Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 91, NWS Cleveland, OH

August 2, 1987Crawford County, Erie County, Pennsylvania

NWS Cleveland, OH issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 2, 1987, 6:18 PM EDT for Crawford County, Erie County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 72 min. 3 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
Aug 2, 1987, 6:18 PM EDT (22:18 UTC)
Expired
Aug 2, 1987, 7:30 PM EDT
In force
72 min
Issued by
NWS Cleveland, OH
Area
Whole counties

Counties Crawford County, PA, Erie County, PA

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 2, 7:00 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 52Crawford, PA
Aug 2, 7:00 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Erie, PA
Aug 2, 7:22 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 52Erie, PA

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

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 162 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 1987-08-02Temperature 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 1987-08-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 143 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
NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
143 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
201 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 KERI 022218
SVRERI
PAC049-039-022330-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ERIE PA
618 PM EDT SUN AUG 2 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 730 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES OF

NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...ERIE...CRAWFORD AND AND ADJACENT LAKE ERIE 
 WATERS

AT 6 PM EDT ERIE WEATHER RADAR SHOWS VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS
OVER THE LAKE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST. THESE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL MOVE INTO ERIE COUNTY AROUND 630 PM EDT. THESE THUNDER-
STORMS WILL BRING HEAVY RAINS STRONG WINDS AND HAIL.

THESE STORMS WILL CAUSE SOME FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND
LOW LYING AREAS.

SMALL BOATERS ON LAKE ERIE AND PRESQUE ISLE BAY SHOULD SEEK
SAFE HARBOR.

THESE STORMS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY DANGEROUS LIGHTNING..STRONG GUSTY
WINDS AND HAIL.

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 2, 1:26 PM EDT, 4 hours 52 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE YOUNGSTOWN OH
125 PM EDT SUN AUG 2 1987

ONLY RAINSHOWERS MOVED INTO TRUMBULL COUNTY.
AT 120 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED JUST LIGHT TO
MODERATE SCATTERED SHOWERS HAD MOVED INTO EXTREME NORTHERN
TRUMBULL COUNTY.

THE THUNDERSTORM REPORTED EARLIER HAD DIED AND NO LONGER
THREATEN TRUMBULL COUNTY.

HOWEVER.. ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER
LAKE ERIE THAT MAY MO@VE INTO THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR
EVENING.

STAY ALERT FOR CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED FOR
IF THREATENING WEATHER DOES DEVELOP OVER THE AREA LATE AFTERNOON
OR EARLY EVENING.
UDELL
Special weather statement, Aug 2, 1:28 PM EDT, 4 hours 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT..CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE YOUNGSTOWN OH
125 PM EDT SUN AUG 2 1987

ONLY RAINSHOWERS MOVED INTO TRUMBULL COUNTY.
AT 120 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED JUST LIGHT TO
MODERATE SCATTERED SHOWERS HAD MOVED INTO EXTREME NORTHERN
TRUMBULL COUNTY.

THE THUNDERSTORM REPORTED EARLIER HAD DIED AND NO LONGER
THREATEN TRUMBULL COUNTY.

HOWEVER.. ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER
LAKE ERIE THDAT MAY MOVE INTO THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR
EVENING.

STAY ALERT FOR CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED FOR
THREATENING WEATHER IF AND WHEN IT DOES DEVELOP OVER THE AREA
LATER THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING.
UDELL
Special weather statement, Aug 2, 3:28 PM EDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE YOUNGSTOWN OH
328 PM EDT SUN AUG 2 1987

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER TRUMBULL COUNTY.
AT 320 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN ISOLATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHEAST TRUMBULL COUNTY ABOUT 10
MILES NORTHEAST OF THE YOUNGSTOWN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.

ANOTHER ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER EAST CENTRAL
PORTAGE COUNTY ABOUT 10 MILES EAST OF REVENNA.

BOTH OF THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EASTWARD AT ABOUT 30 MPH.

BRIEF DOWNPOURS.. STRONG GUSTY WINDS.. INTENSE LIGHTNING AND
SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE AS THIS STORM MOVES OVER THE AREA.
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.. DON'T WAIT.. TAKE SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY.
UDELL
Special weather statement, Aug 2, 3:48 PM EDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
345 PM EDT SUN AUG 2 1987

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING ACROSS THE LAKESHORE
COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON.

AT 345 PM RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE SOUTHEAST
SIDE OF CLEVELAND ACROSS CENTRAL GEAUGA COUNTY. THE STORM WERE
SLIDING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

AT 335 PM 40 MPH WIND GUSTS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN WAS REPORTED
IN PEPPER PIKE.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS +WERE DEVELOPING OVER NORTH CENTRAL
OHIO.

PERSONS ACROSS THE LAKESHORE COUNTIES SHOULD BE PREPARED
FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN AND TAKE COVER IF THREATEING
WEATHER DEVELOPS.

KIELTYKA
Special weather statement, Aug 2, 5:04 PM EDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLEDO OH
501 PM EDT SUN AUG 2 1987

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY OVER NORTHWEST OHIO
THIS AFTERNOON.

AT 458 PM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING IN NORTHERN LUCAS
AND EASTERN FULTON COUNTIES OF NORTHWEST OHIO.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN, GUSTY WINDS, AND FREQUENT
LIGHTNING.  MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WAS TO THE EAST AT 30 MILES
PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN NORTHWEST OHIO SHOULD KEEP ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER
CONDITIONS.  THE VERY HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON CAN
RAPIDLY TRIGGER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.

KOOPMEINERS
Special weather statement, Aug 2, 6:18 PM EDT, 0 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MANSFIELD OH
620 PM EDT SUN AUG 2 1987

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH
CENTRAL OHIO COUNTIES OF RICHLAND..ASHLAND..MORROW AND KNOX UNTIL
10 PM EDT...

...A SEVERE THUNDER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CRAWFORD COUNTY UNTIL
MIDNIGHT EDT...

AT 615 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED NORTH CENTRAL OHIO FREE OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

THERE WAS A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.. SOME VERY HEAVY..FROM
 CENTRAL LAKE ERIE ACROSS NORTHWEST OHIO TO NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA.
THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS DROPPING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 25
MPH AND AT THIS RATE THEY COULD AFFECT NORTH CENTRAL OHIO LATER THIS
EVENING.

BANYAS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Cleveland, OH issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 2, 3:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCLECrawford, Erie65 min
Aug 2, 4:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCLEMercer46 min
Aug 2, 6:07 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCLELawrence53 min
Aug 2, 7:09 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCLELawrence66 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.