Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Blacksburg, VA

March 1, 20124 counties in Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Mar 1, 2012, 1:10 AM EST for 4 counties in Virginia. It was in force for 20 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
Mar 1, 2012, 1:10 AM EST (06:10 UTC)
Expired
Mar 1, 2012, 1:30 AM EST
In force
20 min
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Appomattox County, VA, Bedford County, VA, Campbell County, VA, City of Lynchburg, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 106 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:12 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, 6.2 hours before the alert went out and 34 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.

214 
WFUS51 KRNK 010610
TORRNK
VAC011-019-031-680-010645-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0004.120301T0610Z-120301T0645Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
110 AM EST THU MAR 1 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN CITY OF LYNCHBURG IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  NORTHERN CAMPBELL COUNTY IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  EASTERN BEDFORD COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA
  WESTERN APPOMATTOX COUNTY IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 145 AM EST.

* AT 108 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR GOODE...OR
  NEAR FOREST...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  FOREST...
  TIMBERLAKE...
  LYNCHBURG AIRPORT...
  RUSTBURG...
  CONCORD...

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.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL 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 3736 7890 3714 7899 3730 7947 3740 7943
TIME...MOT...LOC 0609Z 284DEG 39KT 3733 7934

$$

16
1 follow-up statement
858 
WWUS51 KRNK 010630
SVSRNK

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

VAC011-019-031-680-010639-
/O.CAN.KRNK.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120301T0645Z/
CITY OF LYNCHBURG VA-CAMPBELL VA-BEDFORD VA-APPOMATTOX VA-
130 AM EST THU MAR 1 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR THE CITY OF LYNCHBURG... NORTHERN
CAMPBELL...EASTERN BEDFORD AND WESTERN APPOMATTOX COUNTIES IS
CANCELLED...

THE TORNADO THREAT FOR THE WARNED AREA HAS ENDED. THE THUNDERSTORM
PRODUCING THE TORNADO HAS WEAKENED AND MOVED OUT OF THE WARNING AREA.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...TV OR YOUR LOCAL NEW SOURCE FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER OR STORM
RELATED DAMAGE TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND ASK THEM TO
IMMEDIATELY RELAY THE REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
BLACKSBURG.

LAT...LON 3736 7890 3714 7899 3730 7947 3740 7943
TIME...MOT...LOC 0629Z 284DEG 39KT 3728 7907

$$

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
Feb 29, 11:29 PM ESTTornado WarningRNKTazewell31 min
Mar 1, 12:26 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBedford34 min
Mar 1, 12:58 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBedford, Campbell, City of Lynchburg47 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.