Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 55, NWS Blacksburg, VA

April 28, 2011Surry County, Wilkes County, Yadkin County, North Carolina

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Apr 28, 2011, 3:47 AM EDT for Surry County, Wilkes County, Yadkin County, North Carolina. It was in force for 27 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 28, 2011, 3:47 AM EDT (07:47 UTC)
Expired: Apr 28, 2011, 4:14 AM EDT
In force: 27 min
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Surry County, NC, Wilkes County, NC, Yadkin County, NC

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 126 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:50 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 28, 3:47 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	5 Sse North Wilkesboro, NC	A TREE WAS BLOWN DOWN.
Apr 28, 3:56 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 Ssw Ronda, NC	A TREE WAS BLOWN DOWN.
Apr 28, 3:56 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 Wnw Windy Gap, NC	A TREE WAS BLOWN DOWN.
Apr 28, 3:56 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	5 Ssw Ronda, NC	A TREE WAS BLOWN DOWN.
Apr 28, 3:57 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 Nw Windy Gap, NC	A TREE WAS BLOWN DOWN.
Apr 28, 4:00 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	5 Sw Ronda, NC	A TREE WAS BLOWN 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 28, 12:41 AM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 102 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: 2272 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 766 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 233 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 271 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 3.5
Supercell composite: 14.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

738 
WFUS51 KRNK 280747
TORRNK
NCC171-193-197-280830-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0055.110428T0747Z-110428T0830Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
347 AM EDT THU APR 28 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  YADKIN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA
  SOUTHWESTERN SURRY COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
  SOUTHEASTERN WILKES COUNTY IN NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 430 AM EDT.

* AT 345 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR MORAVIAN
  FALLS...OR 7 MILES SOUTH OF WILKESBORO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55
  MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW! IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

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 800 AM EDT THURSDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA AND
SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3599 8133 3606 8126 3636 8086 3613 8049
      3605 8074 3605 8099 3604 8104 3603 8106
      3602 8125
TIME...MOT...LOC 0747Z 237DEG 49KT 3607 8109

$$

1 follow-up statement

952 
WWUS51 KRNK 280814 RRA
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
414 AM EDT THU APR 28 2011

NCC171-193-197-280825-
/O.CAN.KRNK.TO.W.0055.000000T0000Z-110428T0830Z/
YADKIN NC-SURRY NC-WILKES NC-
414 AM EDT THU APR 28 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN WILKES...SOUTHWESTERN SURRY
AND YADKIN COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 AM EDT THURSDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA AND
SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

LAT...LON 3599 8133 3606 8126 3636 8086 3613 8049
      3605 8074 3605 8099 3604 8104 3603 8106
      3602 8125
TIME...MOT...LOC 0815Z 237DEG 49KT 3628 8069

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 27, 8:45 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Caswell	45 min
Apr 27, 9:06 PM EDT	Flash Flood Watch	RNK	Alleghany, Ashe, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes	13 hr
Apr 27, 11:19 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Alleghany, Ashe, Wilkes	6 hr
Apr 28, 12:01 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Ashe	44 min
Apr 28, 3:40 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Surry, Wilkes, Yadkin	34 min
Apr 28, 4:17 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Caswell, Rockingham	30 min
Apr 28, 5:32 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Alleghany	3 hr
Apr 28, 5:51 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Stokes, Surry	54 min
Apr 28, 6:24 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Alleghany, Surry, Wilkes, Yadkin	35 min
Apr 28, 6:48 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Surry	24 min
Apr 28, 7:11 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Stokes	19 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.