Alert archive / Washington / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Seattle, WA

January 21, 2020Grays Harbor County, Washington

NWS Seattle, WA issued this tornado warning at Jan 21, 2020, 4:59 PM PST for Grays Harbor County, Washington. It was in force for 11 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: Jan 21, 2020, 4:59 PM PST (00:59 UTC)
Expired: Jan 21, 2020, 5:10 PM PST
In force: 11 min
Issued by: NWS Seattle, WA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

County Grays Harbor County, WA

The radar

The Langley Hill radar (KLGX), 31 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:04 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

Quillayute State, WA (KUIL), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 118 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: 135 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 516 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 165 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 167 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

052 
WFUS56 KSEW 220059
TORSEW
WAC027-220130-
/O.NEW.KSEW.TO.W.0003.200122T0059Z-200122T0130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Seattle WA
459 PM PST Tue Jan 21 2020

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Grays Harbor County in northwestern Washington...

* Until 530 PM PST
    
* At 458 PM PST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Aberdeen, moving northeast at 40 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...
  Aberdeen and Montesano. 

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

&&

LAT...LON 4698 12375 4703 12375 4705 12380 4712 12366
      4703 12357
TIME...MOT...LOC 0058Z 238DEG 35KT 4702 12373 

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

$$

Kovacik

1 follow-up statement

963 
WWUS56 KSEW 220110
SVSSEW

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Seattle WA
510 PM PST Tue Jan 21 2020

WAC027-220120-
/O.CAN.KSEW.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-200122T0130Z/
Grays Harbor-
510 PM PST Tue Jan 21 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.  However gusty winds are
still possible with this thunderstorm.

LAT...LON 4698 12375 4703 12375 4705 12380 4712 12366
      4703 12357
TIME...MOT...LOC 0108Z 238DEG 35KT 4708 12358 

$$

Kovacik

The office that day

Everything else NWS Seattle, WA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jan 21, 4:06 PM PST	River Flood Warning	SEW	Mason	21 days
Jan 21, 4:09 PM PST	Special Marine Warning	SEW		36 min
Jan 21, 4:19 PM PST	Special Marine Warning	SEW		26 min
Jan 21, 4:40 PM PST	Special Marine Warning	SEW		35 min
Jan 21, 4:43 PM PST	Special Marine Warning	SEW		18 min
Jan 21, 4:47 PM PST	Tornado Warning	SEW	Grays Harbor	28 min
Jan 21, 4:57 PM PST	Tornado Warning	SEW	Grays Harbor	33 min
Jan 21, 5:18 PM PST	Tornado Warning	SEW	Grays Harbor	13 min
Jan 21, 5:26 PM PST	Gale Warning	SEW		3 hr
Jan 21, 5:26 PM PST	Small Craft Advisory	SEW		22 hr
Jan 22, 3:10 PM PST	Gale Warning	SEW		21 hr
Jan 22, 3:10 PM PST	Small Craft Advisory	SEW		29 hr
Jan 22, 3:18 PM PST	Coastal Flood Advisory	SEW		17 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Washington, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.