BEHIND THE FRONT SUNDAY
AFTERNOON BRINGING ABOUT CLEARING.

GUIDANCE LOOKS REASONABLE FOR TONIGHT AND SUNDAY...WITH A BLEND
WHERE DIFFERENCES SHOW UP IN A HTS-CRW-EKN AXIS SUNDAY.

&&

.SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
FIRST PART OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD WILL REMAIN DRY AS UPPER LEVEL
RIDGING OVER THE SE U.S. REMAINS IN CONTROL. THIS WILL CREATE MOSTLY
SUNNY SKIES...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME AFTERNOON CU...AND WARMER
TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE WORK WEEK.
HUMIDITY WILL ALSO BE ON THE INCREASE EARLY IN THE EXTENDED AS THE
SURFACE HIGH SHIFTS TO THE EAST...AND FLOW BECOMES MORE
SOUTHWESTERLY.

&&

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
NAM CONTINUES TO BE FASTER WITH THE FRONT NEXT WEEK. HOWEVER...HAVE
CONTINUED TO TREND THE FORECAST MORE TOWARDS THE GFS WHICH IS SLOWER
WITH THE BREAK DOWN OF THE RIDGE...BRINGING THE FRONT INTO THE
REGION TUESDAY NIGHT/EARLY WEDNESDAY...AND THEN SLOWLY SAGGING SOUTH
OF THE REGION.  THIS WILL BRING A RETURN OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION ONCE AGAIN. MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA
WILL BEGIN TO DRY OUT TOWARDS THE END OF THE WORK WEEK...ALTHOUGH
HAVE CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF POPS IN THE
FORECAST...MAINLY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CWA AND OVER THE
HIGHER TERRAIN...AS DISTURBANCES CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE FLOW.
MODELS INDICATE ANOTHER FRONT MOVING INTO THE REGION AT THE END OF
THE EXTENDED PERIOD.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
COLD FRONT TO SAG DOWN ACROSS SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA TONIGHT AND
SUNDAY. SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH MVFR TO IFR CONDTIONS
WILL BE COMMON THROUGH MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. MVFR OR WORSE LOW CLOUDS
ARE LIKELY TO FORM ESPECIALLY IN PLACES WHERE IT RAINS THIS
EVENING. FOG IS ALSO POSSIBLE...HAVE CONTINUED MVFR AT EKN. THE COLD
FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH AND OUT OF THE REGION ON SUNDAY
POSSIBLY KEEPING PRECIPITATION IN THE MOUNTAINS FOR A LITTLE
LONGER. MORNING LOW STRATUS IS LIKELY TO AFFECT MOUNTAINS SUNDAY
MORNING BUT...BY MIDDAY...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL WITH HIGH
PRESSURE MOVING IN.

AVIATION OUTLOOK /BEYOND 00Z SUNDAY/...
NO SIGNIFICANT WX EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

&&

.RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WV...NONE.
OH...NONE.
KY...NONE.
VA...NONE.

&&

SYNOPSIS...TRM/SL/ESS/RPY
NEAR TERM...TRM
SHORT TERM...ESS
LONG TERM...SL
AVIATION...JS

Hazardous weather outlook, May 30, 5:04 PM EDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
504 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

OHZ066-067-075-076-083>086-VAZ003-004-WVZ006>011-013>020-024>040-046-
047-312115-
PERRY-MORGAN-ATHENS-WASHINGTON-JACKSON OH-VINTON-MEIGS-GALLIA-
DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-CABELL-MASON-JACKSON WV-WOOD-PLEASANTS-TYLER-
LINCOLN-PUTNAM-KANAWHA-ROANE-WIRT-CALHOUN-RITCHIE-DODDRIDGE-MINGO-
LOGAN-BOONE-CLAY-BRAXTON-GILMER-LEWIS-HARRISON-TAYLOR-MCDOWELL-
WYOMING-RALEIGH-FAYETTE-NICHOLAS-WEBSTER-UPSHUR-BARBOUR-POCAHONTAS-
RANDOLPH-
504 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST OHIO...SOUTHWEST
VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

KYZ101>103-105-OHZ087-WVZ005-312115-
GREENUP-CARTER-BOYD-LAWRENCE KY-LAWRENCE OH-WAYNE-
504 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 316 IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT
TONIGHT...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST
KENTUCKY...SOUTHEAST OHIO AND WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 30, 5:07 PM EDT, 2 hours 34 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
507 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

WVZ033-034-302145-
MCDOWELL-WYOMING-
507 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EAST CENTRAL MCDOWELL AND
SOUTHEASTERN WYOMING COUNTIES...

AT 505 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED NEAR HERNDON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20
MPH.

WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR HERNDON AROUND 515 PM.

PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

08

Local storm report, May 30, 6:21 PM EDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
621 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

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

0608 PM     HAIL             MADISON                 38.03N 81.75W
05/30/2009  U1.00 INCH       BOONE              WV   PUBLIC

&&

NNNN

Local storm report, May 30, 6:23 PM EDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
623 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

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

0615 PM     HAIL             WARNOCK                 38.49N 82.98W
05/30/2009  E0.88 INCH       GREENUP            KY   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

ABEAVERS

Local storm report, May 30, 6:24 PM EDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
624 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

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

0600 PM     HAIL             DANVILLE                38.04N 81.87W
05/30/2009  U0.50 INCH       BOONE              WV   PUBLIC

&&

NNNN

Local storm report, May 30, 6:52 PM EDT, 49 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
652 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

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

0624 PM     HAIL             GORDON                  37.99N 81.66W
05/30/2009  U1.00 INCH       BOONE              WV   PUBLIC

&&

NNNN

Local storm report, May 30, 7:36 PM EDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WEST VIRGINIA
736 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009

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

0721 PM     HAIL             CLOTHIER                37.79N 82.00W
05/30/2009  U0.88 INCH       LOGAN              WV   PUBLIC

&&

NNNN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 30, 5:25 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Boone, Kanawha, Lincoln	65 min
May 30, 5:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Kanawha	62 min
May 30, 6:38 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Boone, Lincoln, Logan	67 min
May 30, 7:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Cabell, Wayne	70 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in West Virginia, 2009 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2009

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.