Alert archive / Massachusetts / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 3, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

March 14, 2012Essex County, Middlesex County, Worcester County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 14, 2012, 12:43 AM EDT for Essex County, Middlesex County, Worcester County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 47 min. 4 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
Mar 14, 2012, 12:43 AM EDT (04:43 UTC)
Expired
Mar 14, 2012, 1:30 AM EDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Essex County, MA, Middlesex County, MA, Worcester County, MA

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:43 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 14, 12:48 AM EDTHAIL 1Shirley, MAHAM RADIO
Mar 14, 12:55 AM EDTHAIL 0.75Littleton, MA
Mar 14, 12:57 AM EDTHAIL 1.25Littleton, MAHAM RADIO...ON HARTWELL AVENUE
Mar 14, 1:20 AM EDTHAIL 0.88Wilmington, MAHAM RADIO

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

The nearest sounding before it

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 00:00Z, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 156 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, Chatham, MA at 00:00Z on 2012-03-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Chatham, MA at 00:00Z on 2012-03-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 106 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
640 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
106 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
135 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.

756 
WUUS51 KBOX 140443
SVRBOX
MAC009-017-027-140530-
/O.NEW.KBOX.SV.W.0003.120314T0443Z-120314T0530Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1243 AM EDT WED MAR 14 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...
  WEST CENTRAL ESSEX COUNTY IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
  NORTHERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF LOWELL...

* UNTIL 130 AM EDT

* AT 1238 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  SHIRLEY...OR 8 MILES EAST OF LEOMINSTER...AND WAS MOVING EAST AT 25
  MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...GROTON...BOXBOROUGH...
  LITTLETON...WESTFORD...CARLISLE...CHELMSFORD...BILLERICA...
  DRACUT...TEWKSBURY AND WILMINGTON.

&&

LAT...LON 4272 7118 4255 7113 4247 7165 4261 7169
TIME...MOT...LOC 0443Z 254DEG 22KT 4256 7158

$$

FRANK
5 follow-up statements
352 
WWUS51 KBOX 140459
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1259 AM EDT WED MAR 14 2012

MAC027-140508-
/O.CAN.KBOX.SV.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120314T0530Z/
WORCESTER MA-
1259 AM EDT WED MAR 14 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN WORCESTER COUNTY
IS CANCELLED...

THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS EXITED THE REGION.  
THEREFORE...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 4250 7148 4265 7151 4272 7118 4255 7113
TIME...MOT...LOC 0458Z 254DEG 22KT 4258 7138

$$

MAC009-017-140530-
/O.CON.KBOX.SV.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120314T0530Z/
MIDDLESEX MA-ESSEX MA-
1259 AM EDT WED MAR 14 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 AM EDT
FOR WEST CENTRAL ESSEX AND NORTH CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTIES...

AT 1256 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE
HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS
LOCATED NEAR WESTFORD...OR 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LOWELL...MOVING EAST
AT 25 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
CARLISLE...CHELMSFORD...BILLERICA...DRACUT...TEWKSBURY...WILMINGTON
AND METHUEN

LAT...LON 4250 7148 4265 7151 4272 7118 4255 7113
TIME...MOT...LOC 0458Z 254DEG 22KT 4258 7138

$$

FRANK
457 
WWUS51 KBOX 140502
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
102 AM EDT WED MAR 14 2012

MAC009-017-140530-
/O.CON.KBOX.SV.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120314T0530Z/
MIDDLESEX MA-ESSEX MA-
102 AM EDT WED MAR 14 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 AM EDT
FOR WEST CENTRAL ESSEX AND NORTH CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTIES...

AT 100 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE
HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS
LOCATED NEAR CHELMSFORD...OR NEAR LOWELL...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
BILLERICA...DRACUT...TEWKSBURY...WILMINGTON AND METHUEN

LAT...LON 4251 7144 4265 7146 4272 7118 4255 7113
TIME...MOT...LOC 0502Z 254DEG 22KT 4259 7135

$$

FRANK
326 
WWUS51 KBOX 140512
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
112 AM EDT WED MAR 14 2012

MAC009-017-140530-
/O.CON.KBOX.SV.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120314T0530Z/
MIDDLESEX MA-ESSEX MA-
112 AM EDT WED MAR 14 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 AM EDT
FOR WEST CENTRAL ESSEX AND NORTH CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTIES...

AT 109 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE
HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS
LOCATED NEAR LOWELL...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
TEWKSBURY...WILMINGTON AND METHUEN

LAT...LON 4252 7136 4266 7136 4272 7118 4255 7113
TIME...MOT...LOC 0512Z 254DEG 22KT 4261 7127

$$

FRANK
629 
WWUS51 KBOX 140520
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
120 AM EDT WED MAR 14 2012

MAC009-017-140530-
/O.CON.KBOX.SV.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120314T0530Z/
MIDDLESEX MA-ESSEX MA-
120 AM EDT WED MAR 14 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 AM EDT
FOR WEST CENTRAL ESSEX AND EAST CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTIES...

AT 117 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE
HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS
LOCATED NEAR TEWKSBURY...OR NEAR LOWELL...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS
OF THE INDICATED COUNTIES.

LAT...LON 4253 7125 4266 7127 4272 7118 4255 7113
TIME...MOT...LOC 0521Z 254DEG 22KT 4262 7120

$$

FRANK
603 
WWUS51 KBOX 140527
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
127 AM EDT WED MAR 14 2012

MAC009-017-140537-
/O.EXP.KBOX.SV.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120314T0530Z/
MIDDLESEX MA-ESSEX MA-
127 AM EDT WED MAR 14 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL ESSEX AND EAST
CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 130 AM EDT...

THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS EXITED THE REGION.  
THEREFORE...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO 
EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 4253 7125 4266 7127 4272 7118 4255 7113
TIME...MOT...LOC 0527Z 254DEG 22KT 4263 7115

$$

FRANK

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 13, 10:45 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBOXEssex45 min
Mar 13, 10:51 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBOXFranklin39 min
Mar 13, 11:06 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBOXFranklin39 min
Mar 13, 11:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXFranklin, Worcester40 min
Mar 14, 12:10 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXMiddlesex, Worcester50 min
Mar 14, 1:24 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBOXEssex51 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Massachusetts, 2012Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2012

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.