Alert archive / West Virginia / Special Weather Statements in 2012

Special Weather Statement, NWS Charleston, WV

May 4, 20128 counties in West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this special weather statement at May 4, 2012, 6:39 AM EDT for 8 counties in West Virginia. It was in force for 36 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: May 4, 2012, 6:39 AM EDT (10:39 UTC)
Expired: May 4, 2012, 7:15 AM EDT
In force: 36 min
Issued by: NWS Charleston, WV

Counties Barbour County, WV, Doddridge County, WV, Harrison County, WV, Lewis County, WV, Randolph County, WV, Taylor County, WV, Upshur County, WV, Webster County, WV

The radar

The Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 165 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:41 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 nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 00:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 153 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: 725 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -37 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1989 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 64 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 104 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.

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What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this special weather statement went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before this special weather statement went out at May 4, 6:17 AM EDT, 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 4, 6:17 AM EDT, 22 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 4, 3:56 AM EDT, 2 hours 43 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
356 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011-
013>020-024>040-046-047-050800-
GREENUP-CARTER-BOYD-LAWRENCE KY-PERRY-MORGAN-ATHENS-WASHINGTON-
JACKSON OH-VINTON-MEIGS-GALLIA-LAWRENCE OH-DICKENSON-BUCHANAN-WAYNE-
CABELL-MASON-JACKSON WV-WOOD-PLEASANTS-TYLER-LINCOLN-PUTNAM-KANAWHA-
ROANE-WIRT-CALHOUN-RITCHIE-DODDRIDGE-MINGO-LOGAN-BOONE-CLAY-BRAXTON-
GILMER-LEWIS-HARRISON-TAYLOR-MCDOWELL-WYOMING-RALEIGH-FAYETTE-
NICHOLAS-WEBSTER-UPSHUR-BARBOUR-POCAHONTAS-RANDOLPH-
356 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST
KENTUCKY...SOUTHEAST OHIO...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND MUCH OF WEST
VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT MAY RESULT IN A
FLASH FLOOD THREAT. IF CONDITIONS INDICATE EXCESSIVE RAIN
POTENTIAL ON ACCOUNT OF REPEATED HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS...A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH MAY BE NECESSARY FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE COUNTIES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY
MORNING...WHICH MAY CONTINUE THE THREAT OF FLASH
FLOODING....ESPECIALLY IF THE HEAVIER SHOWERS AND STORMS TRACK
OVER THE SAME AREAS AS FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 4, 2:35 AM EDT, 4 hours 4 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
235 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

WVZ013>015-040700-
KANAWHA WV-LINCOLN WV-PUTNAM WV-
235 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

A SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT
25 MPH THROUGH LINCOLN COUNTY.  NEAR 2:30 AM...THE HEAVIEST RAIN WAS
ALONG THE MUD RIVER CORRIDOR BETWEEN SPURLOCKVILLE AND PALERMO.

THIS STORM COULD PRODUCE HAIL UP TO NICKEL SIZE. A LOCAL DOWNPOUR OF
RAIN IS ALSO LIKELY...THAT COULD CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND
QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR MYRA AROUND 240 AM...SWEETLAND AND
GRIFFITHSVILLE AROUND 250 AM...THEN INTO SOUTHERN PUTNAM COUNTY
AND WESTERN KANAWHA COUNTY NEAR TORNADO AROUND 3 O'CLOCK.

LAT...LON 3834 8206 3839 8205 3838 8204 3840 8187
      3832 8176 3815 8191 3815 8193 3812 8195
      3811 8195 3802 8204 3811 8223

22

Special weather statement, May 4, 3:23 AM EDT, 3 hours 16 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
323 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

KYZ105-OHZ087-WVZ005-006-013-040745-
CABELL WV-LAWRENCE OH-LAWRENCE KY-LINCOLN WV-WAYNE WV-
323 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

AT 316 AM EDT...SEVERAL CLUSTERS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH THROUGH LAWRENCE COUNTY KENTUCKY...PLUS
WAYNE...CABELL...AND LINCOLN COUNTIES IN WEST VIRGINIA.  THE SHOWERS
WERE ALSO CROSSING THE OHIO RIVER AND HEADING INTO LAWRENCE COUNTY
OHIO.

ANY SHOWER COULD CONTAIN A LOCAL DOWNPOUR...THAT COULD CAUSE THE
USUAL STREET OR POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING...AND LIMIT ROAD VISIBILITY
FOR MOTORISTS. THE STRONGEST CELLS MAY ALSO CONTAIN SOME HAIL.

IF YOUR PLAN TO DRIVE THROUGH 5 AM...ALLOW EXTRA TIME...TO DRIVE
SLOWER AND SAFER.

THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING INTERSTATE...I-64 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS
1 AND 31 IN WEST VIRGINIA.

LAT...LON 3826 8269 3825 8258 3842 8260 3858 8237
      3859 8222 3848 8206 3827 8202 3833 8192
      3831 8181 3822 8180 3812 8195 3803 8194
      3803 8191 3803 8192 3795 8229 3784 8239
      3795 8252 3788 8262 3794 8275 3820 8278

22

Special weather statement, May 4, 5:22 AM EDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
522 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

WVZ040-047-040945-
BARBOUR WV-RANDOLPH WV-
522 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL RANDOLPH
AND NORTHEASTERN BARBOUR COUNTIES...

AT 518 AM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES NORTH OF
ELKINS...OR NEAR MONTROSE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE HAIL UP TO NICKEL SIZE AND A LOCAL DOWNPOUR.

OTHER CELLS WERE NEAR NESTORVILLE AND TETER CREEK LAKE IN EASTERN
BARBOUR COUNTY.

LAT...LON 3900 7981 3916 8001 3927 7985 3925 7984
      3925 7982 3924 7981 3913 7983 3908 7977
      3904 7977 3903 7976

22

Special weather statement, May 4, 6:03 AM EDT, 36 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
603 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

WVZ020-028>031-037>040-041030-
BARBOUR WV-BRAXTON WV-DODDRIDGE WV-GILMER WV-HARRISON WV-LEWIS WV-
NICHOLAS WV-UPSHUR WV-WEBSTER WV-
603 AM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012

SEVERAL CLUSTERS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST
AROUND 25 MPH...MOVING THROUGH GILMER...
DODDRIDGE...LEWIS...BRAXTON...AND NICHOLAS COUNTIES.

JUST BEFORE 6 AM...THE HEAVIEST RAIN STRETCHED FROM NEAR LEOPOLD OF
SOUTHERN DODDRIDGE COUNTY TO ALUM BRIDGE AND SAND RUN IN LEWIS
COUNTY...TO NEAR GASSAWAY OF BRAXTON COUNTY.  ANOTHER LOCAL DOWNPOUR
WAS JUST WEST OF SUMMERSVILLE AND MOUNT NEBO IN NICHOLAS COUNTY.
RAIN AMOUNTS OF A HALF INCH IN 15 MINUTES IS POSSIBLE.

THESE LOCAL DOWNPOURS WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF HARRISON...UPSHUR AND
WEBSTER COUNTIES BETWEEN 6 AND 7 O'CLOCK.  STREET FLOODING AND
PONDING OF WATER IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS ARE LIKELY.

ALSO...FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING. STAY INDOORS OR IN YOUR
VEHICLE WHEN THE LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING.

THE STRONGEST CELLS WILL ALSO CONTAIN SOME HAIL.

THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING INTERSTATE...I-79 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS
59 AND 129.

LAT...LON 3940 8020 3929 8020 3885 8010 3874 8013
      3875 8024 3869 8028 3852 8019 3839 8024
      3834 8035 3823 8036 3826 8043 3824 8091
      3853 8065 3853 8071 3881 8078 3937 8078
      3939 8074 3938 8054 3943 8054 3947 8047

22

Local storm report, May 4, 6:25 AM EDT, 14 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 4, 6:39 AM EDT, 0 minutes before

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The office that day

Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 4, 1:25 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Mingo	20 min
May 4, 2:35 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Lincoln	25 min
May 4, 3:23 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Cabell, Lincoln, Wayne	22 min
May 4, 5:22 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Barbour	23 min
May 4, 6:03 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RLX	Braxton, Doddridge, Harrison, Lewis, Nicholas, Upshur and 1 more	27 min
May 4, 1:55 PM EDT	Flash Flood Watch	RLX	Barbour, Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay and 20 more	16 hr

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in West Virginia, 2012 Every special weather statement 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.