Alert archive / Vermont / Tornado Warnings in 1987

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Burlington, VT

May 31, 1987Chittenden County, Lamoille County, Vermont

NWS Burlington, VT issued this tornado warning at May 31, 1987, 2:00 PM EDT for Chittenden County, Lamoille County, Vermont. It was in force for 60 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
May 31, 1987, 2:00 PM EDT (18:00 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 1987, 3:00 PM EDT
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS Burlington, VT
Area
Whole counties

Counties Chittenden County, VT, Lamoille County, VT

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, 2:00 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Lamoille, VT
May 31, 2:30 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Chittenden, VT

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

Gray, ME (KGYX), launched 12:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 219 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, Gray, ME at 12:00Z on 1987-05-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Gray, ME at 12:00Z on 1987-05-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 35 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
3570 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
35 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
58 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 KBTV 311801
TORBTV
VTC007-015-311900-

BULLETIN-IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
200 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE
UNTIL 3 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF

VERMONT...CHITTENDEN... LAMOILLE

A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON INDUSTRAL AVE. IN WILLISTON AT 145 PM.
A CAR WAS PICKED OFF THE GROUND BY THIS STORM BUT THERE WERE NO
INJURIES. THE STORM THAT CONTAINS THIS TORNADE IS MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH
AND WAS JUST EAST OF UNDERHILL AT 155 PM.

END...WSG

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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, 12:13 PM EDT, 1 hour 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
1210 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 1987

...THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHERN ADDISON COUNTY BEFORE 100 PM...

AT 1205 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHERN
ESSEX COUNTY OF NEW YORK STATE...MOVING TOWARD LAKE GEORGE AND
TICONDEROGA.

THE STORMS WILL MOVE EAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO ADDISON COUNTY
AROUND SHOREHAM AND ORWELL BY 100 PM.

ALONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS...THE STORMS MAY ALSO BRING GUSTY WINDS
TO BETTER THAN 40 MPH AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

IF STORMS APPROACH YOU...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS.

END...WSG.
Special weather statement, May 31, 12:34 PM EDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
1230 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 1987

...THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN LAKE CHAMPLAIN...

AT 1230 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHERN
LAKE CHAMPLAIN BETWEEN CHIMNEY POINT AND BASIN HARBOR.

THE STORMS WILL MOVE EAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL BE NEAR VERGENNES BY
1245 PM.

ALONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS...THE STORMS MAY ALSO BRING GUSTY WINDS
TO BETTER THAN 40 MPH AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

BOATERS ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN SHOULD GET TO SHORE AT THE FIRST SIGN OF
THREATENING WEATHER. SUDDEN SQUALLS COULD CAPSIZE SMALLER BOATS.

IF STORMS APPROACH YOU...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS.

END...WSG.
Special weather statement, May 31, 1:25 PM EDT, 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
125 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 1987

...THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER CHITTENDEN AND ADDISON COUNTIES...

AT 120 PM EDT THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH...3/8 INCH HAIL...
AND HEAVY RAINS WERE LOCATED OVER BURLINGTON AIRPORT.

THE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO WASHINGTON
AND LAMOILLE COUNTIES BY 145 PM.

ALONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS...THE STORMS WILL ALSO HAVE DANGEROUS
LI+GHTNING.

BOATERS ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN SHOULD GET TO SHORE AT THE FIRST SIGN OF
THREATENING WEATHER. SUDDEN SQUALLS COULD CAPSIZE SMALLER BOATS.

IF STORMS APPROACH YOU...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS.
END...WSG.
Special weather statement, May 31, 1:27 PM EDT, 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
125 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 1987

...THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER CHITTENDEN AND ADDISON COUNTIES...

AT 120 PM EDT THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH...3/8 INCH HAIL...
AND HEAVY RAINS WERE LOCATED OVER BURLINGTON AIRPORT.

THE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO WASHINGTON
AND LAMOILLE COUNTIES BY 145 PM.

THE STORMS WILL HAVE DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAINS THAT WILL -CAUSE
FLOODING OF STREETS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

BOATERS ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN SHOULD GET TO SHORE AT THE FIRST SIGN OF
THREATENING WEATHER. SUDDEN SQUALLS COULD CAPSIZE SMALLER BOATS.

IF STORMS APPROACH YOU...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS.
END...WSG.
Special weather statement, May 31, 1:34 PM EDT, 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
125 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 1987

...THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER CHITTENDEN AND ADDISON COUNTIES...
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM FOR VERMONT
FROM ADDISON...WASHINGTON AND ORANGE COUNTIES...SOUTH.

AT 120 PM EDT THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH...3/8 INCH HAIL...
AND HEAVY RAINS WERE LOCATED OVER BURLINGTON AIRPORT.

THE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO WASHINGTON
AND LAMOILLE COUNTIES BY 145 PM.

THE STORMS WILL HAVE DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAINS THAT WILL CAUSE
FLOODING OF STREETS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

BOATERS ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN SHOULD GET TO SHORE AT THE FIRST SIGN OF
THREAT;ENING WEATHER. SUDDEN SQUALLS COULD CAPSIZE SMALLER BOATS.

IF STORMS APPROACH YOU...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS.

END...WSG.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Burlington, VT issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 31, 1:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBTVChittenden, Lamoille, Washington58 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Vermont, 1987Every tornado warning in 1987Tornadoes in 1987

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.