Alert archive / Kentucky / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 39, NWS Jackson, KY

March 2, 2012Bell County, Harlan County, Kentucky

NWS Jackson, KY issued this tornado warning at Mar 2, 2012, 8:22 PM EST for Bell County, Harlan County, Kentucky. It was in force for 23 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
Mar 2, 2012, 8:22 PM EST (01:22 UTC)
Expired
Mar 2, 2012, 8:45 PM EST
In force
23 min
Issued by
NWS Jackson, KY
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Bell County, KY, Harlan County, KY

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 63 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:23 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 2, 8:25 PM ESTHAIL 1Middlesboro, KYQUARTER SIZED HAIL REPORTED WAS REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC
Mar 2, 8:40 PM ESTHAIL 1.25Middlesboro, KY

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
Mar 2, 4:19 PM ESTTornado Watch PDSSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 298 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 00:00Z on 2012-03-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 262 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 00:00Z on 2012-03-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 150 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
262 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-100 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1382 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
70 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
150 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
188 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
1.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

174 
WFUS53 KJKL 030122
TORJKL
KYC013-095-030145-
/O.NEW.KJKL.TO.W.0039.120303T0122Z-120303T0145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
822 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON KY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN BELL COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY...
  SOUTHERN HARLAN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY...

* UNTIL 845 PM EST

* AT 820 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
  STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR MELDRUM...OR NEAR MIDDLESBORO...AND MOVING
  EAST AT 75 MPH.

* THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  CUBAGE...ALVA...PATHFORK AND INSULL AROUND 830 PM EST.
  HENSLEY STORE...PEEPACE STORE...MARTINS FORK AND LIGGETT AROUND 835
  PM EST.
  SMITH...CRANKS...MARTINS FORK LAKE AND FLAGLER AROUND 840 PM EST.

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS DANGEROUS STORM INCLUDE CREECH.

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 3671 8381 3690 8292 3687 8291 3684 8301
      3685 8307 3678 8313 3675 8312 3674 8314
      3670 8333 3666 8342 3666 8353 3662 8364
      3658 8369 3658 8377
TIME...MOT...LOC 0122Z 256DEG 64KT 3665 8364

$$

RICHEY
2 follow-up statements
585 
WWUS53 KJKL 030136
SVSJKL

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
836 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

KYC013-095-030145-
/O.CON.KJKL.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-120303T0145Z/
BELL KY-HARLAN KY-
836 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWESTERN HARLAN AND
EAST CENTRAL BELL COUNTIES UNTIL 845 PM EST...

AT 834 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR HENSLEY STORE...OR 11 MILES SOUTH OF HARLAN...
MOVING EAST AT 75 MPH.

THIS TORNADO WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF EAST CENTRAL BELL AND
SOUTHWESTERN HARLAN COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS BOBS
CREEK...FLAGLER...CRUMMIES AND POPEVILLE.

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 3665 8362 3675 8362 3684 8317 3680 8315
      3678 8314 3677 8313 3675 8312 3674 8314
      3670 8333 3666 8342 3666 8353 3664 8359
      3663 8361
TIME...MOT...LOC 0136Z 256DEG 64KT 3670 8334

$$

RICHEY
135 
WWUS53 KJKL 030143
SVSJKL

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
843 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

KYC013-095-030153-
/O.EXP.KJKL.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-120303T0145Z/
BELL KY-HARLAN KY-
843 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN HARLAN AND EAST CENTRAL BELL
COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 845 PM EST...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED
AREA.

ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE...AND A TORNADO 
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

LAT...LON 3665 8362 3675 8362 3684 8317 3680 8315
      3678 8314 3677 8313 3675 8312 3674 8314
      3670 8333 3666 8342 3666 8353 3664 8359
      3663 8361
TIME...MOT...LOC 0143Z 256DEG 64KT 3615 8304

$$

DUSTY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 2, 7:04 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLBreathitt, Magoffin, Morgan, Wolfe41 min
Mar 2, 7:08 PM ESTTornado Warning EmergencyJKLClay, Jackson, Laurel, Owsley, Rockcastle37 min
Mar 2, 7:11 PM ESTTornado Warning EmergencyJKLFloyd, Johnson, Magoffin, Martin49 min
Mar 2, 7:14 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLJackson, Owsley, Rockcastle46 min
Mar 2, 7:22 PM ESTFlash Flood Warning EmergencyJKLBreathitt, Floyd, Johnson, Lee, Magoffin, Martin and 4 more5 hr
Mar 2, 7:22 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLHarlan, Letcher23 min
Mar 2, 7:23 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLBreathitt, Lee, Magoffin, Wolfe52 min
Mar 2, 7:24 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLKnox, McCreary, Wayne, Whitley36 min
Mar 2, 7:28 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLJohnson, Martin32 min
Mar 2, 7:34 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLFloyd, Johnson, Magoffin, Martin26 min
Mar 2, 7:45 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLBreathitt, Knott, Magoffin, Perry45 min
Mar 2, 7:52 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningJKLBreathitt, Estill, Jackson, Lee, Powell, Wolfe4 hr
Mar 2, 7:57 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLFloyd, Johnson, Magoffin, Martin, Pike48 min
Mar 2, 7:58 PM ESTTornado WarningJKLBell, Harlan, Knox, Whitley32 min
Mar 2, 8:41 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLBell, Harlan19 min
Mar 2, 11:56 PM ESTAreal Flood WarningJKLBath, Breathitt, Elliott, Estill, Fleming, Floyd and 14 more12 hr
Mar 3, 12:05 AM ESTAreal Flood WarningJKLBell, Harlan, Knox, McCreary, Whitley12 hr
Mar 3, 2:00 AM ESTRiver Flood AdvisoryJKLBell13 hr
Mar 3, 2:23 AM ESTRiver Flood AdvisoryJKLWhitley14 hr
Mar 3, 7:43 AM ESTRiver Flood AdvisoryJKLKnox26 hr
Mar 3, 11:11 AM ESTRiver Flood AdvisoryJKLEstill, Powell42 hr
Mar 3, 1:58 PM ESTRiver Flood WarningJKLWhitley12 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.