Alert archive / Rhode Island / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 8, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

May 31, 1986Washington County, Rhode Island

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 1986, 5:34 PM EDT for Washington County, Rhode Island. It was in force for 60 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 31, 1986, 5:34 PM EDT (21:34 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 1986, 6:34 PM EDT
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Whole counties

County Washington County, RI

The radar

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

The nearest sounding before it

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 141 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 1986-05-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2702 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 1986-05-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -49 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
2702 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-63 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
890 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-49 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-25 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KPVD 312136 COR
SVRPVD
RIC009-312234-

BULLETIN--IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED..CORRECTED TIME
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PROVIDENCE RI
534 PM EDT  SAT  MAY 31 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 634 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF
RHODE ISLAND...WASHINGTON
AT 534 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM JUST
WEST OF THE SOUTHWEST TIP OF RHODE ISLAND.  THIS CONTAINS HAIL AND
POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS AS WELL AS HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING.  THE STORMS MOVEMENT HAS BEEN TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST AT
AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUR.
PEOPLE LIVING IN WASHINGTON COUNTIES OF RHODE ISLAND SHOULD
BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND HEAD FOR A SAFE SHELTER AS IT
APPROACHES.

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, May 31, 3:15 PM EDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
^BOSSPSPVD

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR RHODE ISLAND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PROVIDENCE RI
314 PM EDT  SAT  MAY 31 1986

 ...A VERY STRONG THUNSTORM IS MOVING THROUGH RHODE ISLAND...

.AT 300 PM A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG..SQUALLY WINDS..HEAVY
DOWNPOURS AND POSSIBLE HAIL DEVELOPED NORTH OF PROVIDENCE RHODE ISLAND.

THIS STORM COULD LIKELY MOVE INTO NARRAGANSETT BAY WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR
OR TWO.

RHODE ISLANDERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR TfREATENING WEATHER AND TAKE
SHELTER AS IT APPROACHES.  MARINERS SHOULD HEAD FOR A SAFE PORT NOW
AND WAIT FOR THE STORM TO PASS.

MMC
Special weather statement, May 31, 4:44 PM EDT, 50 minutes before
^BOSSPSPVD

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR RHODE ISLAND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PROVIDENCE RI
445 PM EDT  SAT  MAY 31 1986

 ...THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CLEARED RHODE ISLAND...

.AT 300 PM A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG..SQUALLY WINDS..HEAVY
DOWNPOURS AND POSSIBLE HAIL DEVELOPED NORTH OF PROVIDENCE RHODE ISLAND.
THIS STORM MOVED EAST INTO MASSACHUSSETTES.

OTHER STORMS ARE FORMING IN EASTERN CONNECTICUT AND COULD MOVE INTO
RHODE ISLAND.

RHODE ISLANDERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR TREATENING WEATHER AND TAKE
SHELTER AS IT APPROACHES.  MARINERS SHOULD HEAD FOR A SAFE PORT NOW
AND WAIT FOR THE STORM TO PASS.

TK

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Rhode Island, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.