Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Blacksburg, VA

February 28, 2011Rockingham County, Stokes County, Surry County, North Carolina

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Feb 28, 2011, 3:14 PM EST for Rockingham County, Stokes County, Surry County, North Carolina. It was in force for 15 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: Feb 28, 2011, 3:14 PM EST (20:14 UTC)
Expired: Feb 28, 2011, 3:29 PM EST
In force: 15 min
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Rockingham County, NC, Stokes County, NC, Surry County, NC

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 70 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:14 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
Feb 28, 3:15 PM EST	HAIL 0.88	5 Ene Pilot Mountain, NC

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

The watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Feb 28, 1:29 PM EST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 50 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: 948 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 425 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 499 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.

661 
WFUS51 KRNK 282014
TORRNK
NCC157-169-171-282045-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0001.110228T2014Z-110228T2045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
314 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
  STOKES COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
  EASTERN SURRY COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 345 PM EST.

* AT 305 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR PILOT
  MOUNTAIN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LAWSONVILLE...
  SANDY RIDGE...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO...PLEASE RELAY YOUR SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS
TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE AT...1...8 6
6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EST MONDAY AFTERNOON
FOR SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 800 PM EST MONDAY EVENING FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

&&

LAT...LON 3627 8053 3629 8054 3628 8059 3653 8061
      3655 8005 3654 8004 3654 7994 3625 7994
TIME...MOT...LOC 2013Z 243DEG 66KT 3647 8025

$$

PC

2 follow-up statements

662 
WWUS51 KRNK 282024
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
324 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011

NCC157-169-171-282045-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110228T2045Z/
ROCKINGHAM NC-STOKES NC-SURRY NC-
324 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 345 PM EST FOR EASTERN
SURRY...STOKES AND WESTERN ROCKINGHAM COUNTIES...

AT 318 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A POSSIBLE TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR SANDY 
RIDGE...MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
STURDY SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST
DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EST MONDAY AFTERNOON
FOR SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 800 PM EST MONDAY EVENING FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

&&

LAT...LON 3627 8053 3629 8054 3628 8059 3653 8061
      3655 8005 3654 8004 3654 7994 3625 7994
TIME...MOT...LOC 2024Z 243DEG 66KT 3655 8002

$$

PC

265 
WWUS51 KRNK 282029
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
329 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011

NCC157-169-171-282039-
/O.CAN.KRNK.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110228T2045Z/
ROCKINGHAM NC-STOKES NC-SURRY NC-
329 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EASTERN SURRY...STOKES AND WESTERN
ROCKINGHAM COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG AT...1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EST MONDAY AFTERNOON
FOR SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 800 PM EST MONDAY EVENING FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3627 8053 3629 8054 3628 8059 3653 8061
      3655 8005 3654 8004 3654 7994 3625 7994
TIME...MOT...LOC 2029Z 243DEG 66KT 3658 7991

$$

PC

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 28, 12:34 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Stokes	41 min
Feb 28, 1:33 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Alleghany	27 min
Feb 28, 1:59 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Watauga, Wilkes	46 min
Feb 28, 2:42 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Alleghany, Surry, Wilkes	33 min
Feb 28, 4:05 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Stokes, Surry, Yadkin	40 min
Feb 28, 4:23 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Caswell, Rockingham	67 min
Feb 28, 6:30 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Caswell, Rockingham	60 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2011 Every tornado warning in 2011 Tornadoes in 2011

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.