Alert archive / Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2018

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Blacksburg, VA

September 16, 2018Bedford County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Sep 16, 2018, 4:27 PM EDT for Bedford County, Virginia. It was in force for 18 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
Sep 16, 2018, 4:27 PM EDT (20:27 UTC)
Expired
Sep 16, 2018, 4:45 PM EDT
In force
18 min
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.0 in

County Bedford County, VA

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:32 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

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 27 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2018-09-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 48 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2018-09-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 174 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
48 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
464 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
174 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
301 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

593 
WFUS51 KRNK 162027
TORRNK
VAC019-162045-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0012.180916T2027Z-180916T2045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service BLACKSBURG VA
427 PM EDT SUN SEP 16 2018

The National Weather Service in BLACKSBURG has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northeastern Bedford County in south central Virginia...

* Until 445 PM EDT
    
* At 427 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Goode, moving northwest at 35 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado. 

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. 

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely. 

* Locations impacted include...
  Forest...
  and Sedalia.

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 outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

When it is safe to do so, please send your reports of hail of any
size, as well as reports of any wind damage, including downed trees
or large limbs, to the National Weather Service by calling toll free
at 1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4. Reports and pictures can also be
shared on the National Weather Service Blacksburg Facebook page and
on Twitter.

&&

LAT...LON 3739 7927 3735 7930 3743 7955 3754 7945
TIME...MOT...LOC 2027Z 126DEG 29KT 3742 7938 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

DS
2 follow-up statements
339 
WWUS51 KRNK 162034
SVSRNK

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service BLACKSBURG VA
434 PM EDT SUN SEP 16 2018

VAC019-162045-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0012.000000T0000Z-180916T2045Z/
Bedford VA-
434 PM EDT SUN SEP 16 2018

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM EDT FOR 
NORTH CENTRAL BEDFORD COUNTY...
    
At 434 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Sedalia, moving northwest at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado. 

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. 

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely. 

Locations impacted include...
Sedalia.

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 outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

When it is safe to do so, please send your reports of hail of any
size, as well as reports of any wind damage, including downed trees
or large limbs, to the National Weather Service by calling toll free
at 1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4. Reports and pictures can also be
shared on the National Weather Service Blacksburg Facebook page and
on Twitter.

&&

LAT...LON 3741 7948 3743 7955 3754 7945 3750 7940
      3744 7939 3742 7941
TIME...MOT...LOC 2034Z 126DEG 29KT 3745 7944 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

DS
559 
WWUS51 KRNK 162044
SVSRNK

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service BLACKSBURG VA
444 PM EDT SUN SEP 16 2018

VAC019-162054-
/O.EXP.KRNK.TO.W.0012.000000T0000Z-180916T2045Z/
Bedford VA-
444 PM EDT SUN SEP 16 2018

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL BEDFORD COUNTY WILL EXPIRE 
AT 445 PM EDT...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.

When it is safe to do so, please send your reports of hail of any
size, as well as reports of any wind damage, including downed trees
or large limbs, to the National Weather Service by calling toll free
at 1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4. Reports and pictures can also be
shared on the National Weather Service Blacksburg Facebook page and
on Twitter.

LAT...LON 3741 7948 3743 7955 3754 7945 3750 7940
      3744 7939 3742 7941
TIME...MOT...LOC 2044Z 126DEG 29KT 3749 7951 

$$

DS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 15, 9:28 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningRNKPittsylvania, City of Danville5 days
Sep 15, 9:28 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningRNKHalifax4 days
Sep 15, 9:28 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningRNKHalifax5 days
Sep 16, 3:18 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryRNKBedford, Botetourt, Campbell, Franklin, Pittsylvania, Roanoke and 2 more6 hr
Sep 16, 3:26 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningRNKCarroll, Grayson, City of Galax45 hr
Sep 16, 3:26 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningRNKMontgomery, Pulaski, City of Radford37 hr
Sep 16, 3:26 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningRNKGiles66 hr
Sep 16, 4:36 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningRNKRoanoke, City of Roanoke, City of Salem46 hr
Sep 16, 5:02 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningRNKCarroll, Floyd, Grayson, Patrick, City of Galax31 min
Sep 16, 5:27 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKCarroll, Floyd, Grayson, Patrick, City of Galax10 hr
Sep 16, 6:44 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKHalifax46 min
Sep 16, 7:00 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKPatrick9 hr
Sep 16, 7:33 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRNKHalifax12 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 2018Every tornado warning in 2018Tornadoes in 2018

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.