Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 40, NWS Morristown, TN

March 2, 20124 counties in Virginia

NWS Morristown, TN issued this tornado warning at Mar 2, 2012, 7:14 PM EST for 4 counties in Virginia. It was in force for 46 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, 7:14 PM EST (00:14 UTC)
Expired
Mar 2, 2012, 8:00 PM EST
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Morristown, TN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties City of Norton, VA, Lee County, VA, Scott County, VA, Wise County, VA

The radar

The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:14 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, 3:19 PM ESTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 267 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 00:00Z on 2012-03-03Temperature 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 00:00Z on 2012-03-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 442 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
518 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
65 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
442 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
585 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

155 
WFUS54 KMRX 030014
TORMRX
VAC105-169-195-720-030100-
/O.NEW.KMRX.TO.W.0040.120303T0014Z-120303T0100Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MORRISTOWN HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN LEE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...
  NORTHERN SCOTT COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...
  WISE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...
  CITY OF NORTON IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...

* UNTIL 800 PM EST

* AT 711 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR          
  EVARTS...OR 8 MILES EAST OF HARLAN. DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THIS      
  TORNADO MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  NORTON...WISE...PENNINGTON GAP...BIG STONE GAP...ST. CHARLES...
  DRYDEN...JASPER...APPALACHIA...PARDEE...FORT BLACKMORE...POUND...
  DUNGANNON...COEBURN AND ST. PAUL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF 
BALL SIZE OR LARGER HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

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...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3703 8248 3696 8236 3697 8233 3692 8230
      3689 8232 3688 8241 3678 8237 3672 8319
      3674 8321 3675 8314 3686 8307 3685 8301
      3689 8289 3693 8286 3698 8288 3703 8275
      3712 8273 3720 8256
TIME...MOT...LOC 0013Z 256DEG 48KT 3682 8311

$$

TG
2 follow-up statements
225 
WWUS54 KMRX 030034
SVSMRX

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

VAC105-169-195-720-030100-
/O.CON.KMRX.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-120303T0100Z/
SCOTT VA-WISE VA-CITY OF NORTON VA-LEE VA-
734 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EST FOR LEE...
CITY OF NORTON...WISE AND SCOTT COUNTIES...

AT 729 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR DRYDEN...OR 15 
MILES NORTHEAST OF JONESVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. HAIL OF GOLF 
BALL SIZE OR LARGER IS LIKELY WITH THIS TORNADIC STORM.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  NORTON...WISE...BIG STONE GAP...APPALACHIA...PARDEE...FORT
  BLACKMORE...POUND...DUNGANNON AND COEBURN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3703 8248 3696 8236 3697 8233 3696 8232
      3689 8232 3688 8241 3678 8237 3673 8302
      3685 8301 3690 8288 3693 8286 3698 8288
      3703 8275 3712 8273 3720 8256
TIME...MOT...LOC 0032Z 258DEG 45KT 3684 8285

$$

TG
321 
WWUS54 KMRX 030054
SVSMRX

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

VAC105-169-195-720-030103-
/O.EXP.KMRX.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-120303T0100Z/
SCOTT VA-WISE VA-CITY OF NORTON VA-LEE VA-
754 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHERN LEE...CITY OF NORTON...WISE AND 
NORTHERN SCOTT COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 800 PM EST...

THE STORMS THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAVE WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LEVELS. THEREFORE...THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

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

LAT...LON 3703 8248 3696 8236 3697 8233 3696 8232
      3689 8232 3688 8241 3678 8237 3673 8302
      3685 8301 3690 8288 3693 8286 3698 8288
      3703 8275 3712 8273 3720 8256
TIME...MOT...LOC 0053Z 254DEG 45KT 3694 8253

$$

TG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 2, 8:21 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXLee39 min
Mar 2, 8:56 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXLee, Scott49 min
Mar 2, 9:45 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXRussell, Scott, Washington, City of Bristol60 min
Mar 2, 9:59 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXScott46 min
Mar 2, 10:44 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXRussell, Scott, Washington, City of Bristol46 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.