Alert archive / Maryland / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Baltimore/Washington

May 3, 2021Frederick County, Maryland

NWS Baltimore/Washington issued this tornado warning at May 3, 2021, 7:40 PM EDT for Frederick County, Maryland. It was in force for 35 min. 4 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: May 3, 2021, 7:40 PM EDT (23:40 UTC)
Expired: May 3, 2021, 8:15 PM EDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Baltimore/Washington
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

County Frederick County, MD

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 53 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:43 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
May 3, 8:14 PM EDT	TORNADO	2 E Mount Pleasant, MD	EF-1. PEAK WIND 90 MPH. PATH LENGTH 0.8 MILES. PATH WIDTH 200 YARDS. 8:14PM - 8:16PM
May 3, 8:16 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 S Libertytown, MD	TREES AND WIRES DOWN NEAR OLD ANNAPOLIS ROAD AND CHESNUT GROVE ROAD.
May 3, 8:23 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Libertytown, MD	TREES AND WIRES DOWN IN LIBERTYTOWN NEAR ROUTE 26 AND 75.
May 3, 8:23 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Libertytown, MD	TREES DOWN NEAR MD-26 AND MD-550.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 54 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1510 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 98 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 210 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

763 
WFUS51 KLWX 032340
TORLWX
MDC021-040015-
/O.NEW.KLWX.TO.W.0005.210503T2340Z-210504T0015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
740 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021

The National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Frederick County in north central Maryland...

* Until 815 PM EDT.
    
* At 740 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Frederick, moving east at 25 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...For those in the direct path of a tornado touchdown, 
           flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Damage to roofs, siding, and windows may occur. 
           Mobile homes may be damaged or destroyed. Tree damage is 
           likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Walkersville, Linganore-Bartonsville and Discovery-Spring Garden 
  around 750 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Libertytown and Mount Pleasant.

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 3940 7746 3945 7747 3952 7721 3942 7718
TIME...MOT...LOC 2340Z 255DEG 21KT 3943 7741 

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

$$

ADS

1 follow-up statement

384 
WWUS51 KLWX 032356
SVSLWX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Baltimore MD/Washington DC
756 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021

MDC021-040015-
/O.CON.KLWX.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-210504T0015Z/
Frederick MD-
756 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM EDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL FREDERICK COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL MARYLAND...
    
At 755 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Linganore-Bartonsville, or over Frederick, moving
northeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...For those in the direct path of a tornado touchdown, flying 
         debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. 
         Damage to roofs, siding, and windows may occur. Mobile 
         homes may be damaged or destroyed. Tree damage is likely.

Locations impacted include...
Frederick, Harry Grove Stadium, Walkersville, Discovery-Spring
Garden, Linganore-Bartonsville, Libertytown and Mount Pleasant.

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 3940 7745 3948 7737 3952 7721 3942 7718
TIME...MOT...LOC 2355Z 243DEG 21KT 3942 7736 

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

$$

ADS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 3, 6:26 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	LWX	Washington	34 min
May 3, 6:50 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LWX	Frederick, Washington	40 min
May 3, 7:08 PM EDT	Areal Flood Warning	LWX	Washington	3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Maryland, 2021 Every tornado warning in 2021 Tornadoes in 2021

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.