A decaying stationary boundary over Central Florida provided a focus for deep low level moisture resulting in showers and isolated thunderstorms. One of the storms produced a funnel cloud.
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The episode as NWS TBW wrote it up.
A decaying stationary boundary over Central Florida provided a focus for deep low level moisture resulting in showers and isolated thunderstorms. One of the storms produced a funnel cloud.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 21, 12:47 PM EST, 3 hours 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 147 PM EDT FRI SEP 21 2012 .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)...WEAK MID LEVEL RIDGING WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY SHIFT SOUTH OVER THE WEEKEND AS A TROUGH AXIS EXTENDING INTO THE NORTHERN GULF SHIFTS EAST. AT THE SURFACE... A WEAK BOUNDARY IS STILL LINGERING OVER THE AREA WHICH IS KEEPING DECENT RAINFALL CHANCES IN THE FORECAST THROUGH TOMORROW. BEST RAIN CHANCES WILL CONTINUE TO FAVOR THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE CWA OVERNIGHT AND INTO TOMORROW AS DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE REMAINS IN PLACE AND A SERIES OF VORT MAXES SHIFTS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PENINSULA. POPS WILL BE DECREASING FURTHER NORTH THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRESSURE FINALLY BEGINS TO DIG SOUTH AND ADVECT A DRIER AIR MASS OVER THE PENINSULA. DRY AIR WILL SETTLE OVER THE MAJORITY OF THE CWA BY SUNDAY WITH MINIMAL RAIN CHANCES NORTH OF CHARLOTTE/LEE COUNTY. TEMPS WILL REMAIN NEAR CLIMO FOR THE WEEKEND BUT DEW POINTS WILL DROP A COUPLE DEGREES BY SUNDAY. .PREVIOUS LONG TERM (SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)...NOT MUCH CHANGE TO THE ONGOING LONG TERM FORECAST. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE NORTH OF THE STATE WILL SLOWLY MIGRATE EASTWARD THROUGH MID WEEK WITH MAINLY EASTERLY WINDS REMAINING IN PLACE OVER THE FORECAST AREA. LIMITED MOISTURE TO START THE PERIOD WILL KEEP RAIN CHANCES ON THE LOW SIDE...BUT MOISTURE AND POPS WILL INCREASE FOR TUESDAY INTO THE END OF THE PERIOD. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR NORMAL THROUGH MID WEEK. && .AVIATION...ABUNDANT MID/HIGH CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO LIMIT SUNSHINE THIS AFTERNOON...BUT SHOULD BE ENOUGH HEATING TO ALLOW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP WHICH COULD CAUSE SOME MVFR/LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS INTO THIS EVENING. COULD ALSO SEE SOME MVFR CEILINGS BETWEEN 14Z AND 17Z SATURDAY AS DAYTIME HEATING GETS UNDERWAY ONCE AGAIN. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. && .MARINE...A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL LINGER OVER THE WATERS THROUGH TOMORROW BEFORE BEING WASHED OUT AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTH. SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL BE DECREASING OVER THE WEEKEND WITH DRIER AIR MOVING IN. MAY SEE A WEAK EASTERLY SURGE IN WINDS IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS BUT SHOULD GENERALLY RANGE 5 TO 10 KNOTS WITH SEAS IN THE 1 FT RANGE NEAR SHORE AND PUSHING 2 FT OFF SHORE. && .FIRE WEATHER...NO CONCERNS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 74 86 75 87 / 30 40 20 10 FMY 74 86 73 87 / 40 60 30 30 GIF 73 86 72 88 / 30 50 20 20 SRQ 74 87 73 86 / 30 40 20 20 BKV 69 86 69 88 / 30 30 10 10 SPG 77 86 77 86 / 30 40 20 20 && .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...NONE. GULF WATERS...NONE. && SHORT TERM/MARINE/FIRE WEATHER...20/BARRON PREVIOUS LONG TERM...05/CARLISLE AVIATION...69/CLOSE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY RUSKIN FL 523 AM EDT FRI SEP 21 2012 FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-212130- LEVY-CITRUS-SUMTER-HERNANDO-PASCO-PINELLAS-HILLSBOROUGH-POLK- MANATEE-HARDEE-HIGHLANDS-SARASOTA-DESOTO-CHARLOTTE-LEE- 523 AM EDT FRI SEP 21 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... SCATTERED AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING OF URBAN AREAS AND NORMALLY FLOOD PRONE AND LOW LYING AREAS. A FEW OF THE STRONGER STORMS COULD PRODUCE WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. ...THUNDERSTORM IMPACT... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH NEXT WEEK. THE STRONGER STORMS COULD PRODUCE WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY. CARLISLE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
405 PM EDT FRI SEP 21 2012
FLZ057-212045-
HIGHLANDS-
405 PM EDT FRI SEP 21 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS COUNTY...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BRIGHTON TO
VENUS...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BASINGER
TO 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF PALMDALE...MOVING WEST AT 15 MPH...WILL
AFFECT VENUS...ARCHBOLD AND LAKE PLACID...UNTIL 445 PM EDT.
GUSTY WINDS 35 TO 45 MPH WILL OCCUR. FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED.
TO BE SAFE GO INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...FIND A LOW
SPOT...AND STAY AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE
PEA SIZE HAIL. TORRENTIAL RAINS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO
AND WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. MOTORISTS SHOULD
EXERCISE CAUTION.
&&
LAT...LON 2720 8111 2721 8116 2716 8116 2711 8123
2711 8126 2709 8126 2702 8134 2703 8150
2706 8156 2735 8136 2731 8101 2730 8100
TIME...MOT...LOC 2004Z 089DEG 12KT 2725 8116 2703 8143SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 427 PM EDT FRI SEP 21 2012 FLZ065-212115- LEE- 427 PM EDT FRI SEP 21 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CENTRAL LEE COUNTY... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED NEAR FORT MYERS...MOVING WEST AT 5 MPH...WILL AFFECT SUNCOAST ESTATES...TICE...FORT MYERS AND PAGE FIELD AIRPORT...UNTIL 515 PM EDT. THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 75 BETWEEN EXITS 136 AND 143. GUSTY WINDS 35 TO 45 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. WHEN DRIVING THROUGH HEAVY RAIN...SLOW DOWN. ALWAYS LEAVE A SAFE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND OTHER VEHICLES. && LAT...LON 2676 8204 2675 8177 2657 8176 2652 8202 TIME...MOT...LOC 2027Z 086DEG 2KT 2665 8186
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
529 PM EDT FRI SEP 21 2012
FLZ052-212215-
POLK-
529 PM EDT FRI SEP 21 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CENTRAL POLK COUNTY...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM HAINES CITY TO 7
MILES SOUTHWEST OF FROSTPROOF...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM HAINES
CITY TO 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF AVON PARK...NEARLY STATIONARY...WILL
AFFECT HAINES CITY...LAKE WALES...LAKE WALES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AND
FROSTPROOF...UNTIL 615 PM EDT.
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 4 BETWEEN EXITS 44 AND 55.
GUSTY WINDS 35 TO 45 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. WHEN DRIVING THROUGH
HEAVY RAIN...SLOW DOWN. ALWAYS LEAVE A SAFE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND
OTHER VEHICLES.
&&
LAT...LON 2766 8152 2766 8180 2821 8183 2827 8165
2826 8159
TIME...MOT...LOC 2129Z 051DEG 2KT 2814 8167 2768 8162The Tampa radar (KTBW), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:30 UTC.
1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
A SKYWARN spotter observed a funnel cloud along I-75 near Nokomis. Pictures of the funnel were widely circulated by broadcast media.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, September 2012
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 404006.