Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 34, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 26, 1988, 7:15 PM EDT for Chester County, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 60 min. 4 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 26, 1988, 7:15 PM EDT (23:15 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 26, 1988, 8:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Chester County, PA, Delaware 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 26, 7:18 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Chester, PA | |
| Jul 26, 7:25 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Delaware, PA | |
| Jul 26, 7:37 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Chester, PA | |
| Jul 26, 7:46 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Chester, 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, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 107 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
- 604 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -47 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1036 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 24 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 34 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 27 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 1.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KPHL 262315
SVRPHL
PAC045-029-270015-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA PA
715 PM EDT TUE JUL 26 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES
IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF PENNSYLVANIA
DELAWARE...SOUTHEAST CHESTER
AT 708 PM EDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN SOUTHEAST
CHESTER COUNTY MOVING TOWARD THE EAST NOTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN
HOUR. THIS THUNDERSTORM CONTAINS STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL
AND VERY HEAVY DOUNPOURS.
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
PENNSYLVaANIA THROUGH 11 PM EDT.
HEAVY RAINS WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM MAY CAUSE FLOODING
OF SMALL STREAMS AND UNDERPASSES.
KWHWhat 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 26, 5:34 PM EDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA, PA 531 PM EDT TUE JUL 26 1988 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 11 PM EDT FOR PHILADELPHIA METROPOLITAN AREA... ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN BUCKS COUNTY... AT 525 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER CENTRAL BUCKS COUNTY. IN ADDITION...THERE WERE SOME THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN FARTHER WEST OVER LEBANON AND LANCASTER COUNTIES. IN ADDITION TO VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS WITH POSSIBLE LOCALIZED URBAN FLOODING... THESE STORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. THE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL AFFECT THE CENTRAL PORTION OF BUCKS COUNTY AND WESTERN CHESTER COUNTY BETWEEN 530 PM EDT AND 630 PM EDT. IF YOU SEE THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. TCB
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 5:40 PM EDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before
^PHLSPSACY SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTIC CITY NJ 540 PM EDT TUE JUL 26 1988 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN NEW JERSEY INCLUDING CUMBERLAND AND BURLINGTON COUNTIES UNTIL 11 PM... AT 530 PM..RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTHERN NEW JERSEY...SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA... NORTHERN MARYLAND AND THE WASHINGTON DC AREA. THE HEAVIEST OF THESE WERE OVER HUNTERDON COUNTY OF NEW JERSEY...BUCKS COUNTY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND AT BALTIMORE MARYLAND. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR. JGV
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 6:26 PM EDT, 49 minutes before
ABPA- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALLENTOWN PA 620 PM EDT TUE JULY 26 1988 ...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS IN BERKS COUNTY... AT 620 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN BERKS COUNTY. THE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL MOVE ACROSS BERKS COUNTY IN THE NEXT HOUR. A LINE OF HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM COLUMBIA SOUTHWESTWARD TO NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY. THIS LINE WILL MOVE EASTNORTHEASTWARD INTO WESTERN AND NORTHERN SCHUYLKILL COUNTY IN ABOUT ONE HOUR. THESE STORMS CONTAIN HEAVY DOWNPOURS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND COULD CONTAIN STRONG... GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. ELSWHERE...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE SC2ATTERED THROUGHOUT LEHIGH AND NORTHAMPTON COUNTIES. PEOPLE LIVING IN BERKS AND SCHUYLKILL COUNTIES SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED. $$DOVICO
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 6:40 PM EDT, 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA, PA 640 PM EDT TUE JUL 26 1988 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 11 PM EDT FOR PHILADELPHIA METROPOLITAN AREA... ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN CHESTER COUNTY... AT 640 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER CHESTER COUNTY. IN ADDITION ...THERE WERE SOME THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN IN NORTHERN BUCKS AND NORTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTIES AND ANOTHER AREA IN SALEM COUNTY. THESE STORMS CONTAIN VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS WITH POSSIBLE LOCALIZED FLOODING AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. THE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 25 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL AFFECT DELAWARE COUNTY AND PHILADELPHIA C@OUNTIES BETWEEN 640 AND 740 PM EDT. IF YOU SEE THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. KWH
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 6:44 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
^PHLSPSACY SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTIC CITY NJ 635 PM EDT TUE JUL 26 1988 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN NEW JERSEY INCLUDING CUMBERLAND AND BURLINGTON COUNTIES UNTIL 11 PM... AT 630 PM..THUNDERSTORMS WHICH ARE PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL ARE BEING OBSERVED IN THE FOLLOWING EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA LOCATIONS: A FEW MILES NORTHEAST OF READING...JUST SOUTH OF POTTSTOWN AND 10 MILES WEST OF WILMINGTON AND 10 MILES EAST OF LANCASTER. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM HAS ALSO DEVELOPED DURING THE PAST HOUR A FEW MILES WEST OF MILLVILLE NEW JERSEY. TO COMPLETE THE PICTURE..D.SHOWERS AND LIGHTER THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURING IN NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND...EASTERN HALF OF PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT AROUND 25 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 6:44 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON DE 645 PM EDT TUE JUL 26 1988 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES STATEWIDE UNTIL 11PM... THUNDERSTORMS AT PRESENT EXTEND FROM SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA... NORTHEASTERN THROUGH CENTRAL MARYLAND INTO CENTRAL VIRGINIA. MOVEMENT WAS TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN STORMS OVER NORTHERN VIRGINIA. STORMS ALONG THE NORTHERN DELAWARE AND MARYLAND BORDER CONTAINED HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. RAIN HAS SPREAD INTO NORTHERN AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF NEW CASTLE COUNTY WITH HEAVIEST RAIN JUST TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF NEWARK. MOVE INDOORS TO A REINFORCED STRUCTURE IF A STORM APPROACHES. ALSO BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY THAT HEAVY RAIN WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF ROADSIDES AND AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE. . AT PRESENT...NO STORMS WERE THREATENING KENT OR SUSSEX COUNTIES. HOWEVER...ANY STORMS THAT DgEVELOP THERE DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE. HITCHENS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 7:44 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Montgomery, Philadelphia | 31 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.