Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 85, NWS Blacksburg, VA

May 2, 2012Patrick County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 2012, 6:26 PM EDT for Patrick County, Virginia. It was in force for 26 min. 2 reports 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
May 2, 2012, 6:26 PM EDT (22:26 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 2012, 6:52 PM EDT
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Patrick County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 25 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:26 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
May 2, 6:38 PM EDTHAIL 0.884 Wnw Fairy Stone State, VAHEIDELBACH SCHOOL ROAD
May 2, 6:38 PM EDTHAIL 1.253 Wnw Fairy Stone State, VAHEIDELBACH SCHOOL ROAD

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 80 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2012-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 727 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2012-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 120 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
727 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-72 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
813 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
120 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
113 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

800 
WUUS51 KRNK 022226
SVRRNK
VAC141-022330-
/O.NEW.KRNK.SV.W.0085.120502T2226Z-120502T2330Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
626 PM EDT WED MAY 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN PATRICK COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 730 PM EDT.

* AT 622 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL.  THIS
  STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CHARITY...OR 6 MILES EAST OF WOOLWINE...AND
  MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CHARITY...
  FAIRY STONE STATE PARK...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS 
OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY! LIGHTNING IS 
ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR 
THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO...PLEASE SEND YOUR REPORTS OF QUARTER OR
LARGER SIZED HAIL...AS WELL AS WIND DAMAGE...INCLUDING TREES OR LARGE
LIMBS DOWNED BY CALLING THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL FREE AT...
1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

&&

LAT...LON 3678 8039 3680 8038 3682 8034 3684 8034
      3683 8033 3687 8025 3684 8007 3683 8008
      3680 8004 3678 8010 3673 8009 3670 8035
TIME...MOT...LOC 2226Z 251DEG 6KT 3680 8017

$$

RAB
2 follow-up statements
261 
WWUS51 KRNK 022244
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
644 PM EDT WED MAY 2 2012

VAC141-022330-
/O.CON.KRNK.SV.W.0085.000000T0000Z-120502T2330Z/
PATRICK VA-
644 PM EDT WED MAY 2 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT 
FOR EXTREME NORTHEASTERN PATRICK COUNTY...

AT 639 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE
HAIL.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR FAIRY STONE STATE PARK...OR 8
MILES EAST OF WOOLWINE...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  FAIRY STONE STATE PARK...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG AT...1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4...WHEN YOU CAN
DO SO SAFELY. ONCE AGAIN THAT NUMBER IS 1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

&&

LAT...LON 3674 8011 3677 8013 3681 8018 3686 8020
      3684 8007 3683 8008 3680 8004 3678 8010
      3673 8009
TIME...MOT...LOC 2243Z 256DEG 7KT 3681 8013

$$



RAB
126 
WWUS51 KRNK 022252
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
652 PM EDT WED MAY 2 2012

VAC141-022301-
/O.CAN.KRNK.SV.W.0085.000000T0000Z-120502T2330Z/
PATRICK VA-
652 PM EDT WED MAY 2 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN PATRICK COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE THUNDERSTORM THAT EARLIER PROMPTED THE WARNING FOR PATRICK 
COUNTY HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE LIMITS. LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN AND 
OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING WILL CONTINUE ACROSS NORTHEAST PATRICK COUNTY 
FOR ANOTHER 30 MINUTES OR SO.

LAT...LON 3674 8011 3677 8013 3681 8018 3686 8020
      3684 8007 3683 8008 3680 8004 3678 8010
      3673 8009
TIME...MOT...LOC 2251Z 251DEG 6KT 3681 8012

$$



RAB

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 1, 8:00 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKFloyd30 min
May 2, 5:13 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKCity of Martinsville62 min
May 2, 5:16 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKHenry, Patrick, City of Martinsville59 min
May 2, 6:41 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBedford49 min
May 2, 7:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBedford42 min
May 2, 7:09 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKRockbridge36 min
May 2, 7:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBedford59 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Virginia, 2012Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.