Alert archive / Kentucky / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 11, NWS Jackson, KY

February 29, 2012Bell County, Knox County, Whitley County, Kentucky

NWS Jackson, KY issued this tornado warning at Feb 29, 2012, 4:18 PM EST for Bell County, Knox County, Whitley County, Kentucky. It was in force for 42 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
Feb 29, 2012, 4:18 PM EST (21:18 UTC)
Expired
Feb 29, 2012, 5:00 PM EST
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Jackson, KY
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Bell County, KY, Knox County, KY, Whitley County, KY

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 82 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:21 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
Feb 29, 4:31 PM ESTHAIL 1Barbourville, KY
Feb 29, 4:44 PM ESTTSTM WND DMGPineville, KYTREES DOWN ON DORTON BRANCH ROAD.
Feb 29, 4:46 PM ESTTSTM WND DMGStraight Creek, KYTREES DOWN ON PETES BLOSSOM ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
Feb 29, 4:50 PM ESTHAIL 1Pineville, KY
Feb 29, 5:00 PM ESTTSTM WND DMGW Barbourville, KYTREE FELL ACROSS ROAD ON HWY 229 APPROX. 1/4 TO 1/2 MILE NORTH OF US 25 E IN KNOX COUNTY. TREE IS PARTIALLY BLOCKING NORTH BOUND LANE OF ROAD.

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
Feb 29, 12:31 PM ESTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 260 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2012-02-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 580 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2012-02-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 365 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
580 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-25 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
510 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
61 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
365 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
485 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.9
Supercell composite
8.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

683 
WFUS53 KJKL 292118
TORJKL
KYC013-121-235-292200-
/O.NEW.KJKL.TO.W.0011.120229T2118Z-120229T2200Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
418 PM EST WED FEB 29 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON KY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  BELL COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY...
  SOUTHERN KNOX COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY...
  EASTERN WHITLEY COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY...

* UNTIL 500 PM EST

* AT 416 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
  STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BON...OR NEAR WILLIAMSBURG...AND MOVING EAST
  AT 60 MPH.

  IN ADDITION...THIS STORM HAS HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING SEVERE     
  WEATHER. DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF HALF DOLLARS    
  WILL BE POSSIBLE. 

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BARBOURVILLE...PINEVILLE...EMLYN...PLEASANT VIEW...WOFFORD...
  FABER...ROCKHOLDS...SUTTONS MILL...YADEN...VERNE...LUCKY...
  WOODBINE...JULIP...PACKARD...DIXIE...PERKINS...POLLY CAMP...
  NEVISDALE...GATLIFF AND LOUDEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3694 8361 3666 8358 3666 8416 3693 8416
TIME...MOT...LOC 2118Z 264DEG 50KT 3671 8417

$$

RAY
2 follow-up statements
923 
WWUS53 KJKL 292147
SVSJKL

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
447 PM EST WED FEB 29 2012

KYC013-121-235-292200-
/O.CON.KJKL.TO.W.0011.000000T0000Z-120229T2200Z/
KNOX KY-WHITLEY KY-BELL KY-
447 PM EST WED FEB 29 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL BELL...EXTREME
EAST CENTRAL WHITLEY AND SOUTHEASTERN KNOX COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM
EST...

AT 446 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CLEAR CREEK SPRINGS...OR NEAR PINEVILLE...
MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BLANCHE...ARJAY...CALVIN...RELLA...MILLS...VARILLA...KETTLE ISLAND
  AND EROSE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3668 8389 3694 8384 3694 8361 3666 8358
TIME...MOT...LOC 2147Z 264DEG 50KT 3675 8367

$$

BECKER
739 
WWUS53 KJKL 292157
SVSJKL

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
457 PM EST WED FEB 29 2012

KYC013-121-235-292205-
/O.EXP.KJKL.TO.W.0011.000000T0000Z-120229T2200Z/
KNOX KY-WHITLEY KY-BELL KY-
457 PM EST WED FEB 29 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL BELL...EXTREME EAST CENTRAL
WHITLEY AND SOUTHEASTERN KNOX COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 500 PM EST...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY REDEVELOP...AND A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN 
EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EST.

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED 
AREA...HOWEVER A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN 
BELL COUNTY...HARLAN COUNTY...EXTREME EAST CENTRAL KNOX COUNTY... 
AND SOUTH CENTRAL LESLIE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY.

LAT...LON 3668 8389 3694 8384 3694 8361 3666 8358
TIME...MOT...LOC 2155Z 264DEG 50KT 3676 8353

$$

BECKER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Jackson, KY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 29, 11:31 AM ESTFlash Flood WatchJKLBath, Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Elliott, Estill and 27 more6 hr
Feb 29, 12:45 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLEstill, Menifee, Montgomery, Powell45 min
Feb 29, 12:49 PM ESTAreal Flood AdvisoryJKLBath, Elliott, Estill, Magoffin, Menifee, Montgomery and 4 more6 hr
Feb 29, 1:18 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLMenifee, Morgan, Powell, Wolfe27 min
Feb 29, 1:40 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLMagoffin, Morgan35 min
Feb 29, 1:46 PM ESTAreal Flood AdvisoryJKLBreathitt, Estill, Jackson, Lee, Magoffin, Morgan and 4 more5 hr
Feb 29, 1:59 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLElliott, Johnson, Magoffin, Morgan31 min
Feb 29, 2:10 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningJKLBreathitt, Estill, Jackson, Lee, Owsley, Pulaski and 2 more5 hr
Feb 29, 2:13 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLBreathitt, Lee, Magoffin, Menifee, Morgan, Wolfe32 min
Feb 29, 2:19 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLBreathitt, Jackson, Lee, Magoffin, Owsley, Wolfe41 min
Feb 29, 2:28 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLPulaski32 min
Feb 29, 2:33 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLElliott, Johnson, Magoffin, Morgan42 min
Feb 29, 2:38 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLBreathitt, Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Magoffin, Martin and 4 more37 min
Feb 29, 2:54 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLJackson, Laurel, Pulaski, Rockcastle36 min
Feb 29, 2:58 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLMcCreary, Pulaski, Wayne47 min
Feb 29, 3:10 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLBreathitt, Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Magoffin, Martin and 1 more50 min
Feb 29, 3:25 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLClay, Jackson, Laurel, Rockcastle23 min
Feb 29, 3:31 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLMcCreary, Wayne29 min
Feb 29, 3:55 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLMcCreary, Wayne, Whitley35 min
Feb 29, 4:02 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLMcCreary, Wayne28 min
Feb 29, 4:25 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLMcCreary, Wayne, Whitley35 min
Feb 29, 4:47 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLBell, Harlan, Knox, Leslie43 min
Feb 29, 4:50 PM ESTAreal Flood AdvisoryJKLBell, Clay, Harlan, Knox, Leslie, McCreary and 2 more3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kentucky, 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.