Alert archive / New York / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 8, NWS Buffalo, NY

May 2, 2012Cattaraugus County, Chautauqua County, New York

NWS Buffalo, NY issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 2012, 7:09 PM EDT for Cattaraugus County, Chautauqua County, New York. It was in force for 66 min. 2 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 2, 2012, 7:09 PM EDT (23:09 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 2012, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
66 min
Issued by
NWS Buffalo, NY
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Cattaraugus County, NY, Chautauqua County, NY

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 99 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:10 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
May 2, 7:12 PM EDTHAIL 0.75Bemus Point, NY
May 2, 7:12 PM EDTHAIL 11 W Bemus Point, NY

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

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 98 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 2012-05-02Temperature 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 2012-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 69 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1053 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
69 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
98 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.

798 
WUUS51 KBUF 022309
SVRBUF
NYC009-013-030015-
/O.NEW.KBUF.SV.W.0008.120502T2309Z-120503T0015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
709 PM EDT WED MAY 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BUFFALO HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN CATTARAUGUS COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK
  SOUTHEASTERN CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK

* UNTIL 815 PM EDT

* AT 705 PM 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
  CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTE...OR 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF JAMESTOWN...AND
  MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  FALCONER...
  SALAMANCA...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN THE 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 4200 7952 4225 7951 4235 7862 4199 7863
TIME...MOT...LOC 2308Z 268DEG 34KT 4217 7941

$$

THOMAS
3 follow-up statements
830 
WWUS51 KBUF 022343
SVSBUF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
743 PM EDT WED MAY 2 2012

NYC009-013-030015-
/O.CON.KBUF.SV.W.0008.000000T0000Z-120503T0015Z/
CATTARAUGUS NY-CHAUTAUQUA NY-
743 PM EDT WED MAY 2 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM EDT
FOR EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN CHAUTAUQUA AND SOUTHWESTERN CATTARAUGUS
COUNTIES...

AT 737 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 RANDOLPH...OR 11 MILES EAST OF JAMESTOWN...MOVING EAST
AT 40 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  ALLEGANY PARK...
  SALAMANCA...
  LIMESTONE...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN THE 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.

A TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTED THREE QUARTER INCH HAIL IN BEMUS 
POINT WITH THIS STORM. 

&&

LAT...LON 4200 7909 4220 7908 4225 7862 4199 7863
TIME...MOT...LOC 2342Z 268DEG 34KT 4209 7896

$$

THOMAS
812 
WWUS51 KBUF 022353
SVSBUF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
753 PM EDT WED MAY 2 2012

NYC013-030003-
/O.CAN.KBUF.SV.W.0008.000000T0000Z-120503T0015Z/
CHAUTAUQUA NY-
753 PM EDT WED MAY 2 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN
CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

LAT...LON 4200 7891 4206 7891 4212 7862 4199 7863
TIME...MOT...LOC 2353Z 270DEG 26KT 4201 7877

$$

NYC009-030015-
/O.CON.KBUF.SV.W.0008.000000T0000Z-120503T0015Z/
CATTARAUGUS NY-
753 PM EDT WED MAY 2 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM EDT
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL CATTARAUGUS COUNTY...

AT 751 PM EDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS REPORTED CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.
 THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ALLEGANY PARK...OR 8 MILES WEST OF
BRADFORD...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  LIMESTONE...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS
IMMEDIATELY! LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS.
REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

&&

LAT...LON 4200 7891 4206 7891 4212 7862 4199 7863
TIME...MOT...LOC 2353Z 270DEG 26KT 4201 7877

$$

HITCHCOCK
382 
WWUS51 KBUF 030009
SVSBUF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
809 PM EDT WED MAY 2 2012

NYC009-030019-
/O.EXP.KBUF.SV.W.0008.000000T0000Z-120503T0015Z/
CATTARAUGUS NY-
809 PM EDT WED MAY 2 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL CATTARAUGUS
COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 815 PM EDT...

AT 809 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THAT THE SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAD EXITED THE WARNED AREA...
THUS THE WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 4200 7891 4206 7891 4212 7862 4199 7863
TIME...MOT...LOC 0009Z 270DEG 26KT 4201 7861

$$

HITCHCOCK

The office that day

Everything else NWS Buffalo, NY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 2, 7:17 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBUFGenesee43 min
May 2, 7:20 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBUF34 min
May 2, 7:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBUFChautauqua, Erie37 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in New York, 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.