Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 257, NWS Morristown, TN

July 31, 2012Cherokee County, North Carolina; Polk County, Tennessee

NWS Morristown, TN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 31, 2012, 9:13 PM EDT for Cherokee County, North Carolina; Polk County, Tennessee. It was in force for 47 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Jul 31, 2012, 9:13 PM EDT (01:13 UTC)
Expired: Jul 31, 2012, 10:00 PM EDT
In force: 47 min
Issued by: NWS Morristown, TN
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Cherokee County, NC, Polk County, TN

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 146 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:12 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 197 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 721 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -16 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 897 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 80 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 110 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

355 
WUUS54 KMRX 010113
SVRMRX
NCC039-TNC139-010200-
/O.NEW.KMRX.SV.W.0257.120801T0113Z-120801T0200Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
913 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MORRISTOWN HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...
  POLK COUNTY IN EAST TENNESSEE...

* UNTIL 1000 PM EDT

* AT 909 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  BENTON...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 18 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  DUCKTOWN...ARCHVILLE...BIG FROG MOUNTAIN...TURTLETOWN...
  COPPERHILL...HOT HOUSE AND CULBERSON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS
IMMEDIATELY! LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS.
REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

&&

LAT...LON 3499 8477 3508 8474 3510 8474 3516 8470
      3524 8472 3527 8467 3526 8455 3528 8450
      3524 8437 3521 8433 3521 8430 3515 8430
      3500 8398 3498 8411
TIME...MOT...LOC 0112Z 310DEG 15KT 3514 8456

$$

TG

1 follow-up statement

286 
WWUS54 KMRX 010145
SVSMRX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
945 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

NCC039-TNC139-010200-
/O.CON.KMRX.SV.W.0257.000000T0000Z-120801T0200Z/
CHEROKEE NC-POLK TN-
945 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT 
FOR POLK AND SOUTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTIES...

AT 942 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING UP TO QUARTER 
SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS 
LOCATED NEAR DUCKTOWN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  DUCKTOWN...TURTLETOWN...COPPERHILL...HOT HOUSE AND CULBERSON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS
IMMEDIATELY! LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES PRIMARY KILLERS ASSOCIATED
WITH THUNDERSTORMS. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE
CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

&&

LAT...LON 3499 8470 3514 8468 3524 8437 3522 8436
      3522 8433 3521 8434 3521 8430 3515 8430
      3500 8398 3498 8411
TIME...MOT...LOC 0144Z 310DEG 15KT 3509 8443

$$

TG

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 Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 31, 7:31 PM EDT, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 7:31 PM EDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
731 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

.AVIATION...STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL PASS SE ACROSS TRI FOR AT
LEAST THE NEXT 1 TO 2 HOURS...WITH GUSTY WINDS/SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY
RAINS POSSIBLE. TOOK CONDITIONS DOWN TO MVFR WITH THIS ACTIVITY.
OTHERWISE...NOT ENOUGH TSRA NEAR TYS FOR NOW...SO JUST BRIEF MVFR
OVERNIGHT DUE TO FOG. A DEVELOPING TSRA NNE OF CHA COULD PASS NEAR
THE AIRPORT...IF NOT THEN JUST BRIEF MVFR THERE ALSO DUE TO FOG.
IFR CONDITIONS ARE A GOOD BET FOR TRI BEFORE DAYBREAK...AS IN THE
PREVIOUS 18Z TAF PACKAGE.

POP UP STORMS POSSIBLE AGAIN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...BUT LIKELIHOOD IS
LOW NEAR OUR TAF SITES.
&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN             71  95  68  94  70 /  20  10  10  10  10
KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN  68  92  64  91  66 /  20  10  10  10  10
OAK RIDGE, TN                       69  92  64  92  63 /  20  10  10  10  10
TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN              61  89  58  88  59 /  20  10  10  10  10

&&

.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...NONE.
TN...NONE.
VA...NONE.

&&

TG

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 12:14 PM EDT, 8 hours 59 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1214 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002-
005-006-008-011600-
CHEROKEE-CLAY-SCOTT TN-CAMPBELL-CLAIBORNE-HANCOCK-HAWKINS-
SULLIVAN-JOHNSON-MORGAN-ANDERSON-UNION-GRAINGER-HAMBLEN-
NORTHWEST COCKE-COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTHWEST GREENE-
SOUTHEAST GREENE-WASHINGTON TN-UNICOI-NORTHWEST CARTER-
SOUTHEAST CARTER-ROANE-LOUDON-KNOX-JEFFERSON-NW BLOUNT-
BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTH SEVIER-SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS-
SEQUATCHIE-BLEDSOE-RHEA-MEIGS-MCMINN-NORTHWEST MONROE-
SOUTHEAST MONROE-MARION-HAMILTON-BRADLEY-WEST POLK-EAST POLK-LEE-
WISE-SCOTT-RUSSELL-WASHINGTON-
1214 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012 /1114 AM CDT TUE JUL 31 2012/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH
CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE HAS PASSED INTO ALABAMA THIS MORNING
TAKING WITH IT A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. ANOTHER
WEAKER DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE TOWARD NORTHEAST TENNESSEE AND
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BOUNDARIES
LEFT FROM EARLY MORNING THUNDERSTORMS ALSO MAY BE A TRIGGER FOR
STRONG STORMS TO DEVELOP BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.
GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL PRODUCING
LOCALIZED FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

TD

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 31, 8:21 PM EDT, 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
821 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0656 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SNEEDVILLE              36.54N 83.21W
07/31/2012                   HANCOCK            TN   911 CALL CENTER

            DISPATCH REPORTED TWO TREES DOWN...ONE OFF PAUL TRENT
            ROAD AND THE OTHER OFF HILLSIDE STREET.

&&

KGUILLET

Local storm report, Jul 31, 8:32 PM EDT, 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
832 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0745 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 SE DAYTON             35.47N 84.99W
07/31/2012                   RHEA               TN   911 CALL CENTER

            DISPATCH REPORTED TWO TREES DOWN...ONE OFF OF RAY ROAD
            AND THE OTHER OFF BLYTHE FERRY ROAD.

&&

KGUILLET

Local storm report, Jul 31, 8:41 PM EDT, 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
841 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0730 PM     TSTM WND DMG     FALL BRANCH             36.42N 82.62W
07/31/2012                   WASHINGTON         TN   911 CALL CENTER

            DISPATCH REPORTER A TREE DOWN.

&&

KGUILLET

Local storm report, Jul 31, 8:47 PM EDT, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
847 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0755 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 WNW MORRISTOWN        36.24N 83.36W
07/31/2012                   HAMBLEN            TN   911 CALL CENTER

            DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE BLOWN OVER.

&&

KGUILLET

Local storm report, Jul 31, 9:09 PM EDT, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
909 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0845 PM     TSTM WND DMG     HARRISON                35.13N 85.15W
07/31/2012                   HAMILTON           TN   911 CALL CENTER

            DISPATCH REPORTED TWO TREES DOWN...ONE OFF OF GARFIELD
            ROAD AND THE OTHER OFF OF STILLHILL ROAD.

&&

KGUILLET

Local storm report, Jul 31, 9:10 PM EDT, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
910 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0855 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 NE CHATTANOOGA        35.09N 85.23W
07/31/2012                   HAMILTON           TN   911 CALL CENTER

            DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE DOWN OFF OF BIRCHWOOD DRIVE.

&&

KGUILLET

The office that day

Everything else NWS Morristown, TN issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 31, 10:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Cherokee, Clay	60 min
Jul 31, 11:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Cherokee, Clay	61 min
Aug 1, 6:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Cherokee	31 min
Aug 1, 7:18 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Cherokee	27 min
Jul 31, 8:12 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Bradley, Hamilton	48 min
Jul 31, 8:19 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Jefferson, Knox, Sevier and 1 more	26 min
Jul 31, 8:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Blount, Cocke, Knox, Sevier	29 min
Aug 1, 3:25 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Anderson, Knox	35 min
Aug 1, 3:31 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Roane	29 min
Aug 1, 4:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Loudon, Monroe, Roane	29 min
Aug 1, 4:07 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Blount, Knox, Loudon	23 min
Aug 1, 4:20 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Claiborne, Hancock	25 min
Aug 1, 4:27 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Loudon, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Roane	33 min
Aug 1, 4:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Blount, Loudon, Monroe	31 min
Aug 1, 5:00 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Anderson, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Roane	30 min
Aug 1, 5:04 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Grainger, Jefferson, Knox, Sevier, Union	41 min
Aug 1, 5:56 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson	34 min
Aug 1, 6:08 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	MRX	Knox	112 min
Aug 1, 6:16 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Grainger, Union	29 min
Aug 1, 6:18 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	McMinn, Monroe	27 min
Aug 1, 6:37 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Cocke, Hamblen, Jefferson	23 min
Aug 1, 6:49 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	MRX	Polk	116 min
Aug 1, 6:54 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Hawkins	36 min
Aug 1, 7:50 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	McMinn, Meigs	25 min
Aug 1, 7:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Hancock, Hawkins	23 min
Aug 1, 7:54 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Bradley, McMinn, Polk	36 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2012 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Tennessee, 2012 Every 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.