Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Blacksburg, VA

February 29, 2012Tazewell County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Feb 29, 2012, 11:29 PM EST for Tazewell County, Virginia. It was in force for 31 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
Feb 29, 2012, 11:29 PM EST (04:29 UTC)
Expired
Mar 1, 2012, 12:00 AM EST
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Tazewell County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 115 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:31 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

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 00:00Z, 4.5 hours before the alert went out and 183 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 00:00Z on 2012-03-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 25 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 00:00Z on 2012-03-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 281 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
25 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-54 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
616 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
67 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
281 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
382 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.

310 
WFUS51 KRNK 010429
TORRNK
VAC185-010500-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0003.120301T0429Z-120301T0500Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1129 PM EST WED FEB 29 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL TAZEWELL COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

* UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST.

* AT 1126 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR GLEN
  BURKE...OR 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF RICHLANDS...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GLEN BURKE...
  BANDY...
  CLIFFIELD...
  TAZEWELL...
  GRATTON...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

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 3718 8187 3719 8179 3721 8176 3717 8128
      3715 8133 3713 8127 3711 8126 3706 8134
      3704 8145 3700 8145 3702 8147 3701 8149
      3710 8189 3715 8191
TIME...MOT...LOC 0429Z 281DEG 41KT 3715 8182

$$

16
2 follow-up statements
863 
WWUS51 KRNK 010448
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1148 PM EST WED FEB 29 2012

VAC185-010500-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120301T0500Z/
TAZEWELL VA-
1148 PM EST WED FEB 29 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST FOR CENTRAL
TAZEWELL COUNTY...

AT 1144 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A POSSIBLE TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR 
AMONATE...OR 6 MILES WEST OF TAZEWELL...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  TAZEWELL...
  GRATTON...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

LAT...LON 3720 8169 3721 8168 3720 8166 3717 8128
      3715 8133 3713 8130 3713 8127 3711 8126
      3706 8134 3705 8142 3712 8171
TIME...MOT...LOC 0448Z 278DEG 40KT 3714 8156

$$

16
323 
WWUS51 KRNK 010500
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1200 AM EST THU MAR 1 2012

VAC185-010509-
/O.EXP.KRNK.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120301T0500Z/
TAZEWELL VA-
1200 AM EST THU MAR 1 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL TAZEWELL COUNTY EXPIRES AT
MIDNIGHT EST...

THE STORM WHICH TRIGGERED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED...AND IS NO 
LONGER SHOWING SIGNS OF STRONG ROTATION.

LAT...LON 3720 8169 3721 8168 3720 8166 3717 8128
      3715 8133 3713 8130 3713 8127 3711 8126
      3706 8134 3705 8142 3712 8171
TIME...MOT...LOC 0459Z 278DEG 40KT 3712 8140

$$

16

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 29, 7:01 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningRNKBland, Smyth, Tazewell6 hr
Feb 29, 7:18 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBland, Tazewell27 min
Feb 29, 7:23 PM ESTTornado WarningRNKGrayson, Smyth, Wythe37 min
Feb 29, 11:26 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementRNKTazewell64 min
Mar 1, 12:26 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBedford34 min
Mar 1, 12:58 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBedford, Campbell, City of Lynchburg47 min
Mar 1, 1:10 AM ESTTornado WarningRNKAppomattox, Bedford, Campbell, City of Lynchburg20 min

Nearby

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