Alert archive / Massachusetts / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

August 2, 2020Hampden County, Hampshire County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this tornado warning at Aug 2, 2020, 6:55 PM EDT for Hampden County, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 35 min. 6 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 2, 2020, 6:55 PM EDT (22:55 UTC)
Expired: Aug 2, 2020, 7:30 PM EDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.0 in

Counties Hampden County, MA, Hampshire County, MA

The radar

The Albany radar (KENX), 99 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:54 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 2, 7:00 PM EDT	TORNADO	Tolland, MA	A WEAK EF0 TORNADO, WHICH BEGAN IN SANDISFIELD, MOVED NORTHEAST INTO NORTHWEST TOLLAND AT 700 PM EDT AND LIFTED 20 MINUTES LATER IN SOUTHERN BLANDFORD AT 720 PM. IT WAS MAINLY CONTINUOUS FOR 7.8 MILES. MAX WIND SPEEDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 80 MPH. DOZENS OF TREES
Aug 2, 7:05 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Tolland, MA	MULTIPLE TREES DOWN 1.2 MILES DOWN BELDEN ROAD. TOLLAND DPW ON SCENE.
Aug 2, 7:05 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Tolland, MA	NUMEROUS TREES DOWN/ACROSS THE ROAD ON SCHOOLHOUSE ROAD
Aug 2, 7:05 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Tolland, MA	POWER POLE SNAPPED WITH TREES AND WIRES DOWN ON EAST OTIS ROAD.
Aug 2, 7:05 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Tolland, MA	TREE DOWN ON EAST OTIS ROAD
Aug 2, 7:15 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Blandford, MA	TREE DOWN ON BEECH HILL ROAD, WIRES DOWN.

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 2, 3:10 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Albany, NY (KALY), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 89 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: 60 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -29 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 925 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 102 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 206 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

506 
WFUS51 KBOX 022255
TORBOX
MAC013-015-022330-
/O.NEW.KBOX.TO.W.0001.200802T2255Z-200802T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
655 PM EDT Sun Aug 2 2020

The National Weather Service in Boston/Norton has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southwestern Hampshire County in western Massachusetts...
  Western Hampden County in western Massachusetts...

* Until 730 PM EDT.
    
* At 655 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Sandisfield, or 15 miles southeast of Great
  Barrington, moving northeast at 30 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and quarter size hail.

  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.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Tolland around 705 PM EDT.
  Blandford around 720 PM EDT.
  Russell around 725 PM EDT.
  Southampton, Huntington, Westhampton, Chester, Montgomery and 
  Middlefield around 730 PM EDT.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 4215 7307 4214 7305 4215 7303 4227 7300
      4231 7300 4231 7302 4244 7288 4225 7262
      4204 7296 4204 7306 4206 7305 4211 7307
      4212 7306
TIME...MOT...LOC 2255Z 224DEG 25KT 4209 7310 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

Loconto

1 follow-up statement

403 
WWUS51 KBOX 022320
SVSBOX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
720 PM EDT Sun Aug 2 2020

MAC013-015-022330-
/O.CON.KBOX.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-200802T2330Z/
Hampshire MA-Hampden MA-
720 PM EDT Sun Aug 2 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN HAMPSHIRE AND WESTERN HAMPDEN COUNTIES...
        
At 719 PM EDT, a confirmed tornado was located over Blandford, or 9
miles west of Westfield, moving northeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Damaging tornado and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar confirmed tornado.

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.

This tornado will be near...
  Russell around 730 PM EDT.
  Montgomery around 735 PM EDT.
  Huntington and Westhampton around 745 PM EDT.
  Southampton around 750 PM EDT.
  Easthampton around 755 PM EDT.
  Northampton around 800 PM EDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. 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.

&&

LAT...LON 4215 7307 4214 7305 4215 7303 4227 7300
      4231 7300 4231 7302 4244 7288 4225 7262
      4204 7296 4204 7306 4206 7305 4211 7307
      4212 7306
TIME...MOT...LOC 2319Z 228DEG 23KT 4218 7294 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

Loconto

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 2, 1:36 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Hampden	39 min
Aug 2, 2:17 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Hampden	58 min
Aug 2, 4:38 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Middlesex	52 min
Aug 2, 5:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	BOX	Middlesex, Norfolk	45 min
Aug 2, 6:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire	59 min
Aug 2, 7:28 PM EDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	BOX	Hampden, Hampshire	32 min
Aug 2, 7:54 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOX	Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire	39 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Massachusetts, 2020 Every tornado warning in 2020 Tornadoes in 2020

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.