Alert archive / Massachusetts / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 94, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

August 15, 2012Hampden County, Hampshire County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 15, 2012, 6:11 PM EDT for Hampden County, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 64 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: Aug 15, 2012, 6:11 PM EDT (22:11 UTC)
Expired: Aug 15, 2012, 7:15 PM EDT
In force: 64 min
Issued by: NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Hampden County, MA, Hampshire County, MA

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 124 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:54 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
Aug 15, 6:14 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Westfield, MA	TREES DOWN ON NORTH ROAD.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Albany, NY (KALY), launched 12:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 115 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: 27 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -153 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 684 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 84 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.

492 
WUUS51 KBOX 152211
SVRBOX
MAC013-015-152315-
/O.NEW.KBOX.SV.W.0094.120815T2211Z-120815T2315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
611 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL HAMPDEN COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...SPRINGFIELD...CHICOPEE...
  SOUTHEASTERN HAMPSHIRE COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...

* UNTIL 715 PM EDT

* AT 607 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
  OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR WESTFIELD...OR 7 MILES WEST
  OF CHICOPEE...AND WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...HOLYOKE...SOUTH HADLEY...
  WEST SPRINGFIELD...GRANBY...AGAWAM...WILBRAHAM...PALMER...LUDLOW...
  LONGMEADOW...HAMPDEN AND EAST LONGMEADOW.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...AS WELL
AS DEADLY LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL RAIN. GET TO SAFE SHELTER NOW...
INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING OR IN A VEHICLE. DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER
TREES. IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY
LIGHTNING. DRIVERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR PONDING OF WATER AND AVOID
FLOODED ROADS.

&&

LAT...LON 4231 7276 4225 7227 4203 7235 4204 7271
      4211 7281
TIME...MOT...LOC 2211Z 294DEG 8KT 4217 7271

$$

DUNTEN

2 follow-up statements

936 
WWUS51 KBOX 152227
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
627 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012

MAC013-015-152315-
/O.CON.KBOX.SV.W.0094.000000T0000Z-120815T2315Z/
HAMPSHIRE MA-HAMPDEN MA-
627 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 715 PM EDT
FOR CENTRAL HAMPDEN AND SOUTHEASTERN HAMPSHIRE COUNTIES...

AT 624 PM 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 WEST SPRINGFIELD...OR NEAR CHICOPEE...MOVING SOUTHEAST
AT 10 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
GRANBY...AGAWAM...SPRINGFIELD...LONGMEADOW...LUDLOW...EAST
LONGMEADOW...WILBRAHAM...PALMER AND HAMPDEN

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD
TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

LAT...LON 4231 7276 4225 7227 4203 7235 4204 7271
      4211 7281
TIME...MOT...LOC 2227Z 297DEG 10KT 4213 7266

$$

DUNTEN

257 
WWUS51 KBOX 152240
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
640 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012

MAC013-015-152315-
/O.CON.KBOX.SV.W.0094.000000T0000Z-120815T2315Z/
HAMPSHIRE MA-HAMPDEN MA-
640 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 715 PM EDT
FOR CENTRAL HAMPDEN AND SOUTHEASTERN HAMPSHIRE COUNTIES...

AT 637 PM EDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. SEVERAL 
TREES WHERE REPORTED DOWN ON THE NORTH SIDE OF WESTFIELD. THIS STORM 
WAS LOCATED NEAR WEST SPRINGFIELD...OR 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF 
CHICOPEE...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. 

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SOUTH
HADLEY...AGAWAM...GRANBY...WILBRAHAM...SPRINGFIELD...PALMER...
LUDLOW...LONGMEADOW...HAMPDEN AND EAST LONGMEADOW

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD
TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

LAT...LON 4231 7276 4225 7227 4203 7235 4204 7271
      4211 7281
TIME...MOT...LOC 2238Z 288DEG 7KT 4211 7267

$$

DUNTEN

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 15, 3:48 AM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire	3 hr
Aug 15, 4:54 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Franklin	51 min
Aug 15, 5:16 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Hampden	44 min
Aug 15, 5:28 AM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Worcester	3 hr
Aug 15, 6:04 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Worcester	41 min
Aug 15, 6:14 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BOX		61 min
Aug 15, 6:58 AM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk and 1 more	113 min
Aug 15, 8:27 AM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Barnstable, Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and 1 more	93 min
Aug 15, 8:46 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOX	Bristol, Plymouth	74 min
Aug 15, 9:15 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BOX		63 min
Aug 15, 9:41 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Barnstable, Dukes	64 min
Aug 15, 9:51 AM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BOX	Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Plymouth	67 min
Aug 15, 2:24 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Franklin	51 min
Aug 15, 5:39 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Hampden	66 min
Aug 15, 6:24 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOX	Hampden, Hampshire	3 hr
Aug 15, 7:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Hampden, Hampshire	27 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Massachusetts, 2012 Every 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.