Alert archive / Massachusetts / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 22, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

August 8, 1986Middlesex County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 8, 1986, 11:37 AM EDT for Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 68 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Aug 8, 1986, 11:37 AM EDT (15:37 UTC)
Expired
Aug 8, 1986, 12:45 PM EDT
In force
68 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Whole counties

County Middlesex County, MA

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 8, 12:03 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Middlesex, MA

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 12:00Z, 3.6 hours before the alert went out and 148 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Chatham, MA at 12:00Z on 1986-08-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1301 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Chatham, MA at 12:00Z on 1986-08-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 103 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
1301 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-13 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
610 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
103 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
147 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KBOS 081537
SVRBOS
MAC017-025-081645-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
1137 AM EDT FRI AUG 8 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1245 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES OF

EXTREME EAST MASSACHUSETTS...SOUTHERN MIDDLESEX...THE CITY OF BOSTON 
 AND SUFFOLK

AT 1130 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
WOONSOCKET RHODE ISLAND.  IT WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED WITH THIS STORM.  RADAR
ALSO INDICATES A POSSIBLE TORNADO WITH THIS STORM.

 THIS SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORM MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
TREAMS AND UNDERPASSES

 THIS STORM IS ACCOMPANIED BY INTENSE LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY
 WINDS.

 BOCCHIERI

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 8, 10:07 AM EDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before
^BOSSPSPVD

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR RHODE ISLAND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PROVIDENCE RI
1015 AM EDT FRI AUG 8 1986

...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS NOW IN SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT...

AT 10 AM EDT CHATHAM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM IN THE
NORWICH AREA OF CONNECTICUT MOVING IN A NORTHEAST DIRECTION INTO
WESTERN RHODE ISLAND..WASHINGTON OR KENT COUNTIES. THIS STORM MAY BE
ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG GUSTY WIND AND TORENTIAL DOUNPOURS.

PEOPLE} LIVING IN THIS AREA SHOWLD REMAIN ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
AND TAKE COVER AS IT APPROCHES.

RFS
Special weather statement, Aug 8, 10:19 AM EDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARTFORD CT
 10 15 AM EDT FRI AUG 8 1986

  ...HEAVY THUNDERSTORM IN SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT MOVING NORTHEAST...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL AIROPRT
IN WINDSOR LOCKS CONNECTICUT OBSERVED A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM OVER
MONTVILLE CONNECTICUT MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THIS CELL SHOULD
BE IN RHODE ISLAND WITHIN THE HOUR.

STATE POLICE AT MONTVILLE CONNECTICUT REPORTED VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

PERSONS LIVING IN THIS AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
AND TAKE COVER IF NECESSARY.

KONDOS
Special weather statement, Aug 8, 11:00 AM EDT, 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WORCESTER MA
1100 AM EDT FRI AUG 8 1986

   ...THUNDERSTORM THREATENING SOUTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY...

AT 1100 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM IN
EXTREME NORTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST AT 25
MPH.  THIS MOVEMENT WOULD BRING THE THUNDERSTORM INTO SOUTHERN
WORCESTER COUNTY OF MASSACHUSETTS DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

THE THUNDERSTORM CONTAINS VERY HEAVY RAIN WHICH COULD CAUSE SOME
FLOODING OF ROADS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. IT COULD ALSO BE
ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG GUSTY WINDS..HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
RESIDENTS OF SOUTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THESE
CONDITIONS AND TAKE COVER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

KEHIR

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 8, 11:00 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXWorcester60 min
Aug 8, 11:18 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXNorfolk72 min
Aug 8, 3:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXBristol, Plymouth65 min
Aug 8, 3:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXBarnstable65 min
Aug 8, 4:24 PM EDTTornado WarningBOXMiddlesex66 min
Aug 8, 4:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXWorcester60 min
Aug 8, 5:02 PM EDTTornado WarningBOXEssex58 min
Aug 8, 5:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXWorcester60 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Massachusetts, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.