Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2016

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 286, NWS Baltimore/Washington

August 17, 20166 counties in Virginia

NWS Baltimore/Washington issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 17, 2016, 7:11 PM EDT for 6 counties in Virginia. It was in force for 49 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 17, 2016, 7:11 PM EDT (23:11 UTC)
Expired
Aug 17, 2016, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Baltimore/Washington
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Madison County, VA, Page County, VA, Rappahannock County, VA, Rockingham County, VA, Shenandoah County, VA, Warren County, VA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:11 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 forecasters said that day

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

NWS Baltimore/Washington wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 17, 3:06 PM EDT, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 17, 3:06 PM EDT, 4 hours 5 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
306 PM EDT Wed Aug 17 2016

.SYNOPSIS...
A weak cold front will gradually move south of the area through
Friday before dissipating. Another cold front will cross the
area early next week. High pressure returns for the middle of next
week.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
An active weather evening is ahead with multiple threats. Severe
Thunderstorm Watch already out west of the Blue Ridge until 8 PM.
Due to relatively little activity expected to the east this
afternoon, SPC has suggested doing a second watch if warranted
farther east at a later time. A Flash Flood Watch has also been
issued through 3 AM for a stripe across the central CWA where
best QPF signal overlaps with pockets of lower FFG, including the
Baltimore-Washington metro. Heavy rain will be possible elsewhere,
but have held off on a larger watch due to coverage uncertainty
and/or higher FFG.

The severe weather threat will mainly come in the form of damaging
downburst winds. Multicell clusters will be possible given
moderate shear, but given forcing from approaching wave, an MCS
could also be possible. High PWAT values, moisture transport into
the stalled boundary, and favorable upper jet positioning suggest
activity could last well into the evening, if not after midnight
near the Bay. While some guidance suggests one main push of
storms, mergers and regenerative processes are not out of the
question, as demonstrated by a recent HRRR run. If such processes
occur, localized point amounts of 3-4 inches are within the realm
of possibility.

Activity should diminish (at least to showers) by late tonight as
the main wave/vort max moves to the east.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
Deep moisture will shunt south of most of the area Thursday with
WNW flow establishing. This will lead to slightly drier and cooler
air. However, the washed out boundary will not be far away with
potential for weak disturbances in the flow, so the best chance of
a shower and storm will be across the south.

Had to introduce POPs a little to the north on Friday, as there
are some indications a wave could pass along the front to the
south and result in a chance of showers and storms by afternoon or
evening.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
High pressure will build to the north Friday night. Drier and
slightly cooler, yet seasonable, air will funnel southward into our
region. We can't rule out a scattered shower Friday night due to a
few week disturbances that may try to sneak under the building high
pressure. Most of the activity will be across the Virginia Piedmont
or lower Southern Maryland.

The area of high pressure will weaken some over our region Saturday
and Saturday night, allowing for additional weak disturbances to
move in from the west and bring us a chance for additional showers
or perhaps a thunderstorm.

A moderate cold front is expected to move slowly eastward across the
Great Lakes region Sunday. This front could spawn a few
thunderstorms, mainly in the afternoon and along and west of the
Blue Ridge Mountains.

Showers and thunderstorms could linger Sunday night and Monday as the
front moves toward the Chesapeake Bay and possible stalls just east
of the bay.

High pressure will build in behind the front Monday night and linger
through Wednesday. Drier air and slightly cooler temperatures are
expected.

&&

.AVIATION /19Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
Main threat period to the terminals will be between 5 PM and
midnight. There will likely be a two hour period or so when
thunderstorms are rather widespread (except maybe CHO) and
restrictions will be likely in heavy rain and gusty winds. This
window will be narrowed down with amendments. With the rain, some
fog or low clouds aren't out of the question late tonight, but
have not placed in the TAFs yet due to uncertainty.

A stray storm may cross near CHO both Thursday and Friday, but
otherwise VFR should prevail.

VFR conditions Friday night through Saturday night. Winds light
and variable.

&&

.MARINE...
W/NW flow this afternoon 10-15 kt. Fairly widespread thunderstorms
will impact the waters this evening (possibly slightly earlier
near DC) with a strong wind threat. Special Marine Warnings are
likely.

W to NW flow will continue through Friday, generally 10 kt or
less. While a stray storm can't be ruled out on southern waters,
coverage will be much less than today.

No marine hazards expected Friday night through Saturday night.

&&

.LWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
DC...Flash Flood Watch through late tonight for DCZ001.
MD...Flash Flood Watch through late tonight for MDZ011-013-014-
     503>506.
VA...Flash Flood Watch through late tonight for VAZ026>031-038>040-
     050>054-501-502-505>507.
WV...None.
MARINE...None.

&&

SYNOPSIS...ADS
NEAR TERM...ADS
SHORT TERM...ADS
LONG TERM...KLW
AVIATION...ADS/KLW
MARINE...ADS/KLW
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 17, 6:53 PM EDT, 18 minutes before
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Baltimore/Washington issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 17, 11:55 AM EDTFlash Flood WatchLWXArlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick and 14 more11 hr
Aug 17, 6:31 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningLWXRockingham3 hr
Aug 17, 7:07 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningLWXPage3 hr
Aug 17, 7:26 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningLWXPage, Rockingham, Shenandoah3 hr
Aug 17, 7:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXCulpeper, Fauquier, Loudoun, Page, Rappahannock, Warren27 min
Aug 17, 7:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXCulpeper, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Rappahannock, Warren32 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Virginia, 2016Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2016

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.