Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Blacksburg, VA

April 5, 2011Franklin County, Henry County, City of Martinsville, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Apr 5, 2011, 1:58 AM EDT for Franklin County, Henry County, City of Martinsville, Virginia. It was in force for 17 min. 6 reports 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: Apr 5, 2011, 1:58 AM EDT (05:58 UTC)
Expired: Apr 5, 2011, 2:15 AM EDT
In force: 17 min
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties City of Martinsville, VA, Franklin County, VA, Henry County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 43 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:01 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
Apr 5, 2:00 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 N Spencer, VA	TREE DOWN ON SKYVIEW TRAIL
Apr 5, 2:00 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Fieldale, VA	TREES DOWN ON HOUSE. PEOPLE TRAPPED INSIDE.
Apr 5, 2:00 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Oak Level, VA	LARGE TREE DOWN
Apr 5, 2:00 AM EDT	TSTM WND GST 0	Fieldale, VA	TREES DOWN ON HOUSE. PEOPLE TRAPPED INSIDE.
Apr 5, 2:07 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 E Bassett, VA	TREE DOWN ON COLONIAL HILL DRIVE
Apr 5, 2:08 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Nnw Martinsville City, VA	TREE DOWN

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
Apr 5, 12:36 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	111 min

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 70 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: 2364 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 144 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 291 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.

706 
WFUS51 KRNK 050558
TORRNK
VAC067-089-690-050630-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0004.110405T0558Z-110405T0630Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
158 AM EDT TUE APR 5 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CITY OF MARTINSVILLE IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  NORTHERN HENRY COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  SOUTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 230 AM EDT.

* AT 156 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR FIELDALE...
  OR NEAR BASSETT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 70 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  COLLINSVILLE...
  FIGSBORO...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 AM EDT
TUESDAY MORNING FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN
VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3664 8006 3666 8006 3668 8008 3672 8010
      3674 8008 3675 8009 3688 7987 3670 7974
      3661 8003
TIME...MOT...LOC 0558Z 232DEG 61KT 3672 7995

$$

1 follow-up statement

624 
WWUS51 KRNK 050615
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
215 AM EDT TUE APR 5 2011

VAC067-089-690-050626-
/O.CAN.KRNK.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-110405T0630Z/
CITY OF MARTINSVILLE VA-HENRY VA-FRANKLIN VA-
215 AM EDT TUE APR 5 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR THE CITY OF MARTINSVILLE... SOUTHERN
FRANKLIN AND NORTHERN HENRY 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 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 AM EDT
TUESDAY MORNING FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN
VIRGINIA.

LAT...LON 3664 8006 3666 8006 3668 8008 3672 8010
      3674 8008 3675 8009 3688 7987 3670 7974
      3661 8003
TIME...MOT...LOC 0616Z 232DEG 61KT 3690 7964

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 4, 11:46 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Bland, Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Wythe	44 min
Apr 5, 12:02 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Grayson, Smyth, City of Galax	58 min
Apr 5, 12:32 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Bland, Craig, Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski and 3 more	58 min
Apr 5, 12:45 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Carroll, Floyd, Franklin, Grayson, Patrick, City of Galax	75 min
Apr 5, 1:33 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Alleghany, Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin and 7 more	57 min
Apr 5, 1:46 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Bedford, Franklin, Henry, Patrick, Pittsylvania, City of Martinsville	59 min
Apr 5, 2:06 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Henry, Patrick, Pittsylvania, City of Danville, City of Martinsville	54 min
Apr 5, 2:26 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Buckingham, Campbell, Charlotte and 4 more	57 min
Apr 5, 2:36 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Campbell, Charlotte, Halifax, Pittsylvania	54 min
Apr 5, 2:58 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Charlotte, Halifax, Henry, Pittsylvania, City of Danville	62 min
Apr 5, 5:49 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Giles, Montgomery, City of Radford	56 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 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.