Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2016

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Baltimore/Washington

February 24, 2016Spotsylvania County, Stafford County, City of Fredericksburg, Virginia

NWS Baltimore/Washington issued this tornado warning at Feb 24, 2016, 4:58 PM EST for Spotsylvania County, Stafford County, City of Fredericksburg, Virginia. It was in force for 47 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
Feb 24, 2016, 4:58 PM EST (21:58 UTC)
Expired
Feb 24, 2016, 5:45 PM EST
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Baltimore/Washington
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties City of Fredericksburg, VA, Spotsylvania County, VA, Stafford County, VA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 101 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:02 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
Feb 24, 4:59 PM ESTTSTM WND DMG1 Se Cookstown, VATREE DOWN ON CHANCELLORSVILLE ROAD

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Feb 24, 3:20 PM ESTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 100 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2016-02-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2016-02-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 526 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
433 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
526 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
627 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

070 
WFUS51 KLWX 242158
TORLWX
VAC177-179-630-242245-
/O.NEW.KLWX.TO.W.0002.160224T2158Z-160224T2245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
458 PM EST WED FEB 24 2016

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN STAFFORD COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA...
  THE SOUTH CENTRAL CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA...
  SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA...

* UNTIL 545 PM EST
    
* AT 457 PM EST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED
  NEAR MINERAL...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MASSAPONAX...SPOTSYLVANIA...POST OAK...GLENORA...ALSOP...LOGAN...
  GATEWOOD...DUNAVANT...CHANCELLORSVILLE...COOKSTOWN...SNELL...
  BROKENBURG AND THORNBURG.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE
HOME OR OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3802 7773 3803 7774 3803 7775 3805 7775
      3805 7777 3808 7779 3808 7781 3811 7784
      3810 7786 3811 7786 3811 7790 3837 7767
      3823 7740 3801 7768
TIME...MOT...LOC 2157Z 219DEG 47KT 3797 7795 

$$

SEARS
2 follow-up statements
726 
WWUS51 KLWX 242214
SVSLWX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
514 PM EST WED FEB 24 2016

VAC177-179-630-242245-
/O.CON.KLWX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-160224T2245Z/
STAFFORD VA-CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG VA-SPOTSYLVANIA VA-
514 PM EST WED FEB 24 2016

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM EST FOR
SOUTHWESTERN STAFFORD AND SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTIES AND THE CITY OF
FREDERICKSBURG...
    
AT 514 PM EST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES
WEST OF SPOTSYLVANIA...OR 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF MINERAL...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SPOTSYLVANIA...MASSAPONAX...CHANCELLORSVILLE...COOKSTOWN...POST
OAK...GLENORA...ALSOP...SNELL...LOGAN...DUNAVANT AND BROKENBURG.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE
HOME OR OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3805 7777 3808 7779 3808 7781 3811 7784
      3810 7786 3811 7786 3811 7790 3837 7767
      3824 7743 3807 7769 3805 7775
TIME...MOT...LOC 2214Z 219DEG 47KT 3814 7777 

$$

SEARS
468 
WWUS51 KLWX 242239
SVSLWX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
539 PM EST WED FEB 24 2016

VAC177-179-630-242248-
/O.EXP.KLWX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-160224T2245Z/
STAFFORD VA-CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG VA-SPOTSYLVANIA VA-
539 PM EST WED FEB 24 2016

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN STAFFORD AND SPOTSYLVANIA
COUNTIES AND THE CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG WILL EXPIRE AT 545 PM EST...
        
THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE AREA.
THEREFORE THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT REMAINS POSSIBLE...AND A
TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EST.

LAT...LON 3805 7777 3808 7779 3808 7781 3811 7784
      3810 7786 3811 7786 3811 7790 3837 7767
      3824 7743 3807 7769 3805 7775
TIME...MOT...LOC 2236Z 219DEG 47KT 3814 7777 

$$

SEARS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 23, 9:28 PM ESTWind AdvisoryLWXAlbemarle, Amherst, Augusta, Greene, Highland, Madison and 10 more51 hr
Feb 24, 2:04 AM ESTCoastal Flood AdvisoryLWXArlington, Fairfax, City of Alexandria, City of Fairfax, City of Falls Church35 hr
Feb 24, 3:10 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningLWX95 min
Feb 24, 3:57 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningLWX48 min
Feb 24, 4:24 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningLWX96 min
Feb 24, 4:29 PM ESTAreal Flood WarningLWXAlbemarle, Greene, Madison, City of Charlottesville8 hr
Feb 24, 4:30 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningLWX90 min
Feb 24, 4:34 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXAlbemarle, Culpeper, Madison, Orange, Spotsylvania41 min
Feb 24, 4:50 PM ESTTornado WarningLWXCulpeper, Fauquier, Orange, Spotsylvania, Stafford, City of Fredericksburg25 min
Feb 24, 4:51 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXFairfax, Loudoun39 min
Feb 24, 4:52 PM ESTAreal Flood WarningLWXAlbemarle8 hr
Feb 24, 5:01 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningLWXClarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Warren3 hr
Feb 24, 5:06 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningLWX39 min
Feb 24, 5:13 PM ESTTornado WarningLWXCulpeper, Prince William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, City of Fredericksburg36 min
Feb 24, 5:22 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningLWXSpotsylvania, City of Fredericksburg4 hr
Feb 24, 5:29 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXArlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Stafford, City of Alexandria, City of Fairfax and 1 more46 min
Feb 24, 5:39 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningLWX2 hr
Feb 24, 5:46 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXFairfax, Loudoun59 min
Feb 24, 6:01 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningLWX119 min
Feb 24, 6:02 PM ESTAreal Flood WarningLWXArlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Stafford, City of Alexandria, City of Fairfax and 1 more8 hr
Feb 24, 6:18 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLWXKing George, Stafford42 min
Feb 24, 6:36 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningLWX39 min
Feb 24, 6:46 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningLWXFairfax, City of Alexandria119 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 2016Every tornado warning in 2016Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.