Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Blacksburg, VA

March 24, 2012Henry County, Patrick County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Mar 24, 2012, 5:24 PM EDT for Henry County, Patrick County, Virginia. It was in force for 36 min. 4 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: Mar 24, 2012, 5:24 PM EDT (21:24 UTC)
Expired: Mar 24, 2012, 6:00 PM EDT
In force: 36 min
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Henry County, VA, Patrick County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 40 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:26 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

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
Mar 24, 5:45 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	Bassett, VA
Mar 24, 5:50 PM EDT	HAIL 2.5	1 W Jones Creek, VA
Mar 24, 5:58 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	Heusley, VA

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, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 72 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.

450 
WFUS51 KRNK 242124
TORRNK
VAC089-141-242200-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0012.120324T2124Z-120324T2200Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN PATRICK COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
  WESTERN HENRY COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 600 PM EDT.

* AT 517 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR PENNS
  STORE...OR NEAR SPENCER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. A SECOND 
  STORM ALSO CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO WAS HEADED FOR
  FAIRYSTONE STATE PARK. BOTH OF THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY
  LARGE HAIL!!!



* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  PENNS STORE...
  SPENCER...
  FIELDALE...
  STANLEYTOWN...
  FIGSBORO...
  FAIRYSTONE STATE PARK AND PHILPOTT DAM.

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.

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 3659 8023 3684 8014 3683 8008 3678 8003
      3679 8001 3679 8002 3683 8000 3679 7981
      3670 7989 3654 8000 3654 8015
TIME...MOT...LOC 2121Z 218DEG 20KT 3662 8005

$$

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, 4:48 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Patrick	42 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, 5:35 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.