Alert archive / Massachusetts / Tornado Warnings in 2014

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

August 31, 2014Middlesex County, Worcester County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this tornado warning at Aug 31, 2014, 8:14 PM EDT for Middlesex County, Worcester County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 34 min. 8 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
Aug 31, 2014, 8:14 PM EDT (00:14 UTC)
Expired
Aug 31, 2014, 8:48 PM EDT
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Middlesex County, MA, Worcester County, MA

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 59 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:15 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
Aug 31, 8:20 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGWorcester, MASEVERAL LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN IN VERNON HILLS AREA... 8 INCH DIAMETER
Aug 31, 8:21 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGWorcester, MATREE DOWN ON A HOUSE ON PILGRIM AVE. WIRES DOWN...CAUSING A FIRE.
Aug 31, 8:21 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGWorcester, MATREE DOWN ON PERRY AVENUE. TREES AND WIRES DOWN ON VERNON HILL AND STERLING ST. TREES DOWN ON MULTIPLE CARS ON STERLING ST.
Aug 31, 8:23 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGWorcester, MADEBRIS...LEAVES... SIDING AND GUTTERS IN ROADWAY ALONG PLANTATION ST...GRAFTON ST... ACTON ST AND HAMILTON ST. LARGE BRANCHES DOWN ON HEYWOOD ST...VALE ST AND STONEWALL ST. DAMAGE EXTENDS THROUGH HATFIELD ST. TREE BRANCHES ON CARS AND HOUSES.
Aug 31, 8:23 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGWorcester, MAMULTIPLE BRANCHES AND TREES DOWN ON GRANITE ST. MULTIPLE TREES DOWN ON GORDON ST.
Aug 31, 8:23 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGWorcester, MAMULTIPLE LARGE BRANCHES...AS BIG AS 13 INCHES...DOWNED AT SPURR ST AND PROVIDENCE ST
Aug 31, 8:23 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGWorcester, MATREE AND WIRES DOWN ON NORTH WOODFORD ST
Aug 31, 8:23 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGWorcester, MATREE AND WIRES DOWN ON NORTH WOODWARD ST

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

The nearest sounding before it

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 158 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, Chatham, MA at 00:00Z on 2014-09-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 384 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, Chatham, MA at 00:00Z on 2014-09-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 133 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
384 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-51 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
568 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
133 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
149 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.

288 
WFUS51 KBOX 010014
TORBOX
MAC017-027-010100-
/O.NEW.KBOX.TO.W.0006.140901T0014Z-140901T0100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
814 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...
  SOUTH CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...

* UNTIL 900 PM EDT
    
* AT 813 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED
  OVER WORCESTER...AND WAS MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  WORCESTER...FRAMINGHAM...MARLBOROUGH...SHREWSBURY...NATICK...
  ACTON...HUDSON...WESTBOROUGH...GRAFTON...SUDBURY...ASHLAND...
  AUBURN...HOPKINTON...NORTHBOROUGH...MAYNARD...SOUTHBOROUGH...WEST
  BOYLSTON...STOW...BOLTON AND BOYLSTON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! DO NOT WAIT TO SEE THE TORNADO. GO TO A BASEMENT OR
INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING...AWAY FROM
WINDOWS. IF IN A VEHICLE...A MOBILE HOME OR OUTDOORS...GET TO THE
CLOSEST SHELTER. PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4222 7185 4228 7188 4246 7146 4229 7137
TIME...MOT...LOC 0013Z 248DEG 26KT 4228 7176 
$$
FIELD
3 follow-up statements
001 
WWUS51 KBOX 010024
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
824 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014

MAC017-027-010100-
/O.CON.KBOX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-140901T0100Z/
WORCESTER MA-MIDDLESEX MA-
824 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL WORCESTER AND SOUTH CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTIES...
    
AT 822 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM 
WAS LOCATED OVER SHREWSBURY...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. SPOTTERS AND 
AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS REPORTED NUMEROUS LARGE TREE LIMBS AND SOME 
TREES HAVE DOWN IN WORCESTER.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WORCESTER...FRAMINGHAM...MARLBOROUGH...SHREWSBURY...NATICK...ACTON...
HUDSON...WESTBOROUGH...SUDBURY...ASHLAND...NORTHBOROUGH...MAYNARD...
SOUTHBOROUGH...STOW...BOYLSTON AND BERLIN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! LEAVE MOBILE HOMES AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING. GO TO
THE BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

&&

LAT...LON 4225 7174 4230 7177 4246 7146 4229 7137
TIME...MOT...LOC 0022Z 248DEG 26KT 4231 7167 

$$
FIELD
850 
WWUS51 KBOX 010037
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
837 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014

MAC017-027-010100-
/O.CON.KBOX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-140901T0100Z/
WORCESTER MA-MIDDLESEX MA-
837 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL WORCESTER AND SOUTH CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTIES...
    
AT 835 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR SHOWS THAT THE STORM THAT PROMPTED THE 
TORNADO WARNING HAS WEAKENED OVER MARLBOROUGH. HOWEVER THIS STORM 
HAS DOWNED NUMEROUS TREES IN THE WORCESTER AREA AND CONTINUES TO 
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE A TORNADO. THE STORM IS MOVING EAST AT 
30 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... 
FRAMINGHAM...MARLBOROUGH...NATICK...HUDSON...WESTBOROUGH...SUDBURY... 
ASHLAND...NORTHBOROUGH...MAYNARD...SOUTHBOROUGH AND STOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! LEAVE MOBILE HOMES AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING. GO TO
THE BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

&&

LAT...LON 4226 7166 4232 7169 4243 7145 4229 7137
TIME...MOT...LOC 0035Z 248DEG 26KT 4234 7156 

$$
FIELD
576 
WWUS51 KBOX 010048
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
848 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014

MAC017-027-010058-
/O.CAN.KBOX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-140901T0100Z/
WORCESTER MA-MIDDLESEX MA-
848 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL WORCESTER AND SOUTH CENTRAL
MIDDLESEX COUNTIES IS CANCELED...
                
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 HAS BEEN CANCELED. HOWEVER GUSTY WINDS TO 
50 MPH ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.

LAT...LON 4226 7166 4232 7169 4243 7145 4229 7137
TIME...MOT...LOC 0046Z 248DEG 26KT 4238 7144 

$$
FIELD

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 31, 8:04 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementBOXMiddlesex41 min
Aug 31, 8:11 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningBOXWorcester3 hr
Aug 31, 9:09 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOXEssex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk2 hr
Aug 31, 10:01 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOXBristol, Dukes119 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Massachusetts, 2014Every tornado warning in 2014Tornadoes in 2014

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.