Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 15, NWS Blacksburg, VA

March 24, 2012Pittsylvania County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Mar 24, 2012, 6:19 PM EDT for Pittsylvania County, Virginia. It was in force for 41 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: Mar 24, 2012, 6:19 PM EDT (22:19 UTC)
Expired: Mar 24, 2012, 7:00 PM EDT
In force: 41 min
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Pittsylvania County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:22 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, 6:40 PM EDT	HAIL 0.88	2 Ene Swansonville, VA
Mar 24, 6:54 PM EDT	HAIL 1	2 S Woodlawn, VA	LOCATED NEXT TO TIGHT SQUEEZE PLAZA SHOPPING CENTER

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

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 33 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: 250 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 519 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -13 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.

170 
WFUS51 KRNK 242219
TORRNK
VAC143-242300-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0015.120324T2219Z-120324T2300Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 700 PM EDT.

* AT 617 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR SANDY  
  RIVER...OR NEAR AXTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.  THIS STORM
  HAS ALSO HAD A HISTORY OF VERY LARGE HAIL!!!

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  SANDY RIVER...
  SWANSONVILLE...
  CALLANDS...
  SAGO...
  CLIMAX...

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3703 7960 3702 7949 3701 7948 3701 7947
      3699 7929 3682 7929 3664 7944 3661 7970
TIME...MOT...LOC 2218Z 223DEG 19KT 3667 7969

$$

1 follow-up statement

382 
WWUS51 KRNK 242252
SVSRNK

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

VAC143-242300-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0015.000000T0000Z-120324T2300Z/
PITTSYLVANIA VA-
652 PM EDT SAT MAR 24 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EDT FOR WESTERN
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY...

AT 649 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A STORM WITH STRONG ROTATION OVER SOUTH CENTRAL 
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR DRY FORK...OR NEAR 
BLAIRS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  DRY FORK...
  CHATHAM...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3703 7960 3702 7949 3701 7948 3701 7947
      3699 7929 3682 7929 3664 7944 3661 7970
TIME...MOT...LOC 2250Z 244DEG 26KT 3674 7944

$$

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, 5:24 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, 6:25 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.