Alert archive / West Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 40, NWS Charleston, WV
NWS Charleston, WV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 20, 1986, 5:30 PM EDT for Monongalia County, Preston County, West Virginia. It was in force for 75 min. 2 reports 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
- Jul 20, 1986, 5:30 PM EDT (21:30 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 20, 1986, 6:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 75 min
- Issued by
- NWS Charleston, WV
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Monongalia County, WV, Preston County, WV
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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 6:15 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Monongalia, WV | |
| Jul 20, 6:15 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Preston, WV |
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
Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 98 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1369 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -38 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 938 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 22 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 40 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 52 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KEKN 202130 SVREKN WVC033-061-077-202245- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE ELKINS WV 530 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 1986 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 645 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...MONONGALIA AND PRESTON. WEATHER RADAR AT 525 PM EDT SHOWED A LINE OF INTENSE TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO WESTERN AND NORTHERN MONONGALIA COUNTY MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN PRESTON COUNTY AS WELL. INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO SHOWN MOVING INTO WESTERN MARION AND NORTHWEST HARRISON COUNTIES OF WEST VIRGINIA. IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNED AREA GET TO A REINFORCED SHELTER AND PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH..LARGE HAIL 3/4 INCH OR LARGER IN DIAMETER..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. END GILKERSON
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, Jul 20, 2:05 PM EDT, 3 hours 25 minutes before
^CRWSPSHTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT TIME XM EXT DAY MTH 99 1983
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 2:21 PM EDT, 3 hours 9 minutes before
^CRWSPSHTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT 220 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 1986 ...STRONG LINE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SOUTHWARD INTO SOUTHERN OHIO... AT 220 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR ZANESVILLE TO CHILLICOTHE TO ABOUT 25 MILES EAST OF CINCINATTI OHIO. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD AND WILL BE ALONG A LINE FROM MEIGS...JACKSON...PIKE AND NORTHERN ADAMS COUNTIES OHIO BY 3 PM. STRONG WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...AND POSSIBLE HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THESE THUNDERSTORMS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF EXTREME EASTERN OHIO AND ADJACENT WEST VIRGINIA AND PENNSYLVANIA UNTIL 8 PM. IF YOU ARE IN OR CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA YOU SHOULD STAY TUNED TO RADIO OR TV FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. HANEY
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 3:06 PM EDT, 2 hours 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV 305 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 1986 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. THE WATCH INCLUDES SUCH TOWNS AS PARKERSBURG... MORGANTOWN... CLARKSBURG AND ELKINS. A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DETECTED AT 300 PM FROM WHEELING WEST VIRGINIA...THEN TO ZANESVILLE OHIO AND JUST SOUTH AND EAST OF CHILLICOTHE OHIO. THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL. THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD ENTER THE PARKERSBURG AREA BETWEEN 4 TO 430 PM. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. RESIDENTS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR ANY SEVERE WEATHER AND ST(AY TUNED FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS BY NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL BROADCASTS. > END ORCHANIAN
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 3:35 PM EDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
^CRWSPSHTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT 220 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 1986 ...STRONG LINE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SOUTHWARD INTO SOUTHERN OHIO... AT 330 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NORTHERN JACKSON...PIKE TO JUST NORTH WEST OF ADAMS COUNTIES OHIO. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE SOUTHWARD AND MOVE TO NORTHERN LAWRENCE...SICOTO...ADAMS COUNTIES BY 430 PM. THESE ARE VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND MAY ;REQUIRE A WARNING IF THEY STRENGTHEN FURTHER. STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS...DOWNPOURS...DANGEROUS LIGHTING AND POSSIBLE HAIL LIKLEY ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS. YOU SHOULD STAY TUNED TO RADIO OR TV FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. HANEY
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 4:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV 415 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 1986 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH EFFECTIVE UNTIL 10 PM EDT FOR A LARGE PART OF WEST VIRGINIA THAT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.. MINGO..LOGAN..FAYETTE AND GREENBRIER. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PEOPLE IN THENSE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. WALL
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 4:40 PM EDT, 50 minutes before
^CRWSPSEKN SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - ELKINS, WV 440 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 1986 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL AND THE NORTHERN MOUNTAIN COUNTIES OF WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT AND ALLEGANY COUNTIES OF WESTERN MARYLAND... WEATHER RADAR AT 435 PM EDT SHOWED A LINE OF INTENSE TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NOBLE COUNTY OHIO NORTHEAST THROUGH MARSHALL COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA THROUGH NORTHERN GREEN COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA TO LATROBE PENNSYLVANIA. THIS LINE IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND 20 MPH AND WILL START TO ENTER INTO MONONGALIA..NORTHWEST HARRISON AND MARION COUNTIES OF WEST VIRGINIA DURING THE NEXT 1 TO 2 HOURS. THESE STORMS ARE QUITE DANGEROUS AS SOME COULD CONTAIN DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS...HAIL...HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. FLOODING TO LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS COULD RESULT IN THE HEAVY RAINS. STAY ALERT AND TAKE SHELTER IF THRjEATENFING WEATHER APPROACHES OR WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL BROADCAST FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. END GILKERSON
The office that day
Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 5:45 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Barbour, Harrison | 45 min |
| Jul 20, 5:51 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Jackson, Roane | 54 min |
| Jul 20, 6:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Tucker | 80 min |
| Jul 20, 6:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Upshur | 80 min |
| Jul 20, 6:25 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Randolph | 85 min |
| Jul 20, 6:27 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Gilmer | 48 min |
| Jul 20, 7:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Hampshire, Hardy | 60 min |
| Jul 20, 7:12 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RLX | Clay | 48 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in West Virginia, 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.