Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2013

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Blacksburg, VA

September 21, 2013Henry County, Pittsylvania County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Sep 21, 2013, 7:31 PM EDT for Henry County, Pittsylvania County, Virginia. It was in force for 29 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
Sep 21, 2013, 7:31 PM EDT (23:31 UTC)
Expired
Sep 21, 2013, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Henry County, VA, Pittsylvania County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 80 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:31 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Sep 21, 7:51 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG4 Wsw Blairs, VATREE DOWN IN ROAD. CAR RAN INTO TREE A FEW MINUTES LATER.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 61 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 12:00Z on 2013-09-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 5 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 12:00Z on 2013-09-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 83 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
5 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-75 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
488 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
83 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
99 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.

006 
WFUS51 KRNK 212331
TORRNK
VAC089-143-220000-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0003.130921T2331Z-130922T0000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
731 PM EDT SAT SEP 21 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN HENRY COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...
  SOUTHERN PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...

* UNTIL 800 PM EDT
    
* AT 730 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED
  NEAR AIKEN SUMMIT...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  DANVILLE...
  CHATHAM...
  BLAIRS...
  AXTON...
  AND AIKEN SUMMIT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EVACUATE MOBILE HOMES AND GET INSIDE A STURDIER STRUCTURE. IF NONE IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR A LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR
HEAD.

WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO...PLEASE RELAY YOUR REPORTS OF SEVERE
WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE AT 1...8
6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4. REPORTS AND PICTURES CAN ALSO BE SHARED ON THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG FACEBOOK PAGE AND ON TWITTER.

&&

LAT...LON 3666 7975 3683 7937 3667 7926 3664 7939
      3664 7940 3663 7941 3661 7949 3661 7951
      3656 7970
TIME...MOT...LOC 2330Z 249DEG 24KT 3662 7965 
$$

16
1 follow-up statement
617 
WWUS51 KRNK 212355
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
755 PM EDT SAT SEP 21 2013

VAC143-220004-
/O.EXP.KRNK.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-130922T0000Z/
PITTSYLVANIA VA-
755 PM EDT SAT SEP 21 2013

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR 
SOUTHERN PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 800 PM EDT...
                
THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER APPEARS TO BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.
THEREFORE THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 3670 7966 3683 7937 3667 7926 3664 7939
      3664 7940 3663 7941 3661 7949 3661 7951
      3658 7962
TIME...MOT...LOC 2353Z 249DEG 24KT 3664 7956 

$$

16

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 20, 8:07 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKGrayson53 min
Sep 21, 3:52 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKAlleghany, Bath, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Montgomery and 4 more53 min
Sep 21, 3:56 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKCarroll64 min
Sep 21, 4:44 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBedford, Botetourt, Franklin, Rockbridge, City of Buena Vista, City of Lexington and 1 more61 min
Sep 21, 4:50 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKPatrick55 min
Sep 21, 5:47 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBedford, Henry, City of Lynchburg, City of Martinsville58 min
Sep 21, 6:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKHenry, Patrick67 min
Sep 21, 6:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBedford, Campbell, Pittsylvania62 min
Sep 21, 6:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKFranklin, Henry, Patrick, Pittsylvania, City of Martinsville56 min
Sep 21, 6:58 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryRNKHenry, Patrick4 hr
Sep 21, 7:16 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKCampbell59 min
Sep 21, 7:19 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKPittsylvania56 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 2013Every tornado warning in 2013Tornadoes in 2013

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.