Alert archive / Massachusetts / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 10, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

August 4, 2015Franklin County, Worcester County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this tornado warning at Aug 4, 2015, 2:39 PM EDT for Franklin County, Worcester County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 46 min. 9 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 4, 2015, 2:39 PM EDT (18:39 UTC)
Expired: Aug 4, 2015, 3:25 PM EDT
In force: 46 min
Issued by: NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Franklin County, MA, Worcester County, MA

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 88 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:43 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Aug 4, 2:59 PM EDT	HAIL 1	Barre, MA
Aug 4, 2:59 PM EDT	HAIL 1	Rutland, MA
Aug 4, 2:59 PM EDT	HAIL 1.5	Barre, MA
Aug 4, 3:00 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Barre, MA	TREES DOWN ON WIRES ON SUNRISE AVENUE...WILLIAMSVILLE ROAD AND PLEASANT STREET
Aug 4, 3:09 PM EDT	HAIL 1	Hubbardston, MA
Aug 4, 3:10 PM EDT	HAIL 1	Rutland, MA
Aug 4, 3:15 PM EDT	HAIL 0.75	Princeton, MA
Aug 4, 3:20 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Sterling, MA	TREE DOWN IN A PARKING LOT OFF OF ROUTE 62
Aug 4, 3:20 PM EDT	HAIL 0.75	Sterling, MA

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

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Aug 4, 12:18 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Albany, NY (KALY), launched 12:00Z, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 155 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 163 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -137 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1132 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 34 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 108 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

894 
WFUS51 KBOX 041839
TORBOX
MAC011-027-041945-
/O.NEW.KBOX.TO.W.0010.150804T1839Z-150804T1945Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
239 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...
  SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...

* UNTIL 345 PM EDT
    
* AT 239 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED
  NEAR NEW SALEM...OR 9 MILES EAST OF AMHERST...AND WAS MOVING EAST
  AT 35 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LEOMINSTER...FITCHBURG...GARDNER...HOLDEN...CLINTON...ATHOL...
  LUNENBURG...LANCASTER...TEMPLETON...RUTLAND...STERLING...WEST
  BOYLSTON...WESTMINSTER...ASHBURNHAM...BARRE...PAXTON...
  HUBBARDSTON...BOYLSTON...PRINCETON AND ASHBY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

DRIVERS SHOULD NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES. IF YOU
CANNOT SAFELY DRIVE AWAY FROM THE TORNADO...AS A LAST RESORT...EITHER
PARK YOUR VEHICLE AND STAY PUT...OR ABANDON YOUR VEHICLE AND LIE DOWN
IN A LOW LYING AREA. PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4233 7168 4236 7236 4249 7240 4264 7186
      4264 7177
TIME...MOT...LOC 1839Z 254DEG 29KT 4241 7234 
$$

DUNTEN

2 follow-up statements

839 
WWUS51 KBOX 041856
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
256 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2015

MAC011-041905-
/O.CAN.KBOX.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-150804T1945Z/
FRANKLIN MA-
256 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2015

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IS
CANCELED...
    
THE TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT 
OF THE WARNED AREA. THEREFORE THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELED.

LAT...LON 4235 7222 4254 7220 4264 7186 4264 7177
      4233 7168
TIME...MOT...LOC 1855Z 267DEG 30KT 4244 7220 

$$

MAC027-041945-
/O.CON.KBOX.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-150804T1945Z/
WORCESTER MA-
256 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 345 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
WORCESTER COUNTY...
    
AT 255 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED OVER
PETERSHAM...OR 12 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ORANGE...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LEOMINSTER...FITCHBURG...GARDNER...HOLDEN...CLINTON...LUNENBURG...
LANCASTER...TEMPLETON...RUTLAND...STERLING...WEST BOYLSTON...
WESTMINSTER...ASHBURNHAM...BARRE...PAXTON...HUBBARDSTON...BOYLSTON...
PRINCETON...ASHBY AND HARDWICK.

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 4235 7222 4254 7220 4264 7186 4264 7177
      4233 7168
TIME...MOT...LOC 1855Z 267DEG 30KT 4244 7220 

$$

DUNTEN

417 
WWUS51 KBOX 041925
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
325 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2015

MAC027-041934-
/O.CAN.KBOX.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-150804T1945Z/
WORCESTER MA-
325 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2015

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY IS CANCELED...
    
THE TORNADO THREAT HAS DIMINISHED...THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS
BEEN CANCELLED. HOWEVER...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS REMAIN LIKELY
AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
TAUNTON.

LAT...LON 4235 7222 4254 7220 4264 7186 4264 7177
      4233 7168
TIME...MOT...LOC 1923Z 254DEG 29KT 4251 7189 

$$

DUNTEN

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 4, 4:11 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Franklin, Hampshire	64 min
Aug 4, 6:09 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Bristol, Norfolk, Plymouth	66 min
Aug 4, 6:13 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BOX		62 min
Aug 4, 6:53 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Barnstable, Bristol, Norfolk, Plymouth	52 min
Aug 4, 6:54 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Bristol, Plymouth	51 min
Aug 4, 6:55 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BOX		65 min
Aug 4, 7:01 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BOX		89 min
Aug 4, 7:15 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Barnstable	60 min
Aug 4, 7:48 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Essex	42 min
Aug 4, 7:54 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BOX		66 min
Aug 4, 8:06 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Essex	24 min
Aug 4, 8:15 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BOX		60 min
Aug 4, 12:32 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Franklin	43 min
Aug 4, 12:41 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Franklin, Hampshire, Worcester	64 min
Aug 4, 1:21 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Hampshire	54 min
Aug 4, 1:28 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Franklin, Hampshire	47 min
Aug 4, 1:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Middlesex, Worcester	40 min
Aug 4, 1:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Franklin, Hampshire	63 min
Aug 4, 2:05 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Hampden, Hampshire	40 min
Aug 4, 2:07 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	BOX	Middlesex, Worcester	23 min
Aug 4, 2:17 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Hampden, Hampshire, Worcester	58 min
Aug 4, 2:25 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Franklin, Hampshire, Worcester	65 min
Aug 4, 2:28 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	BOX	Middlesex	32 min
Aug 4, 2:47 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BOX		58 min
Aug 4, 2:49 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Essex, Middlesex	41 min
Aug 4, 3:00 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Essex	45 min
Aug 4, 3:24 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Middlesex, Worcester	48 min
Aug 4, 3:40 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BOX		95 min
Aug 4, 3:46 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BOX		59 min
Aug 4, 3:50 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester	55 min
Aug 4, 4:07 PM EDT	Areal Flood Warning	BOX	Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk	113 min
Aug 4, 4:11 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BOX		64 min
Aug 4, 4:23 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Plymouth	37 min
Aug 4, 5:08 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	BOX		52 min
Aug 4, 5:18 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Worcester	42 min
Aug 4, 5:45 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Hampshire	45 min
Aug 4, 6:17 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Norfolk, Suffolk	43 min
Aug 4, 7:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Suffolk	45 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Massachusetts, 2015 Every tornado warning in 2015 Tornadoes in 2015

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.