Alert archive / Michigan / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 150, NWS Indianapolis, IN
NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 17, 1987, 12:15 AM EDT for Berrien County, Michigan; LaPorte County, Indiana. It was in force for 45 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 17, 1987, 12:15 AM EDT (04:15 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 17, 1987, 1:00 AM EDT
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Indianapolis, IN
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties LaPorte County, IN, Berrien County, MI
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 12:15 AM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 50 | La Porte, IN | |
| Aug 17, 12:24 AM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Berrien, MI | |
| Aug 17, 12:30 AM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | La Porte, IN |
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
Peoria Regional, IL (KPIA), launched 00:00Z, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 279 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
- 2574 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -5 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1422 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 32 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 44 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 185 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.7
- Supercell composite
- 6.2
The text
The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.
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 16, 11:16 PM EDT, 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 1015 PM EST SUN AUG 16 1987 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3AM EST FOR THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF INDIANA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. SOME INDIANA CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE...SOUTH BEND...LA PORTE ...RENSSELAER...LAFAYETTE AND VALPARAISO. SHORTLY AFTER 10 PM EST A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR CHICAGO ILLINOIS TO SPRINGFIELD ILLINOIS. AROUND 930 PM EST SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE REPORTED AT SPRINGFIELD AND OHARE FIELD WEST OF DOWNTOWN CHICAGO. WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 60 AND 70 MILES AN HOUR HAVE OCCURRED WITH THE SEVERE STORMS. PERSONS IN NORTHWEST INDIANA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THESE STRONG STORMS BETWEEN 11PM AND 3AM EST. BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SHELTER QUICKLY IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS YOUR AREA. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS A GOOD INDICATOR THAT A STORM MAY BE SEVERE. THESE STORMS WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST AT SPEEDS OF 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. YOUR BEST SHELTER FROM STRONG WINDS IS IN A STURDY BUILDING ON THE LOWEST LEVEL...AWAY FROM EXTERIOR WALLS AND WI0NDOWS. EDWARDS
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 12:15 AM EDT, 0 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 1115 PM EST SUN AUG 16 1987 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3AM EST FOR THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF INDIANA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. SOME INDIANA CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE...SOUTH BEND...LA PORTE ...RENSSELAER...LAFAYETTE AND VALPARAISO. AT 1110 PM EST THUNDERSTORMS WERE ENTERING NORTHWEST INDIANA...ABOUT 25 MILES WEST OF SOUTH BEND. THE STORMS EXTENDED SOUTHWEST TO NEAR CHAMPAIGN ILLINOIS. A VERY STRONG STORM WAS NEAR GARY INDIANA. PERSONS IN NORTHWEST INDIANA SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF A WARNUING IS ISSUED. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. EDWARDS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Indianapolis, IN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 1:42 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Cass | 33 min |
| Aug 17, 1:07 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Saint Joseph, Starke | 38 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Michigan, 1987Severe 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.