Alert archive / New York / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 14, NWS Buffalo, NY
NWS Buffalo, NY issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 30, 1988, 6:20 PM EDT for Chautauqua County, Erie County, New York. It was in force for 70 min. 8 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
- Jul 30, 1988, 6:20 PM EDT (22:20 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 30, 1988, 7:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 70 min
- Issued by
- NWS Buffalo, NY
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Chautauqua County, NY, Erie 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 6:24 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Chautauqua, NY | |
| Jul 30, 6:24 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Chautauqua, NY | |
| Jul 30, 6:30 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Chautauqua, NY | |
| Jul 30, 6:31 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Chautauqua, NY | |
| Jul 30, 7:00 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Erie, NY | |
| Jul 30, 7:25 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Erie, NY | |
| Jul 30, 7:25 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Erie, NY | |
| Jul 30, 7:40 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Erie, 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, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 55 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
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBUF 302221 SVRBUF NYC013-029-302330- BULLETIN IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 620 PM EDT FRI JUL 30 1988 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 730 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN WESTERN NEW YORK...NORTHERN CHAUTAUQUA SOUTHERN ERIE AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS AT 617 PM BUFFALO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER LAKE ERIE NEAR DUNKIRK. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 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 THREATE!NING 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, 2:52 PM EDT, 3 hours 28 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, 2 hours 58 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
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 3:29 PM EDT, 2 hours 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER NY 330 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 1988 ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE OVER YATES COUNTY... AT 330PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN OVER YATES COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 40MPH. THESE STORMS PRODUCED HALF INCH HAIL AT DANSVILLE. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY RAINS... STRONG WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... AND POSSIBLY HAIL. SCHWIBS
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 4:53 PM EDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 450 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 1988 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM EDT FOR ALL OF WESTERN NEW YORK... THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR ALLEGANY AND EASTERN CATTARAUGUS COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED. AT 440PM... BUFFALO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR OBSERVED THUNDERSTORMS OVER MUCH OF ALLEGANY... WESTERN STEUBEN... AND EXTREME EASTERN CATTARAUGUS COUNTIES. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE BETWEEN SYRACUSE AND ITHACA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN FREQUENT LIGHTNING... GUSTY WINDS... HAIL... AND VERY HEAVY RAINS WHICH MAY CAUSE POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING. THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE SCATTERED ACROSS NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHEAST OHIO. OVER ONTARIO... SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS... SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS WERE BETWEEN LONDON AND TORONTO. THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY OVER ONTARIO WAS ABOUT 25 MILES WEST OF TORONTO. ALL OF THE THUNDERSTPORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH GO TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IMMEDIATELY. WEBBER
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 5:17 PM EDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 515 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 1988 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM EDT FOR ALL OF WESTERN NEW YORK... AND UNTIL 11PM EDT FOR CENTRAL NEW YORK.... AT 510PM... BUFFALO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR OBSERVED THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF THE GENESEE VALLEY AND JUST WEST OF ELMIRA. THE STORM LOCATED JUST WEST OF ELMIRA MAY CONTAIN FREQUENT LIGHTNING... GUSTY WINDS... HAIL... AND VERY HEAVY RAINS WHICH MAY CAUSE POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING. THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE SCATTERED ACROSS NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHEAST OHIO... WITH ONE STORM MOVING ALONNG THE LAKE ERIE SHORELINE BETWEEN ERIE AND THE OHIO STATE LINE. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER MUCH OF NEARBY SOUTHERN ONTARIO... THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE SCATTERED BETWEEN LONDON AND TORONTO. ALL OF THE THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING EAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. ` SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH GO TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IMMEDIATELY. WEBBER
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 5:51 PM EDT, 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 550 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 1988 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM EDT FOR ALL OF WESTERN NEW YORK... AND UNTIL 11PM EDT FOR CENTRAL NEW YORK.... AT 535PM... BUFFALO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR OBSERVED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER MUCH OF STEUBEN AND EASTERN LIVINGSTON COUNTIES. THUNDERSTORMS OVER CORNING AND 10 MILES EAST OF GENESEO MAY CONTAIN FREQUENT LIGHTNING... GUSTY WINDS... HAIL... AND VERY HEAVY RAINS WHICH MAY CAUSE SOME POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING. THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS WERE OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA... INCLUDING THE LAKESHORE NEAR ERIE... AND JUST NORTH OF MEADVILLE. THESE STORMS SHOULD MOVE INTO WESTERN CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY AROUND 6PM. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER MUCH OF NEARBY SOUTHERN ONTARIO... THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE SCATTERED BETWEEN LONDON AND TORONTO... AND JUST SOUTH OF HAMILTON. ALL OF THE THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 3:25 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BUF | Allegany, Cattaraugus | 75 min |
| Jul 30, 6:35 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BUF | Cattaraugus | 60 min |
| Jul 30, 7:30 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BUF | Erie, Wyoming | 60 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.