Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 10, NWS Blacksburg, VA

March 24, 2012Patrick County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Mar 24, 2012, 4:48 PM EDT for Patrick County, Virginia. It was in force for 42 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 24, 2012, 4:48 PM EDT (20:48 UTC)
Expired: Mar 24, 2012, 5:30 PM EDT
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Patrick County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 34 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:51 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Mar 24, 5:30 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	1 Sw Fairy Stone State, VA	HAIL AT LEAST GOLF-BALL SIZE OBSERVED ON HIGHWAY 57

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Mar 24, 12:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr
Mar 24, 3:38 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 83 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: 226 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 526 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 167 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 153 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

954 
WFUS51 KRNK 242048
TORRNK
VAC141-242130-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0010.120324T2048Z-120324T2130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
448 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  PATRICK COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 530 PM EDT.

* AT 447 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR MEADOWS OF
  DAN...OR 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF ARARAT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MEADOWS OF DAN...
  BUFFALO RIDGE...
  WOOLWINE...
  CHARITY...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW
SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO...PLEASE RELAY YOUR SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS
TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE AT...1...8 6
6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA. A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT SATURDAY
EVENING FOR NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA. A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
SATURDAY EVENING FOR WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST
VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3663 8057 3665 8055 3665 8049 3669 8046
      3673 8046 3675 8044 3674 8040 3679 8039
      3686 8028 3687 8020 3681 8006 3678 8010
      3677 8009 3657 8023
TIME...MOT...LOC 2049Z 217DEG 23KT 3666 8040

$$

PEM

1 follow-up statement

418 
WWUS51 KRNK 242103
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
503 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012

VAC141-242130-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-120324T2130Z/
PATRICK VA-
503 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM EDT FOR PATRICK
COUNTY...

AT 500 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE STRONG ROTATION WITH THIS STORM.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 
NEAR STUART...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  STUART...
  BUFFALO RIDGE...
  CHARITY...
  FAIRY STONE STATE PARK...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA. A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT SATURDAY
EVENING FOR NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA. A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
SATURDAY EVENING FOR WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTHEAST WEST
VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3663 8057 3665 8055 3665 8049 3669 8046
      3673 8046 3675 8044 3674 8040 3679 8039
      3686 8028 3687 8020 3681 8006 3678 8010
      3677 8009 3657 8023
TIME...MOT...LOC 2101Z 217DEG 23KT 3669 8033

$$

PEM

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 24, 12:32 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Grayson, Wythe	43 min
Mar 24, 1:21 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Carroll	39 min
Mar 24, 1:25 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Grayson	50 min
Mar 24, 1:28 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Wythe	47 min
Mar 24, 1:30 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Grayson, Smyth, Wythe	60 min
Mar 24, 1:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Bland, Smyth, Tazewell, Wythe	63 min
Mar 24, 2:00 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Carroll	60 min
Mar 24, 2:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Bland, Grayson, Pulaski, Smyth, Wythe	53 min
Mar 24, 2:30 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Bland, Tazewell	60 min
Mar 24, 2:34 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Carroll, Grayson, Wythe, City of Galax	56 min
Mar 24, 2:34 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Carroll, Grayson, City of Galax	56 min
Mar 24, 2:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Carroll, Floyd, Patrick	61 min
Mar 24, 2:52 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Carroll, Patrick	6 hr
Mar 24, 2:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Bland, Giles, Pulaski, Wythe	63 min
Mar 24, 3:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Carroll, Grayson, City of Galax	64 min
Mar 24, 3:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Pulaski	30 min
Mar 24, 3:37 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Alleghany, Craig, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski	53 min
Mar 24, 3:39 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Floyd, Franklin, Henry, Patrick	66 min
Mar 24, 3:46 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Floyd, Patrick	29 min
Mar 24, 4:08 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Carroll, Patrick	67 min
Mar 24, 4:15 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Franklin, Patrick	30 min
Mar 24, 4:26 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Alleghany	34 min
Mar 24, 4:41 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Franklin	34 min
Mar 24, 5:09 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Bedford, Franklin	36 min
Mar 24, 5:17 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Floyd, Patrick	5 hr
Mar 24, 5:24 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Henry, Patrick	36 min
Mar 24, 5:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Carroll, Patrick	55 min
Mar 24, 5:38 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Bedford, Campbell, Pittsylvania	67 min
Mar 24, 5:51 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Franklin, Henry, City of Martinsville	39 min
Mar 24, 6:05 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Campbell	25 min
Mar 24, 6:07 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Patrick	53 min
Mar 24, 6:16 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Grayson	29 min
Mar 24, 6:19 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Pittsylvania	41 min
Mar 24, 6:25 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RNK	Franklin, Henry, Patrick	4 hr
Mar 24, 6:25 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Amherst, Bedford, Campbell, City of Lynchburg	35 min
Mar 24, 6:33 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Henry, City of Martinsville	34 min
Mar 24, 6:46 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	RNK	Amherst, Bedford, Campbell, City of Lynchburg	3 hr
Mar 24, 6:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Appomattox, Campbell	37 min
Mar 24, 7:04 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Pittsylvania	56 min
Mar 24, 7:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Buckingham	30 min
Mar 24, 7:39 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Campbell, Charlotte, Halifax, Pittsylvania	81 min
Mar 24, 7:57 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Buckingham	33 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 2012 Every tornado warning in 2012 Tornadoes 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.