Alert archive / Maryland / Freeze Warnings in 2012

Freeze Warning 3, NWS Baltimore/Washington

April 2, 20124 counties in Maryland; 4 counties in West Virginia

NWS Baltimore/Washington issued this freeze warning at Apr 2, 2012, 12:01 PM EDT for 4 counties in Maryland; 4 counties in West Virginia. It took effect at Apr 3, 2012, 2:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 6 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 2, 2012, 12:01 PM EDT (16:01 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 3, 2012, 2:00 AM EDT
Expired
Apr 3, 2012, 8:14 AM EDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Baltimore/Washington

Counties Allegany County, MD, Carroll County, MD, Frederick County, MD, Washington County, MD, Berkeley County, WV, Hampshire County, WV, Mineral County, WV, Morgan County, WV

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 79 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:01 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 4.0 hours before the alert went out and 86 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2012-04-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2012-04-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -98 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1072 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
98 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-98 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-22 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this freeze warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before this freeze warning went out at Apr 2, 11:38 AM EDT, 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 2, 11:38 AM EDT, 23 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 2, 11:36 AM EDT, 25 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
1136 AM EDT MON APR 2 2012

ANZ530>543-DCZ001-MDZ006-007-011-013-014-016>018-VAZ052>057-
031000-
CHESAPEAKE BAY NORTH OF POOLES ISLAND MD-
CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM POOLES ISLAND TO SANDY POINT MD-
CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO NORTH BEACH MD-
CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NORTH BEACH TO DRUM POINT MD-
CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM DRUM POINT MD TO SMITH POINT VA-
TIDAL POTOMAC FROM KEY BRIDGE TO INDIAN HEAD MD-
TIDAL POTOMAC FROM INDIAN HEAD TO COBB ISLAND MD-
TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND MD TO SMITH POINT VA-
PATAPSCO RIVER INCLUDING BALTIMORE HARBOR-
CHESTER RIVER TO QUEENSTOWN MD-EASTERN BAY-
CHOPTANK RIVER TO CAMBRIDGE MD AND THE LITTLE CHOPTANK RIVER-
PATUXENT RIVER TO BROOMES ISLAND MD-
TANGIER SOUND AND THE INLAND WATERS SURROUNDING BLOODSWORTH
ISLAND-DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-NORTHERN BALTIMORE-HARFORD-
SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-PRINCE GEORGES-ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-ST. MARYS-
CALVERT-PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX-
ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-SPOTSYLVANIA-
KING GEORGE-
1136 AM EDT MON APR 2 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MARYLAND PORTION OF THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY...TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER...AND ADJACENT COUNTIES IN
CENTRAL MARYLAND AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR ALL THE WATERS.
BELOW SANDY POINT ON THE BAY AND COBB ISLAND ON THE
POTOMAC...THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONTINUES THROUGH 2AM.

THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES
AND RELATIVELY LOW FUEL MOISTURE WILL LEAD TO AN ENHANCED THREAT
FOR WILDFIRES THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHERN MARYLAND AND PORTIONS
OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA.

AREAS OF FROST WILL BE POSSIBLE NORTH OF BALTIMORE LATE TONIGHT.
FROST ADVISORIES MAY BE REQUIRED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE WATERS
TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.

AREAS OF FROST MAY DEVELOP AGAIN LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

MDZ003>005-009-010-501-502-VAZ025>031-036>040-042-050-051-501>504-
WVZ050>053-055-501>506-031000-
WASHINGTON-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-MONTGOMERY-HOWARD-
EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY-CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY-AUGUSTA-
ROCKINGHAM-SHENANDOAH-FREDERICK VA-PAGE-WARREN-CLARKE-NELSON-
ALBEMARLE-GREENE-MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-LOUDOUN-ORANGE-CULPEPER-
NORTHERN FAUQUIER-SOUTHERN FAUQUIER-WESTERN HIGHLAND-
EASTERN HIGHLAND-HAMPSHIRE-MORGAN-BERKELEY-JEFFERSON-HARDY-
WESTERN GRANT-EASTERN GRANT-WESTERN MINERAL-EASTERN MINERAL-
WESTERN PENDLETON-EASTERN PENDLETON-
1136 AM EDT MON APR 2 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA...
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA...AND CENTRAL AND WESTERN MARYLAND
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GARRETT COUNTY.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

AREAS OF FROST WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN SUBURBS OF
THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA AS WELL AS THE
SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND POTOMAC HIGHLANDS LATE TONIGHT. FOR A FEW
OUTLYING LOCATIONS IT MAY GET CLOSE TO FREEZING. FROST ADVISORIES
MAY BE REQUIRED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

AREAS OF FROST MAY DEVELOP AGAIN LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 2, 9:17 AM EDT, 2 hours 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
917 AM EDT MON APR 2 2012

DCZ001-MDZ013-014-016>018-VAZ052>057-022200-
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-PRINCE GEORGES-ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-
ST. MARYS-CALVERT-PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX-
ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-SPOTSYLVANIA-
KING GEORGE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WASHINGTON...ANNAPOLIS...WALDORF...
ST MARYS CITY...MANASSAS...MANASSAS PARK...FAIRFAX...ALEXANDRIA...
FALLS CHURCH...FREDERICKSBURG
917 AM EDT MON APR 2 2012

...ENHANCED THREAT FOR THE SPREAD OF WILDFIRES THIS AFTERNOON...

NORTHWEST WINDS WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN 10 AND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP
TO 25 MPH THIS AFTERNOON. THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL DROP TO
BETWEEN 30 AND 35 PERCENT ACROSS MOST LOCATIONS. DESPITE LIGHT
RAINFALL SUNDAY NIGHT...FUEL MOISTURE REMAINS LOW ACROSS LOWER
SOUTHERN MARYLAND INTO PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VIRGINIA.
THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY WINDS...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND LOW
FUEL MOISTURE WILL ENHANCE THE THREAT FOR THE SPREAD OF WILDFIRES
THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THESE AREAS.

OPEN BURNING OF ANY TYPE IS CONSIDERED VERY HAZARDOUS THIS TIME OF
YEAR. ACCIDENTAL ESCAPED DEBRIS BURNS ARE THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF
WILDFIRES.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Baltimore/Washington issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 2, 2:44 AM EDTCoastal Flood StatementLWXArlington, Fairfax, City of Alexandria, City of Fairfax, City of Falls Church5 hr
Apr 2, 8:12 AM EDTGale WarningLWX3 hr
Apr 2, 8:12 AM EDTSmall Craft AdvisoryLWX14 hr
Apr 2, 12:01 PM EDTFrost AdvisoryLWXClarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Frederick, Greene, Madison and 9 more20 hr

Nearby

Freeze Warnings in Maryland, 2012Freeze Warnings in West Virginia, 2012Every freeze 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.