Alert archive / West Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 309, NWS Baltimore/Washington
NWS Baltimore/Washington issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 1, 2012, 3:54 PM EDT for Washington County, Maryland; Berkeley County, Morgan County, West Virginia. It was in force for 51 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
- Sep 1, 2012, 3:54 PM EDT (19:54 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 1, 2012, 4:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 51 min
- Issued by
- NWS Baltimore/Washington
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties Washington County, MD, Berkeley County, WV, Morgan County, WV
The radar
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 79 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:56 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, 7.9 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1284 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -76 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1119 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 19 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 105 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.1
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 Sep 1, 3:07 PM EDT, 47 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 1, 3:07 PM EDT, 47 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 307 PM EDT SAT SEP 1 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL STALL SOUTHWEST OF WASHINGTON DC TONIGHT...RETURNING AS A WARM FRONT LATER SUNDAY. ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN EXPECTED FROM THE REMNANTS OF ISAAC SUNDAY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE SHOULD BRING DRIER CONDITIONS AT THE END OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS CURRENTLY DRAPED NW TO SE ACROSS THE WESTERN CWFA. THIS FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY MOVE SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON AND STALL ACROSS CENTRAL/SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA TONIGHT. THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO MOVE BACK NORTHWARD BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS A WARM FRONT. 500MB ANALYSIS SHOWS A SHEAR AXIS STRETCHING FROM THE NW TO SE PART OF THE CWFA. REGIONAL RADAR LOOPS SHOWS SHOWERS CLUSTERED ALONG THIS FEATURE...ACROSS THE SOUTHERN POTOMAC HIGHLANDS...CENTRAL SHENANDOAH VALLEY AND CENTRAL FOOTHILLS OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA. AT THE SURFACE...SCT CONVECTION HAS STARTED TO FIRE ALONG THE COLD FRONT FURTHER NORTH...WHERE CLOUDS HAVE THINNED AND TEMPS HAVE RISEN INTO THE M/U 80S AND LOWER 90S. THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWFA SHOULD BE MORE UNSTABLE AT THE SURFACE THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING...WHERE BETTER HEATING WILL OCCUR. CAPES ARE AROUND 2000 J/KG AND LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE STEEP. 12Z SOUNDING SHOWED AN INVERTED V STRUCTURE...SO ISOLATED STORMS COULD PRODUCE SOME DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. FURTHER SOUTH...IT HAS RAINED MOST OF THE MORNING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON...AND CONDITIONS ARE MORE STABLE. THINK SHOWER COVERAGE WILL BE GREATER...BUT THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE MORE LIMITED...UNLESS CLOUDS BEGIN TO THIN. OVERNIGHT...THE FRONT WILL SETTLE ACROSS THE CWFA WHILE THE MID LEVEL SHEAR AXIS BEGINS TO SHIFT NORTHWARD. HAVE TRIED TO ORIENT POPS ACCORDINGLY. MOISTURE FROM THE REMNANTS OF ISAAC WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH EASTWARD INTO THE MID ATLANTIC THROUGH TOMORROW AND INTERACT WITH THE STALLED FRONT. A GREATER COVERAGE PRECIP IS EXPECTED...SO ADDED LIKELY POPS EVERYWHERE. MAX TEMP FORECAST THIS AFTERNOON HAS BEEN TRICKY. CLOUD COVER HAS HINDERED GOOD HEATING ACROSS THE SOUTH. HOWEVER...IN THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS...THE CLOUD CANOPY HAS BEGUN TO THIN ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWFA. WHERE CLOUDS HAVE THINNED OUT...TEMPS IN THE UPPER 80S TO NEAR 90 ARE LIKELY. TOOK BLEND OF TEMPS FOR OVERNIGHT AND TOMORROW. CLOUDS SHOULD HELP TEMPS STAY WARMER OVERNIGHT...AND COOLER DURING THE DAY TOMORROW. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... THE REMNANTS OF ISAAC ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AFFECTING THE MID ATLANTIC INTO WEDNESDAY...PROVIDING FURTHER DROUGHT RELIEF TO THE REGION. THIS TROPICAL AIRMASS WILL BE CAPABLE OF HEAVY RAIN...BUT A LACK OF FORCING SHOULD LIMIT AND POTENTIAL FLASH FLOODING TO THE RATHER LOCALIZED SCALE THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...WEST TO EAST ORIENTED WARM FRONT AHEAD OF THE EXTRA-TROPICAL REMNANTS OF ISAAC STALLS OVER THE MID ATLANTIC...THE LOCATION OF WHICH REMAINS UNCERTAIN BUT COULD BE INVOF THE MASON-DIXON LINE. THUNDERSTORMS/RAINFALL SHOULD BE CONCENTRATED ACROSS THIS BOUNDARY...THOUGH GOOD CHANCES/LIKELIES EXIST PRETTY MUCH ACROSS THE CWA THROUGH THESE TWO PERIODS. NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES...BUT RATHER HUMID WITH SLY FLOW PUMPING TROPICAL AIR ACROSS THE REGION. PWATS 2.0 TO 2.2 INCHES EXPECTED THROUGH THIS TIMEFRAME SO ANY PRECIP WILL BE HEAVY AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING ALONG ESTABLISHED BOUNDARIES WILL BE POSSIBLE. MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...REMNANTS OF ISAAC ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO FILL AND OPEN TO A TROUGH. DESPITE THE WEAKENING OF THE REMNANTS...PLENTY OF TROPICAL AIR WILL PERSIST AND AN APPROACHING UPR TROUGH WILL AID DEVELOPMENT. THUS THE ACTIVE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC. PWATS REMAIN AROUND 2.2 INCHES SO THE HEAVY RAIN/FLASH FLOOD THREAT WILL ALSO REMAIN. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES THE ERN CONUS WEDNESDAY AND PUSHES EAST IN THE FRIDAY TIMEFRAME. THEREFORE THE ACTIVE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE WORK WEEK. TEMPERATURES REMAIN AT OR JUST ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE EXTENDED. && .AVIATION /19Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... GREATEST COVERAGE OF SHRA/TSRA SHOULD BE ACROSS THE KCHO TERMINAL LATE THIS AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. PATCHY FOG IS EXPECTED MAINLY AT KCHO AND KMRB OVERNIGHT. MODEL GUIDANCE IS SHOWING SOME LOWERING OF CIGS WITH THE EASTERLY FLOW TOWARDS DAWN SUNDAY. HOWEVER...WILL NOT INCLUDE FOR NOW. PRECIP WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD DURING THE DAY TOMORROW...AND MVFR VSBYS ARE ANTICIPATED. ONGOING PRECIPITATION EVENT FROM THE REMNANTS OF ISAAC CONTINUE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK. SFC FLOW WILL MAINLY BE SLY WITH MVFR/IFR CONDS EXPECTED IN THE SHRA/TSRA. && .MARINE... THICKER CLOUD COVER HAS LIMITED MIXING OVER THE WATERS THIS AFTERNOON AND SPEEDS HAVE MOSTLY REMAINED AOB 10 KT. IN THE LAST FEW HOURS...THE CLOUD CANOPY HAS THINNED ACROSS THE NORTHERN BAY. BETTER MIXING MAY OCCUR...WITH GUSTS AROUND 15 KT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON. SCT SHRA/TSRA WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. PRECIP WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD TOMORROW. SELY FLOW SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY...INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT... PARTICULARLY UP THE TIDAL POTOMAC. THEREFORE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PORTIONS OF THE WATERS MAY BE NEEDED FOR MONDAY...POSSIBLY INTO MONDAY NIGHT. ELY TO SLY FLOW THEN THROUGH MIDWEEK AS REMNANTS OF ISAAC APPROACH FROM THE WEST. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE WATERS THROUGH THIS PERIOD. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW IN ADVANCE OF THE REMNANTS OF ISAAC WILL INCREASE WATER LEVELS TO PERHAPS ONE FOOT ABOVE ASTRONOMICAL PREDICTION SUNDAY NIGHT INTO THE MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK. AS OF NOW...ANY COASTAL FLOOD THREAT WOULD BE MINOR AND AT SENSITIVE SITES. && .LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... DC...NONE. MD...NONE. VA...NONE. WV...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...BAJ/NWL NEAR TERM...NWL SHORT TERM...BAJ LONG TERM...BAJ AVIATION...BAJ/NWL MARINE...BAJ/NWL TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...BAJ
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 1, 3:37 PM EDT, 17 minutes before
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</html>In the hours before
Special weather statement, Sep 1, 3:42 PM EDT, 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC 342 PM EDT SAT SEP 1 2012 MDZ003-WVZ051-052-012045- WASHINGTON MD-MORGAN WV-BERKELEY WV- 342 PM EDT SAT SEP 1 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT WASHINGTON...MORGAN AND BERKELEY COUNTIES... AT 342 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES WEST OF JOHNSONTOWN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE MARTINSBURG. THIS STORM IS PRODUCING FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY FOR YOUR SAFETY. IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. HEAVY RAIN WITH THIS STORM WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO BELOW ONE MILE AND MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. && LAT...LON 3954 7778 3937 7801 3959 7833 3971 7814 TIME...MOT...LOC 1942Z 325DEG 11KT 3957 7810 KCS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Baltimore/Washington issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 4:17 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | LWX | Washington | 58 min |
| Sep 1, 5:21 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LWX | Carroll, Frederick | 39 min |
| Sep 1, 5:53 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | LWX | Frederick | 52 min |
| Sep 1, 6:13 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | LWX | Allegany, Washington | 2 hr |
| Sep 1, 6:42 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LWX | Baltimore, City of Baltimore | 63 min |
| Sep 1, 7:19 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LWX | Carroll | 9 min |
| Sep 1, 3:42 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | LWX | Berkeley, Morgan | 63 min |
| Sep 1, 4:36 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | LWX | Morgan | 3 hr |
| Sep 1, 4:47 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LWX | Berkeley, Morgan | 43 min |
| Sep 1, 5:48 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | LWX | Morgan | 57 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in West Virginia, 2012Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Maryland, 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.