Alert archive / Indiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 101, NWS Indianapolis, IN
NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 16, 1988, 3:46 AM EST for Elkhart County, Indiana. It was in force for 44 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Nov 16, 1988, 3:46 AM EST (08:46 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 16, 1988, 4:30 AM EST
- In force
- 44 min
- Issued by
- NWS Indianapolis, IN
- Area
- Whole counties
County Elkhart 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
Dayton/James M C, OH (KDAY), launched 00:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 235 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 688 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 37 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 25 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 77 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 KSBN 160846
SVRSBN
INC039-160930-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SOUTH BEND IN
346 AM EST WED NOV 16 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 430 AM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES
IN THE NORTH CENTRAL PART OF INDIANA
ELKHART...THE CITY OF ELKHART
AT 345 PM EST RADAR AT SOUTH BEND INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
10 MILES EAST OF SOUTH BEND INDIANA. THIS THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED A
WIND GUST TO 75 MILES AN HOUR AT THE MICHIANA REGIONAL AIRPORT.
THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MILES AN HOUR.
IF YOU ARE IN AN AREA THREATENED BY THE STORM...GO TO A REINFORCED
SHELTER AND PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY
RAIN...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. BE ON THE LOOKOUT.
THIS IS A DAN-GEROUS STORM. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
ARNOLDWhat 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, Nov 16, 1:18 AM EST, 2 hours 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 117 AM EST WED NOV 16 1988 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS...WERE CROSSING THE INDIANA-ILLINOIS BORDER AT 110 AM EST. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE BAND OF STORMS WAS FROM CHICAGO TO ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF TERRE HAUTE. INTENSE LOW PRESSURE OVER EASTERN IOWA WAS CAUSING WIND GUSTS OF OVER 30 MPH ACROSS MUCH OF INDIANA. THESE WINDS COMBINED WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE 40 TO 50 MPH GUSTS ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST INDIANA BETWEEN 120 AM AND 230 AM. PEOPLE IN MORROCO...KENTLAND...FOWLER AND RENSSELAER CAN EXPECT GUSTY THUNDERSTORM WINDS. PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD LIxSTEN FOR LATER STATEMEMTS AND POSSBILE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR INTERIOR ROOM OF A HOME. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL BUT EXTREME EAST AND SOUTHEAST INDIANA UNTIL 700 AM EST. ALLSOPP
Special weather statement, Nov 16, 1:43 AM EST, 2 hours 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 141 AM EST WED NOV 16 1988 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS...WERE SPREADING RAPIDLY INTO NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL INDIANA. AT 135 AM EST THE LEADING EDGE OF THE BAND OF SHOWERS WAS FROM VALPARAISO TO LAFAYETTE TO TERRE HAUTE. HEAVIER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS...WERE FROM MORROCO IN NEWTON COUNTY TO DANVILLE ILLINOIS. WINDS WERE GUSTING TO 30 TO 40 MPH AHEAD OF THE PRECIPITATION. ADDITIONAL GUSTS FROM THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH...WHICH CAN DOWN TREE LIMBS AND ROCK MOBILE HOMES. PEOPLE IN RENSSELAER...FOWLER...OXFORD...AND ATTICA CAN EXPECT GUSTY THUNDERSTORM WINDS BETWEEN 140 AND 230 AM. PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMEMTS AND POSSBILE WARNINGS. BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR INTERIOR ROOM. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT. A SMALL TORNADO CAN FORM QUICKLY WITH THESE STORMS WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING. ALLSOPP
Special weather statement, Nov 16, 3:29 AM EST, 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 328 AM EST WED NOV 16 1988 STRONG GUSTY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO SURGE THROUGH NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL INDIANA. AT 325 AM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS FROM DELPHI TO FRANKFORT TO CRAWFORDSVILLE TO EAST OF TERRE HAUTE TO SULLIVAN. AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS OBSERVED PEA SIZE HAIL AT FRANKFORT AND JUST SOUTH OF TERRE HAUTE BETWEEN 315 AND 320AM. STRONG GUSTY WINDS OF 40 50 MPH OR MORE ALSO ACCOMPANIED THE STORMS. 51 MPH WINDS OCCURED AT THE TERRE HAUTE AIRPORT JUST BEFORE 300 AM. THE STORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH LOGANSPORT...BURLINGTON...GREENCASTLE AND LINTON BETWEEN 330 AM AND 430 AM. PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMEMTS AND POSSBILE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL BUT EXTREME EAST AND SOUTHEAST INDIANA UNTIL 700 AM EST. ALLSOPP
The office that day
Everything else NWS Indianapolis, IN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 2:18 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Fountain, Parke, Vermillion | 42 min |
| Nov 16, 2:18 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Vigo | 42 min |
| Nov 16, 2:26 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | LaPorte | 64 min |
| Nov 16, 2:29 AM EST | Tornado Warning | IND | Fountain, Vermillion, Warren | 31 min |
| Nov 16, 3:00 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Starke | 45 min |
| Nov 16, 3:14 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Saint Joseph | 46 min |
| Nov 16, 3:35 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | IND | Marshall | 40 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Indiana, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.