Alert archive / Massachusetts / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 9, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

May 31, 1986Berkshire County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 1986, 10:00 PM EDT for Berkshire County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 105 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
May 31, 1986, 10:00 PM EDT (02:00 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 1986, 11:45 PM EDT
In force
105 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Whole counties

County Berkshire 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
May 31, 11:15 PM EDTHail 0.88Berkshire, 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

Albany, NY (KALB), launched 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 62 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, Albany, NY at 00:00Z on 1986-06-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 138 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, Albany, NY at 00:00Z on 1986-06-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 72 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
138 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-172 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
972 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
72 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
211 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 KALB 010250
SVRALB
MAC003-010345-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
1048 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTY OF

EXTREME WEST MASSACHUSETTS...BERKSHIRE

AT 1045 PM EDT  RADAR SHOWED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO
BERKSHIRE COUNTY..10 MILES NORTH OF GREAT BARRINGTON.  GOLFBALL
SIZE HAIL FELL AT PHILMONT COLUMBIA COUNTY NY AT 1037 PM.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU/RE IN THE WARNED AREA..
ESPECIALLY BOATING ON A LAKE..MOVE TO A SAFE SHELTER FAST.
BE READY FOR DAMAGING WINDS..LARGE HAIL AND LIGHTNING.
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES..GO TO A SAFE PLACE RIGHT AWAY.
ONCE THE STORM PASSES..CALL AND REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO YOUR
NEAREST LAW ENFORCMENT PEOPLE.  ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY.

LAPENTA

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, 4:44 PM EDT, 5 hours 16 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
Special weather statement, May 31, 6:32 PM EDT, 3 hours 28 minutes before
^BOSSPSPVD

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

 ...THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND HAVE WEAKENED...

.AT 635 PM THE HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHWEST RHODE ISLAND HAVE
WEAKENED. THERE IS STILL A CHANCE OF NEW THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT
WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING, HEAVY DOWNPOURS, GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL
FOR MOST OF 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 STORMS TO PASS.

TK
Special weather statement, May 31, 7:25 PM EDT, 2 hours 35 minutes before
^BOSSPSPVD

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

 ...THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CLEARED RHODE ISLAND...

.AT 720 PM THUNDERSTORMS HAD MOVED SOUTHEAST OVER RHODE ISLAND COASTAL
WATERS AND WEAKENED.

THIS WILL BE THE LAST ADVISORY UNLESS ACTIVITY REFORMS.

TK

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.