Alert archive / Washington / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Seattle, WA

January 21, 2020Grays Harbor County, Washington

NWS Seattle, WA issued this tornado warning at Jan 21, 2020, 5:18 PM PST for Grays Harbor County, Washington. It was in force for 13 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, 5:18 PM PST (01:18 UTC)
Expired: Jan 21, 2020, 5:31 PM PST
In force: 13 min
Issued by: NWS Seattle, WA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

County Grays Harbor County, WA

The radar

The Langley Hill radar (KLGX), 37 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:22 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, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 79 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.

939 
WFUS56 KSEW 220118
TORSEW
WAC027-220145-
/O.NEW.KSEW.TO.W.0004.200122T0118Z-200122T0145Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  North central Grays Harbor County in northwestern Washington...

* Until 545 PM PST
    
* At 518 PM PST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located 8 miles southwest of Amanda Park, 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. 

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Quinault around 530 PM PST. 

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Neilton.

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 4732 12397 4738 12402 4751 12376 4747 12365
      4738 12365
TIME...MOT...LOC 0118Z 243DEG 34KT 4736 12397 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$
Pullin

1 follow-up statement

125 
WWUS56 KSEW 220131
SVSSEW

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

WAC027-220140-
/O.CAN.KSEW.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-200122T0145Z/
Grays Harbor-
531 PM PST Tue Jan 21 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTH 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. Gusty winds and heavy 
rainfall remain threats with this storm.

LAT...LON 4732 12397 4738 12402 4751 12376 4747 12365
      4738 12365
TIME...MOT...LOC 0128Z 243DEG 34KT 4741 12381 

$$
Pullin

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, 4:59 PM PST	Tornado Warning	SEW	Grays Harbor	11 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.