Alert archive / New Jersey / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 11, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

May 23, 1988Camden County, Gloucester County, New Jersey

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 23, 1988, 9:32 PM EDT for Camden County, Gloucester County, New Jersey. It was in force for 43 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 23, 1988, 9:32 PM EDT (01:32 UTC)
Expired
May 23, 1988, 10:15 PM EDT
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Whole counties

Counties Camden County, NJ, Gloucester County, NJ

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

Atlantic City In, NJ (KACY), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 58 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, Atlantic City In, NJ at 00:00Z on 1988-05-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1456 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Atlantic City In, NJ at 00:00Z on 1988-05-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 94 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
1456 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-46 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
803 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
94 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
120 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
3.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KPHL 240132
SVRPHL
NJC007-005-015-240215-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA PA
932 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1988

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF NEW JERSEY
      CAMDEN...WESTERN BURLINGTON...NORTHERN GLOUCESTER

AT 930 PM EDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM MOVING
INTO GLOUCESTER AND CAMDEN COUNTIES. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS
MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

 THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM AND PEOPLE IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD BE
PREPARED FOR STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN
AND LIGHTNING. SHOULD THE STORM APPROACH YOU...SEEK IMMEDIATE
SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO HIGH WINDS AND
SHOULD BE AVOIDED.

 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR SOUTHEASTERN
 PENNSYLVANIA AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY UNTIL 11 PM EDT.

 HEAVY RAINS WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM MAY CAUSE FLOODING
 OF SMALL STREAMS AND UNDERPASSES.

 RNS

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, May 23, 8:01 PM EDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA, PA
751 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT FOR THE
   PHILADELPHIA METROPOLTAN AREA...

AT 750 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF
SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS FROM HARRISBURG TO WASHINGTON DC.
THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER MARYLAND. THE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS REACHING
CHESTER COUNTY BY 9 PM.

ALTHOUGH THUNDERSTORMS TEND TO WEAKEN AFTER SUNSET...THE THUNDERSTORMS
OVER MARYLAND COULD CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL AND VERY HEAVY
RAINS. THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE MARYLAND THUNDERSTORMS COULD REACH
PHILADELPHIA AND NEARBY COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND
SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY BETWEEN 9 PM AND 11 PM.

RNS

RNS
Special weather statement, May 23, 8:09 PM EDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA, PA
808 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT FOR THE
   PHILADELPHIA METROPOLTAN AREA...

AT 750 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF
SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS FROM HARRISBURG TO WASHINGTON DC.
THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER MARYLAND. THE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS REACHING
CHESTER COUNTY BY 9 PM.

ALTHOUGH THUNDERSTORMS TEND TO WEAKEN AFTER SUNSET...THE THUNDERSTORMS
OVER MARYLAND COULD CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HAIL AND VERY HEAVY
RAINS. THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE MARYLAND THUNDERSTORMS COULD REACH
PHILADELPHIA AND NEARBY COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND
SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY BETWEEN 9 PM AND 11 PM.

RNS
Special weather statement, May 23, 8:30 PM EDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON DE
830 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT FOR DELAWARE...

AT 825 EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWS AN AREA OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDER
STORMS...EXTENDING SOUTH FROM NEAR READING PENNSYLVANIA...TO NEAR THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.  THIS AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS
MOVING EAST...AND ARE EXPECTED TO REACH NORTHERN DELAWARE BEFORE 9
EVENING.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING EAST SLOWLY...AND SOME HEAVY
RAIN MAY BE EXPECTED IN SOME AREAS OF NEW CASTLE COUNTY.  SINCE RAINFALL
WAS QUITE SIGNIFICANT DURING THE LATTER PART OF LAST WEEK...THE GROUND
WILL ALREADY BE QUITE SATURATED...AND ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE
RAIN WATER RUN-OFF TO SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREA.

PEOPLE LIVING IN AREAS OF NORTHERN DELAWARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLOODING
SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY ALERT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL OVER TIME...WHICH MIGHT
CAUSE A THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY DANGEROUS LIGHTNING..AND
MAY CONTAIN HAIL.

LATER STATEMENTS WILL BE RELEASED BY THIS OFFICE AS CONDITIONS
WARRANTS.

JFS
Special weather statement, May 23, 8:36 PM EDT, 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTIC CITY NJ
845 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT...

RADAR SHOWED A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM IN THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK CITY.
A LINE OF VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM CARBON COUNTY IN
PENNSYLVANIA SOUTHWARD TO SOUTHERN MARYLAND. THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD
PRODUCE HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN.

THE PRECIPITATIO#N WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

VMN
Special weather statement, May 23, 8:44 PM EDT, 48 minutes before
ABPA-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALLENTOWN PA
840 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT FOR EAST
   CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...
...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM APPROAHING BERKS COUNTY...

AT 840 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A VERY
HEAVY THUNDERSTORM APPROAHING THE SOUTHWESTERN PORTION OF BERKS
COUNTY. THE STORM IS MOVING EASTNORTHEAST AND WILL CROSS SOUTHERN
BERKS COUNTY IN THE NEXT HOUR. THIS STORM MAY CONTAIN HAIL...STRONG
GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

PEOPLE LIVING IN SOUTHERN BERKS COUNTY SHOULD SEEK SHELTER WHEN THIS
STORM ARRIVES.

$$DOVICO

                    %
Special weather statement, May 23, 9:02 PM EDT, 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA, PA
905 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN
PENNSYLVANIA AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE SUSQUEHANNA
VALLEY...THE LEHIGH VALLEY AND THE POCONOS...

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED INTO SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA
AND EASTERN MARYLAND. HOWEVER...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
STILL LINGERED THROUGH THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY AND LEHIGH VALLEY
AT 9 PM EDT.

THE FRONT EDGE OF THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO CHESTER
COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA AND THE STATE OF DELAWARE AT 9 PM. THE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH AND WILL SPREAD THROUGH
SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA BY 10 PM AND INTO SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY BY
11 PM.

SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD HAVE STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL AS
AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE PHILADELPHIA METROPOLITAN AREA.

HEAVY ERAINS WILL ACCOMPANY SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS AND FLOODING
IS POSSIBLE IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE.

RNS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 23, 9:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBurlington43 min
May 23, 10:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBurlington39 min
May 24, 7:09 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHICumberland66 min
May 24, 7:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIAtlantic, Cape May58 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in New Jersey, 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.