Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2010

Tornado Warning 45, NWS Wakefield, VA

October 27, 20106 counties in Virginia

NWS Wakefield, VA issued this tornado warning at Oct 27, 2010, 6:00 PM EDT for 6 counties in Virginia. It was in force for 45 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
Oct 27, 2010, 6:00 PM EDT (22:00 UTC)
Expired
Oct 27, 2010, 6:45 PM EDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Wakefield, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Essex County, VA, King and Queen County, VA, Lancaster County, VA, Middlesex County, VA, Northumberland County, VA, Richmond County, VA

The radar

The Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:04 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
Oct 27, 12:13 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 113 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, Wallops Is Stn, VA at 12:00Z on 2010-10-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 165 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, Wallops Is Stn, VA at 12:00Z on 2010-10-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 212 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
165 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-70 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
620 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
212 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
241 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Wakefield, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Oct 27, 4:13 PM EDT, 1 hour 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 27, 4:13 PM EDT, 1 hour 47 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
413 PM EDT WED OCT 27 2010

.SYNOPSIS...
STRONG LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK NORTHEAST TOWARDS HUDSON BAY
TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. A COLD FRONT GRADUALLY PUSHES
ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC STATES ON THURSDAY...AND PUSHES OFF THE
COAST THURSDAY EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION FROM
THE WEST LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO THE WEEKEND...BRINGING MUCH
COOLER AND DRY CONDITIONS TO THE REGION.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/...
TOR WATCH 733 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CNTRL AND ERN VA...AND
LWR MD ERN SHORE THRU 8 PM. SFC LVL WINDS GNLY 200-230 DIRECTION
AS OF 330 PM...BUT LATEST MSAS SHOWING PRES FALLS TO THE NW OF
RICHMOND. THIS MESOLOW MAY ALLOW THE WIND DIRECTIONS TO BACK A
FEW DEGREES FOR INCREASED SHEAR FOR POSSIBLE TORNADOES (TO MORE OF
A 170-200 DIRECTION). MAIN SVR THREAT LOOKS TO COME THIS
EVENG...PROBABLY BECMG MORE OF A HVY RAIN THREAT AFTER 00Z-02Z AS
SHEAR DIMINISHES AND DAYTIME HTG IS LOST. MAIN BATCH OF PRECIP
DOES NOT LOOK TO MAKE IT TO SE VA/NE NC UNTIL AFTER MIDNGT.

GIVEN PW/S BTWN 1.5 TO 2 IN AND DP TMPS 65-70...LCLLY HVY DOWNPOURS CUD
PRODUCE QPF'S AOA 1 INCH...AND WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT.

&&

.SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY/...
MAIN CHANGE TO THIS PORTION OF THE FCST HAS BEEN TO SLOW DOWN THE
CLEARING/DRYING TREND. ON THU...MAIN SHORTWAVE ENERGY LAGS BEHIND THE
WIND SHIFT BNDRY BY SEVERAL HRS...NOT SURPRISING SINCE THE SFC LOW
IS ALL THE WAY UP NEAR HUDSON BAY AT THIS PT...AND MID LVL FLOW
STAYS WSW. FAVOR A BLEND BETWN THE SLOWER NAM/ECMWF SOLN AND THE
FASTER GFS (ALL MODELS ARE A LOT SLOWER THAN PRV RUNS HAD BEEN). THIS
ALLOWS FOR LIKELY POPS THROUGH MOST OF THE MRNG/ERLY AFTN HRS TWDS
THE COAST AND AT LEAST LOW END CHC FOR THE I-95 CORRIDOR. SKIES
LOOK TO CLR FROM NW TO SE DURING THE AFTN...BUT BKN/OVC CONDS MAY
LINGER ALL DAY FROM VA BCH TO NE NC. DESPITE VERY WARM HUMID
AIRMASS OVER THE EAST...TEMPS LIKELY ONLY RISE A FEW DEGREES FROM
AM LOWS DUE TO ALL THE CLOUDS/PRECIP. OVERALL MOST AREAS CAN
EXPECT HIGHS IN THE UPR 70S TO ARND 80 (LWR 80S IF CLEARING IS
FASTER).

UPR SHORTWAVE TRACKS ACRS SRN VA THU EVENG. BY THIS TIME THINK THE
MSTR WILL BE LMTD SO HAVE KEPT FCST DRY (ALTHOUGH LATEST ECMWF IS
EVEN SLOWER AND MORE AMPLIFIED SO THIS WILL BEAR WATCHING). SKIES
LOOK TO BECOME MCLR AFTER MIDNIGHT...WITH MUCH COOLER AIR MOVING
IN. LOWS IN THE 40S TO LWR 50S.

DRY/COOL FRI-SAT...HIGHS IN THE 60S AND LOWS FRI NGT/SAT AM INTO
THE 30S WELL INLAND...40S TWDS THE COAST.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
LONG TERM PERIOD LOOKS TO BE DOMINATED BY CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE
WHICH WL DIVE SOUTH FROM SERN CANADA INTO NEW ENGLAND FOR THE LATTER
HALF OF THE WEEKEND INTO ERY NEXT WEEK. THIS FEATURE WILL PUSH A
(DRY) BACK DOOR BOUNDARY SOUTH INTO THE AREA ON SUNDAY...JUST AHEAD
OF A WEAK S/W TROUGH CROSSING INTO THE AREA FROM THE OH/TN VLYS.
KEPT SUNDAY/MONDAY DRY WITH GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT THAT FLAT/DRY
DOWNSLOPE FLOW CONTINUES THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WHILE DETAILS REMAIN A
BIT UNRESOLVED...BIG STORY FOR NEXT WEEK WL BE WITH AMPLIFICATION OF
THE LONGWAVE PATTERN FOR THE MIDDLE TO LATTER PORTION OF NEXT
WEEK...WITH STRONG UPR LVL TROUGH DROPPING FROM CENTRAL CANADA AND
DIGGING A DEEP UPR TROUGH INTO THE SERN CONUS. AS THIS
HAPPENS...HIGH PRESSURE OVER NEW ENGLAND WILL START TO RIDGE DOWN
THE EASTERN SEABOARD WITH LLVL ENE WNDS/HYBRID CAD-WEDGE PATTERN
SETTING UP. THIS TRANSLATES TO INCREASED FORECAST CONFIDENCE TOWARDS
INCREASING CLDS AND A TURN TWDS COOLER/WETTER CONDITIONS FOR THE
MIDWEEK PERIOD NEXT WEEK. HV ACCORDINGLY BUMPED UP POPS/CLD COVER
FOR THIS PERIOD AND LOWERED TEMPS ABT A CATEGORY.

&&

.AVIATION /20Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
STRONG SW FLOW CONTS THIS AFTN AHEAD OF SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT
PUSHING IN FROM THE W...RADAR SHOWS PREFRONTAL ACTIVITY DVLPNG
ALONG A DCA TO DAN LINE. SATELLITE AND VISUAL OBS SHOWING SOME
BREAKS IN CLD COVER SO AFTN HEATING SHOULD ASSIST TSTM DVLPMT. HAVE NOT
TRIED TO TIME TSTM ARRIVAL BUT HAVE CB IN RIC SBY AND WE WILL SEE
SHWRS OVERSPREAD THE AREA FROM WEST TO E AS THE FRONT MOVES TO THE
COAST BY THUR AM. HAVE MVFR CONDS MOST LOCATIONS OVERNIGHT BUT
COULD SEE IFR/LIFR VSBYS WHERE HEAVIER BANDS OF PRECIP PERSIST.

CONDITIONS SLOWLY CLEAR OUT ON THU WITH VFR/DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED
TO BEGIN LATE THU AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

&&

.MARINE...
SCA CONTINUES THROUGH TNGT OVER THE BAY/SND (THROUGH ERY THU AFTN
OVER NRN COASTAL WATERS) IN ASSN WITH STRONG SE FLOW AHEAD OF COLD
FRONT NW OF THE WATERS. STRONGEST WINDS REMAIN JUST OFF THE WATER
SFC...HOWEVER THINKING IS WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO SEE GUSTS TO LOW END
SCA CRITERIA THROUGH THIS EVENING (ESP ELEVATED SITES). WINDS/SEAS
GRADUALLY DIMINISH OVERNIGHT INTO ERY THU MORNING AS THE GRADIENT
CONTINUES TO RELAX.

ANOTHER ROUND OF SCA WL LKLY BE NEEDED IN ASSN WITH NW WNDS (CAA)
THU NGT INTO ERLY SAT...AS HIGH PRES BUILDS INTO THE REGION FM THE
W. THE HIGH MOVES OFF THE MID ATLC/SE CST LATE SAT...WITH A BACKDOOR
FRONT DROPPING ACRS THE AREA LATE SUN/SUN NGT.

&&

.CLIMATE...
RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR TODAY/WEDNESDAY...

FOR WED 10/27...
RIC 88 (1919)...DOUBTFUL.
ORF 84 (1919)...THIS HAS BEEN BROKEN.
SBY 83 (1984)...DOUBTFUL.
ECG 83 (1939)...THIS HAS BEEN BROKEN.

RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES FOR TODAY/WEDNESDAY...

FOR TODAY/WED 10/27...
RIC 66 (1977)...THIS LIKELY WILL BE BROKEN (UNLESS TEMPS FALL
PRIOR TO 1 AM EDT).
ORF 67 (1939)...THIS LIKELY WILL BE BROKEN (UNLESS TEMPS FALL
PRIOR TO 1 AM EDT).

&&

.AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MD...NONE.
NC...NONE.
VA...NONE.
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EDT THURSDAY FOR ANZ630>633-
     654-656-658.
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM EDT THURSDAY FOR ANZ650-652.

&&

SYNOPSIS...LKB
NEAR TERM...LKB
SHORT TERM...LKB
LONG TERM...MAM
AVIATION...CY
MARINE...MAM
CLIMATE...AKQ
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 27, 5:56 PM EDT, 4 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 27, 2:32 PM EDT, 3 hours 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
232 PM EDT WED OCT 27 2010

VAZ062>064-071>073-271930-
CAROLINE VA-GOOCHLAND VA-HANOVER VA-HENRICO VA-KING AND QUEEN VA-KING
WILLIAM VA-
232 PM EDT WED OCT 27 2010

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...

AT 231 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER OILVILLE...OR ABOUT 8 MILES EAST OF
GOOCHLAND...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
NEAR ELMONT AT 250 PM EDT...HANOVER AIRPORT AT 255 PM EDT...HANOVER
AT 300 PM EDT...CALNO AT 305 PM EDT...ETNA MILLS AT 310 PM EDT...
ENFIELD AT 315 PM EDT.

WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM. IF YOU HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE
CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. MOVE INTO A SAFE SHELTER
BEFORE THIS STORM REACHES YOUR AREA. REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.

RAINFALL RATES OF ONE TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR WILL CAUSE PONDING OF
WATER ON ROADWAYS...AND POSSIBLE LOCALIZED FLOODING IN LOW LYING AND
FLOOD PRONE AREAS.

LAT...LON 3774 7784 3773 7781 3775 7780 3793 7706
      3768 7698 3758 7770 3759 7774 3761 7778
      3761 7780

GINGRICH
Special weather statement, Oct 27, 5:17 PM EDT, 43 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 27, 5:21 PM EDT, 39 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 27, 5:29 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 27, 5:34 PM EDT, 26 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 27, 5:57 PM EDT, 3 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 27, 2:33 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementAKQLunenburg, Mecklenburg72 min
Oct 27, 2:49 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQLunenburg, Mecklenburg56 min
Oct 27, 3:04 AM EDTTornado WarningAKQLunenburg, Mecklenburg26 min
Oct 27, 3:45 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQLunenburg, Mecklenburg60 min
Oct 27, 4:16 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementAKQDinwiddie59 min
Oct 27, 5:05 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementAKQLunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway55 min
Oct 27, 8:08 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementAKQCaroline52 min
Oct 27, 1:30 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementAKQCumberland, Goochland60 min
Oct 27, 2:32 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementAKQHanover, King William58 min
Oct 27, 3:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQAmelia, Cumberland, Goochland, Powhatan48 min
Oct 27, 3:53 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQAmelia, Cumberland, Powhatan37 min
Oct 27, 4:23 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQAmelia, Chesterfield, Powhatan, City of Richmond37 min
Oct 27, 4:26 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQCaroline36 min
Oct 27, 4:48 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQCaroline, Essex, Westmoreland42 min
Oct 27, 4:53 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQChesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, City of Richmond37 min
Oct 27, 5:17 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementAKQBrunswick73 min
Oct 27, 5:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQBrunswick, Mecklenburg44 min
Oct 27, 5:31 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQEssex, Hanover, King and Queen, King William, New Kent29 min
Oct 27, 5:38 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQBrunswick, Mecklenburg32 min
Oct 27, 6:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQBrunswick, Greensville, Southampton, Sussex, City of Emporia39 min
Oct 27, 6:10 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningAKQ110 min
Oct 27, 6:45 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQLancaster, Northumberland15 min
Oct 27, 7:09 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQCaroline21 min
Oct 27, 7:15 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQBrunswick, Greensville, Mecklenburg45 min
Oct 27, 7:18 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementAKQAmelia, Cumberland, Goochland, Powhatan, Prince Edward57 min
Oct 27, 7:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQAccomack45 min
Oct 27, 7:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQGoochland, Hanover, Henrico, Louisa, Powhatan41 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 2010Every tornado warning in 2010Tornadoes in 2010

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.