Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 25, NWS Morristown, TN

March 2, 20125 counties in Virginia

NWS Morristown, TN issued this tornado warning at Mar 2, 2012, 1:26 PM EST for 5 counties in Virginia. It was in force for 34 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
Mar 2, 2012, 1:26 PM EST (18:26 UTC)
Expired
Mar 2, 2012, 2:00 PM EST
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Morristown, TN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties City of Norton, VA, Russell County, VA, Scott County, VA, Washington County, VA, Wise County, VA

The radar

The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 125 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:29 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
Mar 2, 10:25 AM ESTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 6.4 hours before the alert went out and 222 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.

301 
WFUS54 KMRX 021826
TORMRX
VAC167-169-191-195-720-021915-
/O.NEW.KMRX.TO.W.0025.120302T1826Z-120302T1915Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MORRISTOWN HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  RUSSELL COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...
  SCOTT COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...
  WASHINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...
  WISE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...
  CITY OF NORTON IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...

* UNTIL 215 PM EST

* AT 123 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 5 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF BIG STONE GAP...OR 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NORTON.
  DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THIS TORNADO MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  NORTON...WISE...LEBANON...CLEVELAND...FORT BLACKMORE...DUNGANNON...
  COEBURN...ST. PAUL...CASTLEWOOD...HANSONVILLE...HONAKER...ROSEDALE
  AND DYE.

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 3704 8181 3696 8177 3694 8181 3692 8183
      3683 8174 3672 8272 3695 8280 3709 8251
      3702 8246 3696 8235 3705 8218 3706 8205
      3713 8201 3714 8191
TIME...MOT...LOC 1826Z 252DEG 53KT 3684 8264

$$
2 follow-up statements
414 
WWUS54 KMRX 021846
SVSMRX

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

VAC167-169-191-195-720-021915-
/O.CON.KMRX.TO.W.0025.000000T0000Z-120302T1915Z/
RUSSELL VA-SCOTT VA-WASHINGTON VA-WISE VA-CITY OF NORTON VA-
146 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 215 PM EST FOR CITY OF
NORTON...WISE...WASHINGTON...SCOTT AND RUSSELL COUNTIES...

AT 142 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR DUNGANNON...OR 15
MILES SOUTHEAST OF NORTON...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  LEBANON...CLEVELAND...ST. PAUL...CASTLEWOOD...HANSONVILLE...
  HONAKER...ROSEDALE AND DYE.

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 3704 8181 3696 8177 3694 8181 3692 8183
      3683 8174 3675 8265 3696 8271 3709 8251
      3702 8246 3696 8235 3705 8218 3706 8205
      3713 8201 3714 8191
TIME...MOT...LOC 1845Z 254DEG 49KT 3683 8235

$$
618 
WWUS54 KMRX 021900
SVSMRX

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

VAC167-169-191-195-720-021910-
/O.CAN.KMRX.TO.W.0025.000000T0000Z-120302T1915Z/
RUSSELL VA-SCOTT VA-WASHINGTON VA-WISE VA-CITY OF NORTON VA-
200 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CITY OF NORTON...WISE...WASHINGTON...SCOTT
AND RUSSELL COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE STORMS THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAVE WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LEVELS. THEREFORE...THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EST FRIDAY AFTERNOON 
FOR SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.

LAT...LON 3704 8181 3696 8177 3694 8181 3692 8183
      3683 8174 3675 8265 3696 8271 3709 8251
      3702 8246 3696 8235 3705 8218 3706 8205
      3713 8201 3714 8191
TIME...MOT...LOC 1900Z 254DEG 49KT 3688 8210

$$

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, 12:51 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXLee, Scott, Wise39 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.