Alert archive / New York / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 16, NWS Buffalo, NY
NWS Buffalo, NY issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 30, 1988, 7:30 PM EDT for Erie County, Wyoming County, New York. It was in force for 60 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
- Jul 30, 1988, 7:30 PM EDT (23:30 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 30, 1988, 8:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS Buffalo, NY
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Erie County, NY, Wyoming 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, 7:40 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Erie, NY | |
| Jul 30, 8:30 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Wyoming, NY | |
| Jul 30, 8:30 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Wyoming, 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, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 27 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 302332 SVRBUF NYC029-121-310030- BULLETIN IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY 730 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 1988 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 830 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN WESTERN NEW YORK...ERIE AND WYOMING AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS AT 730 PM BUFFALO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR BUFFALO BETWEEN BUFFALO AND ORCHARD PARK. A TREE FELL ON A CAR IN SOUTH WALES. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST ABOUT 40 MPH. BE ON THE ALERT FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED BY FREQUENT LIGHTNING.. STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN MAY ALSUO 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, 3:29 PM EDT, 4 hours 1 minute 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, 2 hours 37 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, 2 hours 13 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, 1 hour 39 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
Local storm report, Jul 30, 6:56 PM EDT, 34 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER NY
655 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 1988
TIME EVENT
238 PM EDT WINDS ESTIMATED AT 70 MPH NEAR DANSVILLE...
SOUTHEAST LIVINGSTON COUNTY. REPORTED BY
WEATHER SPOTTER.
311 PM EDT WIND DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES IN DANSVILLE...
SOUTHEAST LIVINGSTON COUNTY. REPORT FROM
DANSVILLE POLICE.
311 PM EDT WIND DOWNED TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES IN NAPLES...
SOUTHERN ONTARIO COUNTY. FROM ONTARIO COUNTY SHERIFF.
355 PM EDT WIND DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES IN WILLARD AND OVID
AREAS...SOUTHERN SENECA COUNTY. FROM SENECA COUNTY
FIRE DISPATCHER.
409 PM EDT WIND DOWNED LARGE TREE LIMBS IN EASTERN YATES
COUNTY. FROM YATES COUNTY SHERIFF.
414 PM EDT WIND DOWNED NUMEROUS TREES AND POW8ER LINES
IN WILLARD...OVID...AND SOUTH OF ROMULUS IN
SOUTHERN SENECA COUNTY. REPORT FROM SENECA
COUNTY SHERIFF.
SCHWIBSLocal storm report, Jul 30, 7:14 PM EDT, 16 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
715 PM EDT SAT JUL 30 1988
250 PM EDT TREES DOWN IN RANDOLPH REPORTED BY AMATEUR RADIO.
330 PM EDT TREES DOWN ALLEGANY STATE PARK...POWER LINES DOWN
IN LIMESTONE...REPORTED BY AMATEUR RADIO.
330 PM EDT TREES DOWN IN TOWN OF CARLTON REPORTED BY CATTARAUGUS
COUNTY SHERIFF.
624 PM EDT TREES UPROOTED...DAMAGE TO SOME HOMES...VERY HIGH
WINDS...STREET DFLOODING REPORTED BY JAMESTOWN PD.
631 PM EDT TREES DOWN...VERY HIGH WINDS JAMESTOWN BY AMATEUR
RADIO.
DUNHAMThe 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, 6:20 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BUF | Chautauqua, Erie | 70 min |
| Jul 30, 6:35 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BUF | Cattaraugus | 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.