Alert archive / Indiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Indianapolis, IN

May 20, 1987Monroe County, Indiana

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 1987, 3:40 PM EST for Monroe County, Indiana. It was in force for 35 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 20, 1987, 3:40 PM EST (20:40 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 1987, 4:15 PM EST
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area
Whole counties

County Monroe County, IN

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

Salem-Leckrone, IL (KSLO), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 213 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, Salem-Leckrone, IL at 12:00Z on 1987-05-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2199 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Salem-Leckrone, IL at 12:00Z on 1987-05-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -31 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
2199 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-61 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
941 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-31 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-4 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 KIND 052000
SVRIND
INC105-202115-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
340 PM EST WED MAY 20 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 415 PM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES OF

SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA...MONROE

AT 335 PM EST...RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN CENTRAL
MONROE COUNTY. STATE POLICE REPORTED MARBLE SIZE HAIL IN
NORTHERN BLOOMINGTON.

THIS STORM WAS MOVING SLOWLY SOUTHEAST.

THIS SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORM MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
STREAMS AND UNDERPASSES

THIS STORM IS ACCOMPANIED BY INTENSE LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY
WINDS.

REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR
RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

HAINES

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 20, 10:21 AM EST, 5 hours 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1015 AM EST WED MAY 20 1987

VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO FIRE UP OVER CENTRAL INDIANA.

AT 1010 AM EST A THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING OVER DOWNTOWN INDIANAPOLIS.
HOWEVER THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE ABOUT 25 MILES NORTH
OF INDIANAPOLIS...SOUTH OF SHERIDAN AND ABOUT 40 MILES NORTH OF
INDIANAPOLIS...EAST OF FRANKFORT.

ALL OF THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR AND
WILL PRODUCE DRENCHING RAINS AND CONSIDERABLE LIGHTNING.

ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM HAS CROSSED INTO WEST CENTRAL INDIANA
EAST OF DANVILLE ILLINOIS OR ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE.

A NEW DEVELOPED THUNDERSTORM WAS 30 MILES NORTHWIEST OF INDIANPOLIS
SOUTHEAST OF CRAWFORDSVILLE.
EDWARDS
Local storm report, May 20, 12:16 PM EST, 3 hours 24 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1215PM EST WED MAY 20 1987

1203 PM EST  SEVERAL TREES BLOWN DOWN IN THE CITY OF CRAWFORDSVILLE
             REPORTED BY THE CITY POLICE AT CRAWFORDSVILLE.

CURRAN
Special weather statement, May 20, 1:19 PM EST, 2 hours 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
120 PM EST WED MAY 20 1987

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL 6PM EST FOR A LARGE
PART OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH EAST INDIANA.

THE STATE POLICE AT TERRE HAUTE REPORTED WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 50
MILES AN HOUR ABOUT 15 MILES NORTH OF TERRE HAUTE. STRONG STORMS
ARE MOVING ACROSS THIS REGION AND PERSONS IN WESTERN PARKE COUNTY
SHOULD BE ALERT FOR POTENTIAL OF SEVERE STORMS BETWE	EN 120PM AND
200PM EST.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF MUNCIE.

ALL STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.
EDWARDS
Local storm report, May 20, 3:34 PM EST, 6 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1215PM EST WED MAY 20 1987

315 PM EST  NICKLE TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL AT MONROE RESERVIOR SOUTHERN
            MONROE COUNTY.

HAINES

The office that day

Everything else NWS Indianapolis, IN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 19, 9:37 PM ESTTornado WarningINDPerry, Spencer38 min
May 20, 11:18 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDClinton, Montgomery57 min
May 20, 12:25 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDMontgomery35 min
May 20, 1:23 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDParke, Vermillion52 min
May 20, 2:28 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDMonroe, Owen47 min
May 20, 4:00 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningINDMonroe, Owen2 hr

Nearby

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