Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 235, NWS Baltimore/Washington

July 27, 2012Nelson County, Virginia

NWS Baltimore/Washington issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 27, 2012, 4:50 PM EDT for Nelson County, Virginia. It was in force for 40 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 27, 2012, 4:50 PM EDT (20:50 UTC)
Expired
Jul 27, 2012, 5:30 PM EDT
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Baltimore/Washington
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Nelson County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 149 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:49 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 27, 1:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 85 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2012-07-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 408 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2012-07-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 20 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
408 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-166 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
912 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
46 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 severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 27, 3:07 PM EDT, 1 hour 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 27, 3:07 PM EDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
307 PM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012

.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THIS EVENING AND SLOWLY MOVE THROUGH
THE REGION TONIGHT. THE FRONT WILL REMAIN JUST TO THE SOUTH
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL BRING UNSETTLED
CONDITIONS TO THE AREA DURING THE EARLY AND MIDDLE PORTION OF NEXT
WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL VIRGINIA UNTIL 10 PM.

COLD FRONT CURRENTLY DRAPED ACROSS NORTHERN OH/PA WILL SAG SOUTHEAST
TOWARD THE CENTRAL MID ATLANTIC THIS EVENING. A PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH
EXTENDS FROM THE NE CORNER OF MD SWWD INTO SRN WV. SHOWERS AND
TSTMS HAVE FIRED ALONG THIS FRONT. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITY
IS ACROSS SRN WV. OVER OUR CWA...ACTIVITY IS SO FAR LIMITED TO
ISOLATED HEAVY SHOWERS OVER NE MD AND A LINE OF HEAVY SHOWERS OVER
THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS. THIS ACTIVITY WILL MOVE GENERALLY ESE THIS
AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING. CLOUD COVER ACROSS NRN VA AND MD
HAS LIMITED INSTABILITY THIS AFTERNOON...WITH 1200 J/KG CAPE NOTED
ON 18Z KIAD RAOB. 750MB CAP IS ERODED THOUGH. WITHOUT THE CAP AND
FAVORABLE SHEAR...ENVIRONMENT REMAINS FAVORABLE FOR POTENTIAL
SEVERE WIND GUSTS/HAIL WITH ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP. SEVERE TSTM
WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN TIER COUNTIES IN THE CWA.

REGARDING TEMPS...HAVE CONTINUED HEAT ADVISORY OVER THE
BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON METROS. HEATING HAS BEEN LIMITED BY CLOUD
COVER...WITH TEMPS IN THE LOW 90S OVER METRO DC AND BALTIMORE
EARLY AFTERNOON. THE CLOUD CANOPY IS THIN WITH SOME BREAKS AND DEW
POINTS ARE IN THE LOW 70S...SO NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH THAT CRITERIA
WILL NOT BE REACHED TO CANCEL THE ADVISORY. THIS WILL BE
MONITORED...AND IT MAY BE CANCELED EARLY IF NECESSARY.

COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION TONIGHT. SHOWER/TSTM ACTIVITY
POSSIBLE OVER WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA ASSOCIATED
WITH THE FRONT...ALONG WITH CONTINUED TSTM THREAT LATE THIS
EVENING NEAR CHES BAY WITH THE PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH. DIURNAL
INSTABILITY WILL DECREASE OVERNIGHT...SO GENERAL THREAT OF
TSTMS WILL DIMINISH. OVERNIGHT LOWS RANGE FROM THE 60S OVER THE
POTOMAC HIGHLANDS TO THE UPPER 70S OVER METRO BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON.

&&

.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY/...
SURFACE COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO BE EAST OF THE AREA
SATURDAY...WHILE AN UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. COULD
SEE SOME SHOWER/TSTM ACTIVITY TRIGGERED BY THE TROUGH AND DAYTIME
INSTABILITY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE HOT AGAIN...BUT WITH LOWER
DEWPOINTS IN THE 60S...HEAT INDICES SHOULD REMAIN BELOW 100.

&&

.LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH OF WILL REMAIN OVER THE REGION DURING THE
WEEKEND WHILE A STATIONARY BOUNDARY WEAKENS TO OUR SOUTH.
DISTURBANCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH WILL PASS
THROUGH THE REGION AS WELL. DESPITE BEING ON THE COOL SIDE OF THE
STATIONARY BOUNDARY...THERE WILL BE ENOUGH MOISTURE AND LIFT
ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH FOR POSSIBLE SHOWERS AND
T-STORMS...ESPECIALLY SATURDAY EVENING AND AGAIN SUNDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. HOWEVER...MUCH OF THE TIME WILL TURN OUT DRY WITH
SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES.

MIN TEMPS SATURDAY NIGHT WILL RANGE FROM THE LOWER 60S IN THE
POTOMAC HIGHLANDS TO THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 70S IN WASHINGTON. MAX
TEMPS SUNDAY WILL RANGE FROM THE 70S IN THE MOUNTAINS TO THE UPPER
80S/NEAR 90 ACROSS MOST OTHER LOCATIONS. MIN TEMPS SUNDAY NIGHT WILL
RANGE FROM THE 50S IN THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS TO THE LOWER AND MIDDLE
70S IN WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE.

THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH WILL REMAIN OVERHEAD FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
THE STATIONARY BOUNDARY TO OUR SOUTH WILL CONTINUE TO DISSIPATE AND
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE ATLANTIC WILL CAUSE A SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW
TO DEVELOP. INCREASED MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL COMBINE
WITH COOLER AIR ALOFT FROM THE TROUGH TO CAUSE UNSETTLED CONDITIONS.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED DURING THIS
TIME...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS EACH DAY.

A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA WEDNESDAY WHILE THE
TROUGH REMAINS OVERHEAD. MORE SHOWERS AND T-STORMS ARE POSSIBLE.
LITTLE CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE OR HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED BEHIND THE
BOUNDARY FOR LATE IN THE WEEK. MORE UNSETTLED CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THE TROUGH REMAINING IN PLACE.

NEAR SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE
PERIOD...BUT IT WILL FEEL HUMID.

&&

.AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED NEAR THE VA/WV BORDER.
THIS ACTIVITY LIKELY TO IMPACT KCHO LATE THIS AFTERNOON.
ADDITIONAL SHOWERS/TSTMS MAY DEVELOP FURTHER NORTH AND IMPACT THE
OTHER TERMINALS WITH BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS. OUTSIDE
OF THE STORMS...SOME GUSTY NW WINDS EXPECTED AT BALTIMORE/DC
TERMINALS THIS AFTERNOON.

COLD FRONT SLOWLY CROSSES TONIGHT. GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS UNDER
MID-LEVEL CLOUDS...BUT MVFR FOG PSBL AT KCHO/KMRB.

VFR PREVAILING SATURDAY. A FEW SHOWERS/TSMS ARE POSSIBLE WITH
OCCASIONAL SUB-VFR.

A STATIONARY BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN SOUTH OF THE TERMINALS SATURDAY
NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...BUT AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH WILL TRIGGER
SCATTERED SHOWERS/T-STORMS...MAINLY SATURDAY EVENING AND AGAIN
SUNDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED MOST OF THE
TIME. HOWEVER...PATCHY BR MAY REDUCE VSBYS TO MVFR LEVELS EARLY
SUNDAY MORNING.

A SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL DEVELOP EARLY NEXT WEEK...AND MOISTURE WITH
THE SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL COMBINE WITH THE TROUGH OVERHEAD FOR MORE
SHOWERS AND T-STORMS. A COLD FRONT MAY PASS THROUGH THE TERMINALS
WEDNESDAY.

&&

.MARINE...
WLY/NWLY FLOW AROUND 10 KT CONTINUE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.
OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO NEAR 20 KT PSBL ON THE WATERS NEAR WASHINGTON
DC AND BALTIMORE INNER HARBOR...SO ISSUED MWS. SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT
WITH A DAMAGING WIND THREAT AHEAD/ALONG A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT.

THE FRONT WILL BECOME STATIONARY AND WEAKEN JUST SOUTH OF THE
WATERS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. A RETURN FLOW WILL DEVELOP EARLY NEXT
WEEK BEFORE A WEAK COLD FRONT APPROACHES WEDNESDAY. UNSETTLED
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THIS TIME WITH SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND T-STORMS.

&&

.LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
DC...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR DCZ001.
MD...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR MDZ006-007-011-
     013-014-016>018.
VA...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR VAZ052>057.
WV...NONE.
MARINE...NONE.

&&

SYNOPSIS...KS
NEAR TERM...KS
SHORT TERM...KS
LONG TERM...BJL
AVIATION...BJL/KS
MARINE...BJL/KS
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 27, 4:14 PM EDT, 36 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 27, 4:03 PM EDT, 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
403 PM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012

VAZ025-026-037>039-272045-
GREENE VA-MADISON VA-ROCKINGHAM VA-ALBEMARLE VA-AUGUSTA VA-
403 PM EDT FRI JUL 27 2012

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT GREENE...MADISON...ROCKINGHAM...
ALBEMARLE AND AUGUSTA COUNTIES...

AT 403 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER ROCKY BAR...
MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE STANARDSVILLE.

WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

&&

LAT...LON 3842 7831 3813 7840 3822 7889 3841 7882
TIME...MOT...LOC 2003Z 272DEG 30KT 3832 7871

HTS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 26, 8:13 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX2 hr
Jul 26, 8:33 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementLWXShenandoah27 min
Jul 26, 8:52 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementLWXClarke, Frederick, City of Winchester38 min
Jul 26, 9:29 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX91 min
Jul 26, 9:45 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementLWXLoudoun30 min
Jul 26, 9:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXFauquier, Loudoun, Prince William15 min
Jul 26, 10:01 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX83 min
Jul 26, 10:02 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX88 min
Jul 26, 10:16 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementLWXPrince William, City of Manassas, City of Manassas Park29 min
Jul 26, 10:23 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX76 min
Jul 26, 11:03 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningLWX117 min
Jul 27, 1:19 AM EDTHeat AdvisoryLWXArlington, Fairfax, King George, Spotsylvania, Stafford, City of Alexandria and 3 more15 hr
Jul 27, 4:03 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementLWXGreene42 min
Jul 26, 8:17 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementLWXCarroll28 min
Jul 26, 8:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXBaltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Harford44 min
Jul 26, 9:15 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementLWXBaltimore, Harford, Howard, City of Baltimore60 min
Jul 26, 9:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXBaltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard, City of Baltimore49 min
Jul 26, 9:56 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningLWXBaltimore, Carroll, Harford, City of Baltimore3 hr
Jul 26, 10:15 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementLWXAnne Arundel, Harford, Prince George's, City of Baltimore30 min
Jul 26, 10:18 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementLWXAnne Arundel27 min
Jul 26, 10:29 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementLWXCalvert31 min
Jul 26, 10:44 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementLWXCharles46 min
Jul 26, 8:02 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementLWXGrant28 min
Jul 26, 8:24 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementLWXJefferson36 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Virginia, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.