Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 37, NWS Morristown, TN

March 2, 20124 counties in Tennessee

NWS Morristown, TN issued this tornado warning at Mar 2, 2012, 7:02 PM EST for 4 counties in Tennessee. It was in force for 43 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, 7:02 PM EST (00:02 UTC)
Expired
Mar 2, 2012, 7:45 PM EST
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Morristown, TN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Blount County, TN, Cocke County, TN, Jefferson County, TN, Sevier County, TN

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:04 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, 7:18 PM ESTHAIL 0.5Pigeon Forge, TN

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, 3:19 PM ESTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 0.0 hours before the alert went out and 271 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2012-03-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 540 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2012-03-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 212 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
540 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
948 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
212 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
274 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.8
Supercell composite
4.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

772 
WFUS54 KMRX 030002
TORMRX
TNC009-029-089-155-030045-
/O.NEW.KMRX.TO.W.0037.120303T0002Z-120303T0045Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MORRISTOWN HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  BLOUNT COUNTY IN EAST TENNESSEE...
  WESTERN COCKE COUNTY IN EAST TENNESSEE...
  JEFFERSON COUNTY IN EAST TENNESSEE...
  SEVIER COUNTY IN EAST TENNESSEE...

* UNTIL 745 PM EST

* AT 655 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION.  DOPPLER RADAR SHOWS A 
DEBRIS SIGNATURE JUST NORTH OF HAPPY VALLEY. DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED 
THIS TORNADO MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  MARYVILLE...ALCOA...SEVIERVILLE...GATLINBURG...EAGLETON VILLAGE...
  PIGEON FORGE...CADES COVE...WILDWOOD...WALLAND...TOWNSEND...
  SEYMOUR...WEARS VALLEY...ELKMONT...MCMAHAN...HARRISBURG...PITTMAN
  CENTER...COSBY...BIRD CROSSING AND CHESTNUT HILL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EST FRIDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA AND EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST
VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3551 8396 3580 8408 3585 8390 3584 8385
      3588 8381 3602 8329 3572 8319 3572 8324
      3565 8330 3566 8334 3563 8337 3561 8344
      3556 8349 3556 8376 3553 8381
TIME...MOT...LOC 0000Z 253DEG 41KT 3564 8396

$$

DH
1 follow-up statement
787 
WWUS54 KMRX 030022
SVSMRX

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

TNC009-029-089-155-030045-
/O.CON.KMRX.TO.W.0037.000000T0000Z-120303T0045Z/
JEFFERSON TN-COCKE TN-SEVIER TN-BLOUNT TN-
722 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM EST FOR BLOUNT...
SEVIER...COCKE AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES...

AT 718 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR TOWNSEND...OR 12
MILES WEST OF GATLINBURG...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  SEVIERVILLE...GATLINBURG...PIGEON FORGE...ELKMONT...HARRISBURG...
  PITTMAN CENTER...COSBY...BIRD CROSSING AND CHESTNUT HILL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EST FRIDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA AND EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST
VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3551 8396 3580 8408 3585 8390 3584 8385
      3588 8381 3602 8329 3572 8319 3572 8324
      3565 8330 3566 8334 3563 8337 3561 8344
      3556 8349 3556 8376 3553 8381
TIME...MOT...LOC 0022Z 253DEG 41KT 3570 8365

$$

DH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 2, 7:06 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXPolk39 min
Mar 2, 7:10 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXBradley, Hamilton50 min
Mar 2, 7:10 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXCampbell, Scott50 min
Mar 2, 7:40 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXCocke, Sevier35 min
Mar 2, 7:48 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXCampbell, Claiborne, Scott42 min
Mar 2, 7:49 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXBradley, Hamilton, Polk26 min
Mar 2, 8:07 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXBledsoe, Rhea38 min
Mar 2, 8:10 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXPolk35 min
Mar 2, 8:21 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXClaiborne, Hancock, Hawkins39 min
Mar 2, 8:29 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXAnderson, Campbell, Morgan, Scott46 min
Mar 2, 8:35 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXPolk40 min
Mar 2, 8:38 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXLoudon, Morgan, Rhea, Roane37 min
Mar 2, 8:56 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXHancock, Hawkins, Sullivan49 min
Mar 2, 9:05 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXAnderson, Knox, Morgan, Roane40 min
Mar 2, 9:14 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXAnderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Grainger, Scott, Union46 min
Mar 2, 9:41 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXAnderson, Grainger, Jefferson, Knox, Sevier, Union34 min
Mar 2, 9:45 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXJohnson, Sullivan60 min
Mar 2, 9:59 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXBlount, Knox, Sevier22 min
Mar 2, 9:59 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXClaiborne, Grainger, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins46 min
Mar 2, 10:05 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXCocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Jefferson and 1 more25 min
Mar 2, 10:27 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCocke, Greene, Hamblen, Sevier, Unicoi48 min
Mar 2, 10:44 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXGreene, Hawkins, Sullivan, Washington46 min
Mar 2, 10:57 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXUnicoi33 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 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.