Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 27, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 17, 1988, 5:07 PM EDT for Bucks County, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 53 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 17, 1988, 5:07 PM EDT (21:07 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 17, 1988, 6:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 53 min
- Issued by
- NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Bucks County, PA, Montgomery County, PA
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 17, 5:40 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Bucks, PA | |
| Jul 17, 5:50 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 61 | Montgomery, PA | |
| Jul 17, 5:55 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Bucks, PA |
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
Atlantic City In, NJ (KACY), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 111 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
- 1047 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -143 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 900 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 28 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 62 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 86 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.9
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KPHL 172110
SVRPHL
PAC017-091-172200-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA PA
507 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHILADELPHIA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 600 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA
...WESTERN AND CENTRAL BUCKS...WESTERN AND CENTRAL MONTGOMERY
AT 5 PM EDT AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED OVER EASTERN
PORTIONS OF BERKS AND LEHIGH COUNTIES. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AND HOUR AND MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY DAMAGING
WINDS AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. AT 5 PM EDT A WIND GUST OF 63 MPH WAS
REPORTED AT READING.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNED AREA...BE
PREPARED FOR STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. SHOULD THE STORM APPROACH YOU...SEEK
IMMEDIATE SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO HIGH WINDS
AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED.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 17, 1:20 PM EDT, 3 hours 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON DE 120 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 1988 ...TEMPERATURE IN DOVER HITS 100 FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAY... FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT DAY...THE TEMPERATURE IN DOVER HAS REACHED THE CENTURY MARK. THIS COMBINED WITH A RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 55 PERCENT MAKES IT FEEL LIKE 124 DEGREES. THIS HEAT IS EXTREME AND PERSONS ACROSS THE STATE SHOULD KEEP OUTSIDE ACTIVITY TO A MINIMUM TODAY. DRINK PLENTY OF COOL NON-ALCOHOLIC LIQUIDS. THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY IS ALSO CAUSING THE ATMOSPHERE TO BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP TO OUR WEST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. AS THEY MOVE EASTWARD TOWARD THE HOT AND VERY HUMID CONDITIONS IN OUR AREA...THEY WILL TEND TO INTENSIFY IN STRENGTH. BE AWARE THAT THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND HAIL IN YOUR AREA. . HITCHENS
Special weather statement, Jul 17, 1:49 PM EDT, 3 hours 18 minutes before
ABPA- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALLENTOWN PA 145 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 1988 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND PORTIONS OF THE POCONOS...WHICH INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF MONROE AND PIKE... LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND DANGERSOUS LIGHTING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS...IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. A SEVERE` THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOPE IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. $$GIANNETTA
Special weather statement, Jul 17, 2:48 PM EDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
ABPA- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALLENTOWN PA 245 PM EDT SUN JULY 17 1988 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT FOR ALL OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA... A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THIS INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF BERKS...LEHIGH... NORTHAMPTON...SCHUYLKILL...CARBON...MONROE AND PIKE. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE COUNTIES. IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED...BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. $$DOVICO
Special weather statement, Jul 17, 3:54 PM EDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
ABPA-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALLENTOWN PA
355 PM EDT SUN JULY 17 1988
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT FOR EASTERN
PENNSYLVANIA...
AT 355 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM SCRANTON SOUTHWESTWARD TO HAZLETON
AND CONTINUING SOUTHWESTWARD TO CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. THE LINE IS
MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD AT 30 MPH AND WILL MOVE ACROSS PIKE...MONROE...
CARBON AND SCHUYLKILL COUNTIES IN THE NEXT HOUR. THE HEAVIEST STORMS
ARE APPROAHING NORTHERN CARBON AND SCHUYLKILL COUNTIES. THE STORMS COULD
CONTAIN STRONG...GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING. PEOPLE LIVING IN CA(RBON AND SCHUYLKILL COUNTIES SHOULD SEEK
SHELTER WHEN THESE STORMS ARRIVE.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
$$DOVICOSpecial weather statement, Jul 17, 4:35 PM EDT, 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA, PA 435 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 1988 ...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA... AT 420 PM EDT AN AREA OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY NORTHEAST THROUGH THE POCONOS. THE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL MOVE INTO THE LANCASTER-READING-ALLENTOWN AREA AROUND 5 PM EDT. IF THE STORMS MAINTAIN THEIR INTENSITY AND CURRENT MOVEMENT THEY WILL BEGIN AFFECTING WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE PHILADELPHIA METROPOLITAN AREA BY 7 PM EDT. THESE STORMS MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT FOR MUCH OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. IN SOUTEAST PENNSYLVANIA THIS INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF CHESTER...MONTGOMERY...BUCKS...AND DELAWARE. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS THE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH THE PHILADELPHIA AREA. Z RPW
The office that day
Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 17, 5:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Chester | 49 min |
| Jul 17, 5:57 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Chester | 48 min |
| Jul 17, 6:18 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Philadelphia | 27 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 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.