Alert archive / Massachusetts / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

July 18, 2012Essex County, Suffolk County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this tornado warning at Jul 18, 2012, 2:04 PM EDT for Essex County, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 12 min. 5 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
Jul 18, 2012, 2:04 PM EDT (18:04 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 2012, 2:16 PM EDT
In force
12 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Essex County, MA, Suffolk County, MA

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 59 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:03 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
Jul 18, 2:10 PM EDTHAIL 0.75Lynn, MA
Jul 18, 2:13 PM EDTHAIL 0.88Lynn, MA
Jul 18, 2:14 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGLynn, MATREE DOWN AT TOWER CT
Jul 18, 2:14 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGLynn, MATREE DOWN TOWER COURT
Jul 18, 2:14 PM EDTHAIL 1Swampscott, MA

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 18, 12:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 12:00Z, 6.1 hours before the alert went out and 119 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 12:00Z on 2012-07-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1521 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Chatham, MA at 12:00Z on 2012-07-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 42 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1521 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-208 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1597 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
42 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
48 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

395 
WFUS51 KBOX 181804
TORBOX
MAC009-025-181830-
/O.NEW.KBOX.TO.W.0003.120718T1804Z-120718T1830Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
204 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EXTREME NORTHEASTERN SUFFOLK COUNTY IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
  EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL ESSEX COUNTY IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...

* UNTIL 230 PM EDT

* AT 159 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED
  NEAR LYNN...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LYNN AND SWAMPSCOTT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE
HOME OR OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4249 7087 4246 7089 4247 7092 4246 7094
      4243 7093 4242 7090 4242 7091 4242 7094
      4246 7094 4242 7099 4243 7102 4251 7096
TIME...MOT...LOC 1759Z 272DEG 23KT 4246 7097 

$$

KJC
1 follow-up statement
095 
WWUS51 KBOX 181816
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
216 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

MAC025-009-181825-
/O.CAN.KBOX.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120718T1830Z/
SUFFOLK MA-ESSEX MA-
216 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EXTREME NORTHEASTERN SUFFOLK AND
EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL ESSEX COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE AREA.
THEREFORE THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 4249 7087 4246 7089 4247 7092 4246 7094
      4243 7093 4242 7090 4242 7091 4242 7094
      4246 7094 4242 7098 4243 7102 4251 7095
TIME...MOT...LOC 1815Z 272DEG 23KT 4246 7097 

$$

KJC

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 17, 8:23 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBOXEssex67 min
Jul 18, 12:37 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBOXMiddlesex53 min
Jul 18, 12:41 PM EDTHeat AdvisoryBOXBristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex and 2 more6 hr
Jul 18, 12:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXEssex, Middlesex66 min
Jul 18, 1:21 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX84 min
Jul 18, 1:29 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningBOXEssex, Middlesex98 min
Jul 18, 1:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXEssex, Middlesex, Suffolk36 min
Jul 18, 1:45 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX60 min
Jul 18, 1:50 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBOXHampden40 min
Jul 18, 2:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXHampden, Hampshire, Worcester56 min
Jul 18, 2:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXEssex, Middlesex, Suffolk39 min
Jul 18, 2:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXHampden54 min
Jul 18, 2:24 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningBOXHampden, Worcester3 hr
Jul 18, 2:30 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX90 min
Jul 18, 2:39 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXBristol, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester51 min
Jul 18, 2:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXHampden, Norfolk, Worcester61 min
Jul 18, 3:09 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXBristol, Norfolk, Worcester51 min
Jul 18, 3:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXBarnstable, Bristol, Norfolk, Plymouth59 min
Jul 18, 4:04 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX56 min
Jul 18, 4:25 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX80 min
Jul 18, 4:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXBarnstable, Plymouth36 min
Jul 18, 5:08 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBOXNorfolk, Suffolk52 min
Jul 18, 5:24 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningBOXMiddlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk78 min
Jul 18, 5:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXMiddlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk48 min
Jul 18, 5:30 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX54 min
Jul 18, 6:08 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX67 min
Jul 18, 6:27 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBOXEssex33 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Massachusetts, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes 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.