Alert archive / New York / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Buffalo, NY

July 30, 1988Allegany County, Cattaraugus County, New York

NWS Buffalo, NY issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 30, 1988, 3:25 PM EDT for Allegany County, Cattaraugus County, New York. It was in force for 75 min. 1 report 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 30, 1988, 3:25 PM EDT (19:25 UTC)
Expired
Jul 30, 1988, 4:40 PM EDT
In force
75 min
Issued by
NWS Buffalo, NY
Area
Whole counties

Counties Allegany County, NY, Cattaraugus County, NY

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
Jul 30, 3:40 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Allegany, NY

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, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 80 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 1988-07-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 804 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 1988-07-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 4 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
804 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-87 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1334 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
4 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
25 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 KBUF 301925
SVRBUF
NYC003-009-302030-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
325 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 1988

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 430 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK
      ALLEGANY...SOUTHEAST CATTARAUGUS

AT 325 PM THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS...HAIL AND
SOME DAMAGING WINDS WERE OBSERVED OVER SOUTHEASTERN CATTARAUGUS
COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST ABOUT 45 MPH.

BE ON THE ALERT FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED BY FREQUENT LIGHTNING
STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.  LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN MAY ALSO
CAUSE DRAINAGE FLOODING.
.
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES GO TO A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY.
IN HOMES A BASEMENT OR INTERIOR ROOM IS THE SAFEST LOCATION.


 REICH

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 30, 2:16 PM EDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
215 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 1988

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM EDT FOR ALL OF WESTERN
NEW YORK...

AT 205PM... BUFFALO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NIAGARA PENINSULA EXTENDING INTO WESTERN LAKE
ONTARIO. SOME OF THESE THUMDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAINS...
FREQUENT LIGHTNING... GUSTY WINDS... AND POSSIBLY HAIL. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR... AND
SHOULD REACH NIAGARA FALLS AND PORTIONS OF NIAGARA COUNTY WITHIN ONE
HALF HOUR.

ELSEWHERE... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER PARTS OF SOUTHERN
CHAUTUAUQUA COUNTY AND EXTENDED INTO PARTS OF NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA AND
NORTHEAST OHIO. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE NEAR LONDON ONTARIO AND WESTERN
LAKE ERIE. MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS WAS EAST SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN
HOUR.

SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH GO TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IMMEDIATELY.

WEBBER
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 2:24 PM EDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER NY
225 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 1988

...THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN OVER SOUTHERN LIVINGSTON COUNTY...

AT 220PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY
RAIN OVER SOUTHERN LIVINGSTON COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING
EAST TOWARDS DANSVILLE AT 45 MPH. THIS STORM MAY CONTAIN HEAVY RAINS...
FREQUENT LIGHTNING... GUSTY WINDS... AND POSSIBLY HAIL.

SCHWIBS
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 2:52 PM EDT, 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
245 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 1988

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM EDT FOR ALL OF WESTERN
NEW YORK...

AT 235PM... BUFFALO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED
THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN NIAGARA COUNTY... PORTIONS OF THE NIAGARA
PENINSULA AND WESTERN LAKE ONTARIO. A WIND GUST TO 48 MILES AN HOUR WAS
REPORTED AT NIAGARA FALLS WITH THESE STORMS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY
ALSO CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAIN... FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY HAIL.
MOVMENT WAS TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR... AND SHOULD MOVE
INTO PORTIONS OF EASTERN NIAGARA... WESTERN ORLEANS... AND NORTHERN ERIE
COUNTIES DURING THE NEXT HALF HOUR.

ELSEWHERE.... A LINE OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 10 MILES WIDE
EXTENDED FROM OSWEGO... SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE WESTERN FINGER LAKES TO
JAMESTOWN... AND YOUNGSTOWN OHIO. 70 MILE AN HOUR WINDS WERE REPORTED AT
DANSVILLE... AND PEA SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED PORTAGEVILLE DURING THE PAST
HOUR.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO BETWEEN LONDON AND HAMILTON ONTARIO.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STRONG
WINDS... HEAVY RAINS... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... AND LARGE HAIL.
SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH GO TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IMMEDIATELY.

WEBBER
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 3:22 PM EDT, 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
320 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 1988

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM EDT FOR ALL OF WESTERN
NEW YORK...

AT 315PM... BUFFALO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED
THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN NIAGARA AND NORTHERN ORLEANS COUNTIES.
THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN CATTARAUGUS COUNTY. AT
3 PM SPOTTERS REPORTED A TREE AND BRANCHES DOWN AT RANDOLPH... ALONG
WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAINS. SMALL HAIL AND VERY HEAVY
RAINS WERE ALSO REPORTED AT SALAMANCA. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER
PORTIONS OF THE FINGER LAKES REGION... AND BETWEEN LONDON AND HAMILTON
ONTARIO.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN STRONG WINDS... FREQUENT
LIGHTNING... VERY HEAVY RAINS... AND HAIL.

SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH GO TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IMMEDIATELY.

WEBBER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Buffalo, NY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 30, 6:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBUFChautauqua, Erie70 min
Jul 30, 6:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBUFCattaraugus60 min
Jul 30, 7:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBUFErie, Wyoming60 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in New York, 1988Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1988

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.