Alert archive / Virginia / Special Weather Statements in 2014

Special Weather Statement, NWS Blacksburg, VA

May 28, 2014City of Galax, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this special weather statement at May 28, 2014, 6:47 PM EDT for City of Galax, Virginia. It was in force for 43 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
May 28, 2014, 6:47 PM EDT (22:47 UTC)
Expired
May 28, 2014, 7:30 PM EDT
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA

County City of Galax, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 59 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:47 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

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 94 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2014-05-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 66 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2014-05-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -7 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
66 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-145 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1544 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-7 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
44 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.

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What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this special weather statement went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this special weather statement went out at May 28, 3:05 PM EDT, 3 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 28, 3:05 PM EDT, 3 hours 42 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
305 PM EDT WED MAY 28 2014

.SYNOPSIS...
A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL SLIDE SLOWLY SOUTH THROUGH OUR AREA
EARLY THURSDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN BEHIND THE FRONT BY
THE WEEKEND...USHERING IN SLIGHTLY COOLER AND DRIER AIR FOR
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AS OF 300 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...

OUR ENTIRE FORECAST AREA FALLS IN THE WARM SECTOR...AS A SFC
BOUNDARY WAS NOTED FROM OHIO TO THE WV PANHANDLE INTO MARYLAND. SPC
MESOANALYSIS PAGE INDICATES BEST DCAPES IN THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF
OUR FORECAST AREA...AND WHILE WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT
EXPECTED A COUPLE OF STORMS MAY GAIN ENOUGH STRENGTH TO CREATE
LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS.

SUBTLE SHORTWAVE MOVING OVER THE TOP OF THE UPPER RIDGE IS HELPING
TO SPARK THE STORMS...AND AS THIS FEATURE SLIDES EAST...COMBINED
WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING...STORMS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH THIS
EVENING.

ANOTHER...STRONGER...WAVE PUSH INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION EARLY
THURSDAY...AMPLIFYING THE UPPER TROF IN THE FAR EASTERN
U.S...LEAVING US UNDER A NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. THIS WILL HELP
PUSH A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT THROUGH OUR REGION TONIGHT AND BRING A
LOW LEVEL EASTERLY FLOW. SREF/NAM/GFS/RAP MODELS ALL GENERATING
LOW CLOUDS...MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE BY DAWN
THURSDAY.

IF THIS SCENARIO UNFOLDS...WIDESPREAD CLOUDINESS WILL BE FOUND FOR
MOST AREAS EAST OF I-77 THURSDAY...KEEPING INSTABILITY DOWN.
GUIDANCE TEMPS HAVE TRENDED DOWN AND TRY TO FOLLOW THIS TREND WITH
GOING BELOW GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS...ESPECIALLY AT LYH.

UPPER LEVEL FORCING INCREASES TOMORROW AS THE UPPER LEVEL WAVE MOVES
THROUGH. THIS SHOULD INCREASE COVERAGE OF PRECIPITATION ON THURSDAY.
AS A RESULT...KEPT HIGH POPS IN PLACE. BEST CHANCE FOR STRONG STORMS
WILL BE OUTSIDE OF THE WEDGE...PRIMARILY WEST OF I-77.
&&

.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 300 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...

OVERALL MODELS STILL FAVORING WEDGE ACROSS THE AREA THU NIGHT-FRIDAY
BUT WITH INVERTED TROUGH AND 8H FRONT TO FOLLOW THROUGH BY FRIDAY
MORNING.

WILL FAVOR A BLEND OF THE ECMWF/GFS THIS PACKAGE...AND WILL SEE
HIGHER POPS IN THE WEST AND SOUTH THURSDAY NIGHT. FOG IS A GOOD
POSSIBILITY AS SOME DRIER AIR ALOFT WORKS IN FROM THE NORTHEAST.

GOING INTO FRIDAY...THERE STILL REMAINS SOME WEAK CONVERGENCE ALONG
OVER THE MTNS AND WILL ALLOW FOR CHANCE POPS OVER THE MTNS WITH
LOWER THREAT WITH SUBSIDENCE IN THE WEDGE ACROSS THE EAST. KEPT TEMPS
COOLER FRIDAY IN THE WEDGE AND CLOUDS LINGER OVER THE BLUE RIDGE AND
FOOTHILLS INTO THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS SHOULD RANGE FROM THE LOWER 70S
ACROSS THE LYH/FVX AREA...AS WELL AS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...TO NEAR
80 IN THE NC FOOTHILLS AND FAR SW VA VALLEYS.

ANOTHER HIGH WILL WORK SOUTH FROM THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES INTO
SATURDAY AS UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE GREAT LAKES INTO THE OHIO
VALLEY. MAIN TRACK OF SHORTWAVE WILL STAY NORTHEAST ACROSS THE NEW
NEW ENGLAND STATES. MAINLY DRY BUT CANNOT RULE OUT SOME ISOLATED
CONVECTION OVER THE NC MTNS SAT AFTERNOON. WILL BE SEASONAL WITH
HIGHS FROM THE MID TO UPPER 70S CWA WIDE.

BY SATURDAY NIGHT...THE SFC HIGH WORKS INTO NY/PA WEDGING SOUTHWEST
OVER THE VA/NC PIEDMONT. SHOULD BE A COOLER NIGHT WITH DRY AIR IN
PLACE. STILL SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE NC MTNS WITH MODELS SHOWING
ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THE EVENING. WILL SEE SKIES CLEARING OUT AND
TEMPS DROPPING TOWARD THE UPPER 40S ACROSS THE ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS
WITH MOST LOCATIONS STAYING IN THE 50S.

&&

.LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AS OF 1245 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...

GOING TO BE HEADING BACK TO SUMMER TEMPS EARLY NEXT WEEK AS UPPER
RIDGE SITUATES ITSELF OVER THE WRN SIDE OF THE APPALACHIANS. BY
MIDWEEK...MODELS BREAK DOWN THE UPPER RIDGE AS TROUGH DIGS ACROSS
SRN CANADA. AT THE SFC...HIGH PRESSURE WORKS FROM THE MID ATLANTIC
TO THE SOUTHEAST COAST.

THE PATTERN SUGGESTS NO ORGANIZED SYSTEMS TO AFFECT US...BUT WILL
HAVE TO WATCH UPSTREAM ESPECIALLY TUE-WED AS THE 5H FLOW FLATTENS
FOR FASTER MOVING SHORTWAVES. OVERALL WILL BE TYPICAL SUMMER DIURNAL
RANGE IN SHRA/TSRA THREAT...WITH BEST CHANCES IN THE MOUNTAINS
ESPECIALLY TUE-WED. A LEE TROUGH SETS UP AS WELL OVER THE PIEDMONT
WHICH COULD AID IN STORM DEVELOPMENT.

FOR NOW KEEPING IN POPS IN THE CHANCE RANGE...WITH SUNDAY LOOKING
DRY.

&&

.AVIATION /19Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
AS OF 108 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...

VFR CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED AT ALL TAF SITES EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED STORMS DEVELOPING
IN TEH WESTERN PORTION OF THE NWS BLACKSBURG FORECAST AREA.
WITH AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE...WIDELY SCATTERED STORMS WILL
BE POSSIBLE ANYWHERE ACROSS THE FORECAST AERA....BEFORE
DIMINISHING BY 02Z. COVERAGE OF THE STORMS WILL NOT BE HIGH ENOUGH
TO INCLUDE AS A PREDOMINATE GROUP...AND WILL LEAVE MENTION OF
VCTS.

A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL GRADUALLY MOVE SOUTH TONIGHT...WELL
INTO OUR FORECAST AREA. THIS WILL BRING A EAST WIND AND SHALLOW
MOISTURE RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD MVFR CLOUDS...ESPECIALLY TO LYH
AND PERHAPS TO KROA...KBCB...KLWB AND KDAN BY 12Z THURSDAY. THESE
CLOUDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY. AREAS OF RAIN WILL
DEVELOP BY LATE MORNING AS WELL.

A COLD FRONT PUSHING THROUGH THROUGH THE AREA WILL BRING DRIER
AIR AND VFR CONDITIONS BACK INTO THE REGION...BUT NOT UNTIL FRIDAY
NIGHT. THEN THE VFR WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY.

&&

.EQUIPMENT...
AS OF 110 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...

A COMMUNICATIONS OUTAGE HAS PREVENTED THE DISTRIBUTION OF
OBSERVATIONS FROM LYH...LYNCHBURG AIRPORT. IT IS UNKNOWN WHEN THIS
WILL BE RESOLVED.

&&

.RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
VA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
WV...NONE.

&&

SYNOPSIS...PH
NEAR TERM...PH
SHORT TERM...WP
LONG TERM...WP
AVIATION...PH
EQUIPMENT...PH
Hazardous weather outlook, May 28, 5:09 AM EDT, 13 hours 38 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
509 AM EDT WED MAY 28 2014

NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-059-
WVZ042>045-291000-
ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-WATAUGA-WILKES-
YADKIN-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-
CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-
PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-
APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-
GREENBRIER-
509 AM EDT WED MAY 28 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH
CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH
CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND
SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS MAY PRODUCE
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...AND HEAVY RAIN.

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER LOW AT THIS
TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
THURSDAY. SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...HAIL...AND HEAVY RAIN.

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER LOW AT THIS
TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 28, 6:03 PM EDT, 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
603 PM EDT WED MAY 28 2014

VAZ034-282245-
BEDFORD VA-
603 PM EDT WED MAY 28 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR...
  CENTRAL BEDFORD COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...

* UNTIL 645 PM EDT

* AT 603 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
  A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BEDFORD CITY...MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15
  MPH.

* DIME SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
  STORM.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BEDFORD CITY...
  GOODE...
  AND THAXTON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PROLONGED HEAVY RAINFALL MAY CAUSE WATER TO FLOW OVER THE ROADWAY. DO
NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE WHERE THE ROAD HAS BECOME FLOODED.

&&

LAT...LON 3727 7933 3720 7936 3731 7968 3744 7964
      3743 7927
TIME...MOT...LOC 2200Z 282DEG 12KT 3734 7955

PC
Local storm report, May 28, 6:20 PM EDT, 27 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 28, 6:29 PM EDT, 18 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 28, 6:43 PM EDT, 4 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 28, 6:46 PM EDT, 1 minute before
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Special weather statement, May 28, 6:47 PM EDT, 0 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 27, 8:05 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKCarroll25 min
May 27, 8:11 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKWythe34 min
May 27, 8:16 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKAmherst29 min
May 28, 3:50 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKRoanoke, City of Salem40 min
May 28, 4:05 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKAppomattox40 min
May 28, 4:17 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKRockbridge, City of Buena Vista, City of Lexington43 min
May 28, 4:35 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKRoanoke40 min
May 28, 5:27 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKCity of Covington48 min
May 28, 5:47 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKFranklin58 min
May 28, 5:56 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKCity of Galax49 min
May 28, 6:03 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKBedford42 min
May 28, 6:46 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKCampbell44 min
May 28, 6:54 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKPittsylvania51 min
May 28, 7:23 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKMontgomery, City of Radford52 min
May 28, 7:51 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKPittsylvania24 min
May 28, 3:24 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKWilkes51 min
May 28, 2:44 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKGreenbrier46 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Virginia, 2014Every special weather statement 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.