Alert archive / California / Tornado Warnings in 2011
Tornado Warning 4, NWS Sacramento, CA
NWS Sacramento, CA issued this tornado warning at May 25, 2011, 5:12 PM PDT for Butte County, Glenn County, California. It was in force for 63 min. 3 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
- May 25, 2011, 5:12 PM PDT (00:12 UTC)
- Expired
- May 25, 2011, 6:15 PM PDT
- In force
- 63 min
- Issued by
- NWS Sacramento, CA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties Butte County, CA, Glenn County, CA
The radar
The Beale AFB radar (KBBX), 35 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:12 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 25, 5:18 PM PDT | TORNADO | 2 S Hamilton City, CA | GLENN COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED A TORNADO JUST SOUTH OF HAMILTON CITY. |
| May 25, 6:08 PM PDT | TORNADO | 10 Sw Chico, CA | TORNADO ON THE GROUND FILMED LIVE BY MEDIA HELICOPTER SOUTHEAST OF ORD BEND. |
| May 25, 6:20 PM PDT | TORNADO | 8 Ssw Chico, CA | TORNADO ON THE GROUND FILMED LIVE BY MEDIA HELICOPTERS NEAR DURHAM. |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
The nearest sounding before it
Oakland, CA (KOAK), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 217 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1378 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 83 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -3 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 184 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
721 WFUS56 KSTO 260012 TORSTO CAC007-021-260115- /O.NEW.KSTO.TO.W.0004.110526T0012Z-110526T0115Z/ BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 512 PM PDT WED MAY 25 2011 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SACRAMENTO HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... WEST CENTRAL BUTTE COUNTY EAST CENTRAL GLENN COUNTY * UNTIL 615 PM PDT * AT 507 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 3 MILES WEST OF ORDBEND MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. && LAT...LON 3979 12187 3956 12179 3952 12213 3969 12219 TIME...MOT...LOC 0011Z 251DEG 13KT 3963 12206 $$ DANG/EK
2 follow-up statements
715 WWUS56 KSTO 260021 SVSSTO SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 521 PM PDT WED MAY 25 2011 CAC007-021-260115- /O.CON.KSTO.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-110526T0115Z/ GLENN CA-BUTTE CA- 521 PM PDT WED MAY 25 2011 ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM PDT FOR WEST CENTRAL BUTTE AND EAST CENTRAL GLENN COUNTIES... AT 516 PM PDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED POSSIBLY TWO TORNADOES IN GLENN COUNTY. ONE IS LOCATED NORTHEAST OF WILLOWS NEAR COUNTY ROAD 36 AND U STREET. THE OTHER IS SOUTH OF HAMILTON CITY. THE TORNADOES ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO DAYTON AND DURHAM PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. && LAT...LON 3979 12187 3956 12179 3952 12213 3969 12219 TIME...MOT...LOC 0019Z 251DEG 13KT 3964 12202 $$ KJ/EK
622 WWUS56 KSTO 260040 SVSSTO SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 540 PM PDT WED MAY 25 2011 CAC007-021-260115- /O.CON.KSTO.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-110526T0115Z/ GLENN CA-BUTTE CA- 540 PM PDT WED MAY 25 2011 ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM PDT FOR WEST CENTRAL BUTTE AND EAST CENTRAL GLENN COUNTIES... AT 532 PM PDT...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A TORNADO ON THE GROUND. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 5 MILES EAST OF ORDBEND...OR 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CHICO...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. A SECOND TORNADO IS 3 MILES SOUTH OF ORD BEND AND MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15 MPH. THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. ADDITIONALLY... THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZED HAIL. OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO DAYTON AND DURHAM. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. && LAT...LON 3979 12187 3956 12179 3952 12213 3969 12219 TIME...MOT...LOC 0037Z 251DEG 13KT 3966 12194 $$ DANG/EK
The office that day
Everything else NWS Sacramento, CA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 5:01 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | STO | Butte | 59 min |
| May 25, 6:10 PM PDT | Tornado Warning | STO | Butte, Glenn | 35 min |
| May 25, 6:45 PM PDT | Tornado Warning | STO | Butte | 45 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in California, 2011Every tornado warning in 2011Tornadoes 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.