Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 22, NWS Morristown, TN

March 2, 2012Lee County, Scott County, Wise County, Virginia

NWS Morristown, TN issued this tornado warning at Mar 2, 2012, 12:51 PM EST for Lee County, Scott County, Wise County, Virginia. It was in force for 39 min. 1 report 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, 12:51 PM EST (17:51 UTC)
Expired
Mar 2, 2012, 1:30 PM EST
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Morristown, TN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Lee County, VA, Scott County, VA, Wise County, VA

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 79 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:51 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, 1:20 PM ESTTSTM WND DMGDryden, VAFEW TREES DOWN.

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, 10:25 AM ESTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 5.9 hours before the alert went out and 291 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2012-03-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2012-03-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 141 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
2084 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
66 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
141 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
234 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

846 
WFUS54 KMRX 021751
TORMRX
VAC105-169-195-021830-
/O.NEW.KMRX.TO.W.0022.120302T1751Z-120302T1830Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1251 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MORRISTOWN HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  LEE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...
  SCOTT COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...
  WISE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...

* UNTIL 130 PM EST

* AT 1246 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 11 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF SNEEDVILLE. DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THIS TORNADO MOVING
  EAST AT 55 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  JONESVILLE...PENNINGTON GAP...BIG STONE GAP...ST. CHARLES...
  PATTONSVILLE...DRYDEN...JASPER...DUFFIELD...CLINCHPORT AND
  APPALACHIA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

&&

LAT...LON 3699 8269 3660 8259 3660 8339 3667 8342
      3671 8335 3675 8320 3675 8315 3684 8310
      3686 8304 3685 8301 3688 8291 3690 8288
      3692 8288
TIME...MOT...LOC 1751Z 254DEG 49KT 3667 8327

$$
1 follow-up statement
974 
WWUS54 KMRX 021812
SVSMRX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
112 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

VAC105-169-195-021830-
/O.CON.KMRX.TO.W.0022.000000T0000Z-120302T1830Z/
SCOTT VA-WISE VA-LEE VA-
112 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 PM EST FOR LEE...
WISE AND SCOTT COUNTIES...

AT 110 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR DRYDEN...OR 9
MILES EAST OF JONESVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  BIG STONE GAP...JASPER...DUFFIELD...CLINCHPORT AND APPALACHIA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

&&

LAT...LON 3699 8269 3660 8259 3660 8287 3660 8317
      3673 8322 3675 8320 3675 8315 3684 8310
      3686 8304 3685 8301 3688 8291 3690 8288
      3692 8288
TIME...MOT...LOC 1812Z 254DEG 49KT 3675 8293

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 2, 10:45 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXRussell, Washington30 min
Mar 2, 10:58 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXRussell, Scott, Washington, City of Bristol32 min
Mar 2, 10:59 AM ESTFlood WatchMRXLee, Russell, Scott, Washington, Wise, City of Bristol and 1 more14 hr
Mar 2, 11:22 AM ESTTornado WarningMRXRussell, Scott, Washington, City of Bristol38 min
Mar 2, 12:25 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXLee35 min
Mar 2, 1:26 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXRussell, Scott, Washington, Wise, City of Norton34 min
Mar 2, 6:33 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXLee42 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 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.